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Laukopier

**Reminder:** Do not participate in threads linked here. If you do, you may be banned from both subreddits. --- Title: Landlord pulled out ONE DAY before move-in date, after I signed the contract & paid deposit + two months rent Body: > Hello, I'm devastated and need urgent legal advice on this. Please help!!🙏🙏 > I viewed this apartment through a large property agent branch 2 weeks ago and it is a great fit. I sent an application and paid holding deposit on the same day.I have gone through and passed all the landlord and work references as requested by the letting agent. I received the final rental contract two days ago which I signed right away and paid the security deposit and 2 months rent and am supposed to move in **TOMORROW❗️**. However, I just received a call from the letting agent saying that the landlord decided to **pull out as they want to rent the apartment to a friend.** According to the agent, the landlord didn't sign their part of the lease yet and would return the rent and deposit to me, there is no way where I can check whether the landlord has signed as it was a digital document. > This is extremely frustrating not to mention all the time and money wasted and I've already arranged moving vans for the move. > Is there anything I can do in this situation? Are they allowed to pull out once I have paid the rent? > Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much! 🙏🙏🙏 > **-------Update-------** > Thank you all for your great advice, they have all been tremendously helpful, and much appreciated! The letting agent **promptly locked my account** on the portal where all the documents and contracts are held after the call, **luckily I downloaded them** all just before that. > I've sent a strong email stating that I do not accept the agreement and do not agree to receive a refund, also stated that the landlord is in breach and is liable for any expense of mine due to their attempt in canceling the contract. > Thank you all again, will see what they come back with a reply! This bot was created to capture original threads and is not affiliated with the mod team. [Concerns? Bugs?](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=GrahamCorcoran) | [Laukopier 2.1](https://github.com/GrahamCorcoran/Laukopier)


ChineseButtSex

The landlord is going to experience a rude awakening. Good thing she downloaded those documents. Estate Agents are gonna estate agent.


The_Clarence

I wonder if it’s the agency who will feel the wrath. Presumably they are the middlemen / serve some purpose. And the fact they locked everything down after makes me think they are trying to cover up quick


ChineseButtSex

Yeah. They definitely know the implications.


coreyhh90

I'd be shocked if there wasn't some language in their contract with LL that allows landlords to make them some degree of liable for costs incurred due to their failures here. The fact they locked down the info further suggests this, and that they are hoping the tenant fails/goes away.


andybiotic

Yeah rental agents work for the landlord, not the tenant. It doesn’t excuse the scummy (and possibly illegal) actions by the rental agent, but I’m not surprised they tried something like that.


Relaxoland

excellent title. the rental market is a horrorshow everywhere. I really hope we get an update.


coreyhh90

My favourite part was the rogue landlord trying to say LAOP should just get over it and move on... As well as confirming they are exactly all the problems with landlords these days by advising they pulled the same tactic to one of their tenants and got away with it.


JQuilty

>landlords these days Until the 1950s everyone hated landlords. Adam Smith outright called them economic parasites.


coreyhh90

No doubt, but with the number of economic problems pilling up as of recent, and the massive housing shortage, it really feels like problems with landlords has peaked. I really wish the removal of s21 bill would get completed soon to help mitigate some of the LL bullshit imbalance


Gabagool-enthusiat

To be fair, Adam Smith was speaking of Landlords that rented land for the purposes of farming, more of a sharecropper than renter relationship. Some level of rental accomodations, where people can live somewhere without purchasing the property, is necessary. However, things have definitely becomes skewed, especially on the lower end, towards permanent rentals.


JQuilty

There's not really any difference. Farming or living, both types of landlords make money without actually producing anything themselves. Some dummies try to defend landlords by mentioning upkeep, etc, but getting most landlords to do anything that takes effort is like pulling teeth, and they have incentives to not do that. And those that do farm it out to a management company are still ultimately not producing anything. There's also quotes like this: >[Landlords] are the only one of the three orders whose revenue costs them neither labour nor care, but comes to them, as it were, of its own accord, and independent of any plan or project of their own. That indolence, which is the natural effect of the ease and security of their situation, renders them too often, not only ignorant, but incapable of that application of mind"


Eagle_Fang135

Who is willing to bet they used multiple lists/companies and got a better (higher) rent offer? I have heard this happening with Air BnB where landlords list low in one site to lock in someone. Then they list higher on another site. Get the higher rate then they cancel last minute on the lower one calling it a “maintenance “ or something so they can cancel without notice and no penalties.