Letting agents and part p certs

[nickynackynoos]

Good morning everyone,

quick question regarding letting agents.

In a nut shell we completed Eicr property had very old board no rcd no sealed light in bathroom etc anyhow we quoted and the work was excepted. Work completed Thursday and cert for eicr sent over to letting agency as they had new tenant moving in Monday. So 5pm yesterday I get a call from a really angry letting agency demanding the part p straight away as it’s my legal requirement to have it to him before someone moving in.

I tried to explain we do our part p certs at the weekend and it will emailed over to him Monday but oh no not good enough. He really got my back up telling me he won’t move the tenant in until he has it and that his own electrician has said he should get onto us as we are breaking the law etc but not supplying the building control certification. He is also demanding to see the invoices and receipts for the job which I said are none of his business and if he wants a copy of the invoice request it from the landlord as he paid not them.

all the electricians are working away this weekend and are not allowed their phones due to security so cannot ask them what to tell them so any advice would be appreciated. This group has always helped me out so just need to know what to say

thank you
Nicky

 

[buzzlightyear]

did say it was the other electrician who backed his view that I was breaking the law

What laws this not doing Eic before time or the EICR on time.

 

[Dartlec]

Worthwhile pointing out, here..... even if you actioned the Part P submission this morning, it won't get actioned by the scheme until Monday at the very earliest and the relevant BC office won't file it for days.

Sounds like this agent is a total knob-jockey and probably in cahoots with the other electrician in just trying to make you look bad.

True - though the NICEIC one does generate an online certificate you can immediately download now - they are available at midnight following the form being completed (Can't see a reason why that bit wouldn't work at weekends, since it's automated).

But in either case, the Part P notification has nothing to do with the legislation for landlords, so this is clearly a letting agent who either wants to look like he knows everything, or is being awkward because he missed out on a cut.

Having said that, there is the general requirement of a landlord to maintain a 'safe installation' at all time, regardless of the EICR requirements - so I guess you could stretch and say that they need to satisfy themselves that any work has been done to the legal standards (which would involve a Part P notification for notifiable work).

If the letting agent was working on behalf of the landlord, then it would be reasonable for them to want to know that contractors doing work were appropriately Part P registered, for example, and that notification would be happening within the allowed time. A polite enquiry or a check on the competent persons register should have resolved that (and could have been asked of the landlord since he arranged and paid)

That's very different from demanding documents that he likely wouldn't have a clue how to interpret anyway (and has no right to anyway since he wasn't involved)

Sounds very much like someone didn't get their cut from work and is unhappy.

 

[Dartlec]

He did say it was the other electrician who backed his view that I was breaking the law

It's the landlord who has legal responsibility, not the electrician. Maybe the letting agent's rant should be directed at them - who then might see what sort of person they are employing and look elsewhere with any luck.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Some estate agents want their cut from contracted spark, and charge the landlord for the services, some land Lords rather go direct to the spark, me don't do e/agents they expect you do do for nowt.

 

[nickynackynoos]

What laws this not doing Eic before time or the EICR on time.

The landlord just called me and said that its not even a new tenant its a new tenancy with the same tenant, he said they told him that we were breaking the law but he had called a few letting agents today and they said they were talking crap and then he spoke to the other electrician who works for them and he said we were not even registered and that by changing the board and not supplying the full Niceic part p at the time we were not registered and we should be reported to the Niceic for using their logo and we can be taken to court and that fitting a board a new light and 2 socket front changes for less than £800 proved we were not registered, he said no the price was £900 and he said yeah the £100 for the agency commission cheeky buggers. Anyhow i talked him through the Niceic web page where he found our Approved Contractor details, the landlord said sorry would we like another job and we left on mutual terms agreeing he would contact the actual agency first thing Monday morning. He said you dont have to be a brain surgeon to work out why they have done and said what they have but funny enough the Landlord actually is a brain surgeon

Thanks again for the replies i believe this has now been put to bed !

Nicky

 

[Baddegg]

Worthwhile pointing out, here..... even if you actioned the Part P submission this morning, it won't get actioned by the scheme until Monday at the very earliest and the relevant BC office won't file it for days.

Sounds like this agent is a total knob-jockey and probably in cahoots with the other electrician in just trying to make you look bad.

We prefer the great @buzzlightyear version.....,knobskull ??

 

[loz2754]

Knobskull!

(Sorry I just wanted to say it out loud..)

 

[littlespark]

Knobskull!

(Sorry I just wanted to say it out loud..)

KNOBSKULL!

(mines is louder!)

 

[DPG]

I was generalising @pirate and that is wrong I know, I know you are right.....it’s just the only ones I’ve ever met lie through they massive white teeth and genuinely believe looking like a love island donut is more important than actually knowing and or doing they jobs.....@James has hit the nail on the head...,the loser will be the tenant and it won’t be the agents fault!

Electricians always generalise.

 

[UNG]

Seems a common thing with letting agents they want to make money at every twist and turn, they will take their 10% of the rent and put 10% on the cost of work they organise and if the landlord tries to get out of the contract they want paying for that as well

 

[pc1966]

If they actually organise the work, check it was done, and arrange payment, etc, then taking a percent on top is perfectly reasonable.

But they have no right to that should the landlord sort it out directly!

 

[UNG]

If they actually organise the work, check it was done, and arrange payment, etc, then taking a percent on top is perfectly reasonable.

But they have no right to that should the landlord sort it out directly!

A percent would be reasonable I've heard of 10 - 20% being taken with regard to organising the work what does the 10% creamed of the rent cover is that not a management fee

 

[Deleted account]

I often worked for one estate agent who was brilliant.

gave me plenty of notice. Paid straight away.

would take my word for any thing I recommended.

I never ripped him off, in fact I charged him alot less than other estate agents would get charged.

I would go out of my way for him. If a Tennant needed to be in on a certain date I’d ensure works where completed on time.

There are exceptions.

 

[hasel5]

Maybe the Landlord needs to find a new letting agent that would get the parasite letting agent spinning on the spot

 

[Micktw68]

Letting agent talking out of his A hole. As usual.