Can my Estate Agent still charge me if I leave because of poor service?
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Robin from Glasgow
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Finding a house questions and answers
Question
I am very unhappy with the poor level of service that I have received from my estate agent.
I want to leave, but I am worried about my estate agent charging me for the services. Is my estate agent allowed to charge me if I leave because of poor service?
Answer
The first thing to do is to check your contract with the agent. If you had a sole agency period, there will be a time at the beginning of the contract where you are supposed to stay with them. If you are out of contract, there would not usually be a charge anyway.
Having said that, if the customer service has not been good then they will be in breach of their obligations to you which could also terminate the contract.
However, this could lead to complications if they don’t accept your point of view. May I suggest you start with just talking to them about it? You may find that there are reasons they haven’t done what you expected, or that they buck their ideas up.
Failing that, if you are under contract, explain in writing what the problems are and give them a set time to remedy.
reallymoving comment:
If you feel levels of service have been particularly poor, you can contact the Property Ombudsman with your complaint, and they will investigate your situation.
Crystal Horwood
PACE Property Professionals
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