A letting agent was caught with his pants down inside a landlord’s property, it has been claimed.
Victoria Whitlock, writing her regular landlord column in the London Evening Standard, does not name the agent but says: “I swear every word is true.”
She says that a landlord friend with several properties in south London had used the same local letting agents for years without any problems.
A few months ago, the agent informed the landlord that he had sold and a new letting agent would be taking over the portfolio.
A property became empty and, during the void, Whitlock’s friend asked his usual decorator to go in and take a look to see if the property needed work done on it.
Whitlock’s landlord friend was then shocked to get a phone call from the decorator to say that there was a party going on in the flat.
Whitlock goes on: “Apparently, the decorator had interrupted a couple of guys who were entertaining several… ahem… ladies, and from the state of the place, they’d been having quite a lot of fun, not all of which was entirely legal.
“According to my friend, it was a pretty debauched affair involving substance abuse.
“Of course the decorator had no idea who these people were, but he told them to clear off. At the same time, he was quick-witted enough to whip out his phone and take photos of the group as they scurried out.
“When my friend turned up minutes later and looked at the shots, he immediately recognised one of the men running out in a state of undress as no other than his new letting agent.
“He promptly changed the locks and sent the agent an email terminating their contract and attaching the locksmith’s bill, together with an invoice from the cleaners he’d hired to clean up the mess. The agent put up no argument.”
We think Whitlock should name names.
After all, a decorator like that deserves honourable mention!
Comments (14)
An enterprising agent using “time honoured” inter personal communication and marketing skills, at his own expense, to expose himself and others, to his clients very desirable property.
I assume this all took place on the “****” carpet preserving a contextually appropriate atmosphere.
Many years back I remember working with a very smooth guy who was always in the company of charming ladies.
I later found out that his success was mainly down to him ending most evenings with the usual “would you like to come back to my place?” And that turned out to be the show flat at a very prestigious development in Central London where he was the negotiator
After the lady left in the wee small hours he would wait 10 Minutes and then discretely let himself out and go home to his Mum!
There was once a lady, well a female person, who repeatedly asked one local firm of agents in to value her house. Once in, they were locked in and propositioned. Such was the turnover of staff that they kept getting caught, much to our amusement!
I think the said female person was eventually sectioned…
“together with an invoice from the cleaners he’d hired to clean up the mess. The agent put up no argument.”
Really? Mess? I’m having my breakfast!
Well, just to offer some balance
I was confronted by Lady Client who asked me if I would like to see her in the carefully placed basque draped on the corner of her bed to which I said “I think your husband might have something to say” (No! he didn’t then appear from behind the curtains)
And the Gentleman Client who sat unusually close next to me on his sofa and started playing with his zip, he got this reply “if you continue with that you will exit this room through that window!”
Neither party opted for the time honoured “can I get you a tea or coffee?”
Interesting that the lady didn’t get the same “EXIT” offer?
Oh no! Given that this government mainly operates on the knee jerk principle, there might well be some new legislation already in the pipeline. Maybe the ‘Letting Agents Reduction of Incidence of Copulation in Unoccupied Premises Bill 2018’?
The government would need a cross party representative to assess the quality of touching, feeling and inappropriate comments whilst testing the quality of any illegal substances at such events before introducing the Bill….bet it would get through in record time!!
“knee jerk principle” !!!!!!!!!
Well that’s a point of view, dunno what it’s got to do with knees though !
Some serious questions to be answered…….any HMO certificate? were the tenants creating condensation and did they correctly leave windows open to prevent possible damp? did the agent charge a fee and was this inclusive of vat and advertised properly?
I assume that the involved “parties” were all related so an HMO certificate would not be required?
When is the next one…..?
You were one of the ahem…ladies at the party?
Let’s face it. We’ve all been there!
We have?? I can’t recall the last time I took over one of my landlords empty properties for a drug infuled orgy