Townends Estate Agents
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Gave me a fake 6 month break clause!
I lived in SW11 a stones throw from Wimbledon. I was new to the renting game from the tenant side. I saw a place on zoopla & contacted the agent. The agent seemed pleasant & helpful (especially as I’d have to pay all rent upfront due to poor credit history.....). She showed me a few places & then I was shown a tiny but seemingly usable one bedroom flat. The agent told me of the 6 month break clause and that I could have those terms (as I was unaware of such a clause to be honest). I agreed. They sent me a subject to contract letter via email which I had to electronically sign 1st May 2015, move in date 2nd May 2015. The document stated the term of 6 month break clause, and so I happily paid £10k knowing that if I didn’t like se25 Thornton Heath that at least I could leave and look elsewhere. The neighbour there that I shared the main communal front door with has great mental health issues, is an alcoholic & heavy drug user often shouting racist abuse. The landlord was/is aware of him & his conduct, so too were/are the agents. There was also a rat & mice problem (saw them in the ‘daytime’.......). I applied for my 6 month break clause early & was told via the phone that I didn’t get it granted. (I was gutted and couldn’t prove anything because I couldn’t access my emails yet due to no WiFi in place at the time, I took their word as fact and just sunk in the flat, began staying in bed all day). In January I was attacked by the neighbour, the police are aware of his many episodes and all the tenants leaving early because of how he is. I was purposely given an unsafe place to live as all they wanted was the £10k upfront. After my attack I needed my paperwork to work out my move in date etc and guess what I found? The invoice/subject to contract which features term 6 month break. I was horrified. I contacted them and told them I felt scammed as here is the proof here. They turned around and lied to me that the landlord didn’t want a break clause because of my poor credit history (told me in January.........). That’s unilateral means. So far they got away with it, but when I did a search on the address I was disgusted to see that Townends readvertised the flat before I’d even officially moved out (& from hear say I’ve heard that that tenant after me fled early too). The lawyers fees are expensive, but I must conclude the matter legally as that was my savings, & I know they’d used tricks because the landlord lives abroad and in the space of time may 1st to May 2nd they’d told me they couldn’t get hold off her. So how did she tell them to not give me a 6 month break then? I thought them a company you could trust as they’ve been around as long as McDonald’s as I’d of been reluctant to use a newbie agent tbh smh. Loads of us had fled that flat. And Even recently.