x
By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies to enhance your experience.
Graham Awards

TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Lettings agent makes another blistering attack on landlords

A lettings agent who has started a rental insurance business has launched another attack on landlords.

Ajay Jagota, who runs KIS Lettings in the north of England as well as his Veriwise insurance service, says: “It is a needless national scandal that so many renters in England and the rest of the United Kingdom are putting up with their landlord not fixing things.

“Up and down the country there are renters asking questions like ‘how long can my landlord leave me without a toilet?’ and ‘how long does a landlord have to fix electricity?’ – or in this case ‘how long do I have to put up with having no kitchen floor?’

Advertisement

“It is not good enough for landlords to claim that they can’t afford these repairs – they have a legal responsibility to carry them out. Veriwise was set up to support renters who lack the resources or legal skills to enforce these responsibilities and even pursue claims for compensation.”

He says his insurance service “takes on” housing disrepair claims on behalf of renters, negotiating with councils or private landlords to get property maintenance issues fixed. 

A statement from the firm adds: “In cases where the landlord does not comply Veriwise have a panel of solicitors who can take the case to court to ensure the landlord complies and pays any compensation.”

 

 

Jagota - who until recently ran a deposit alternative service called Dlighted - says official figures produced in the most recent English Housing Survey showed that 23 per cent of privately rented homes and 12 per cent of socially-rented homes failed to meet minimum standards. 

This is not the first broad-brush criticism of landlords made by Jagota: only last week he accused landlords of not taking their responsibilities to tenants seriously.

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

  • icon

    Really?

  • icon

  • James B

    At least the managed landlords at KIS will be safe from being sued for tenants Compo

  • icon

    We know our legal responsibilities, such landlords should be called out.

    PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    Don't disagree but There are enough Tenant sympathisers doing that already and any landlord with a transgression doesn't need a kicking from other landlords or Agents, there's enough Landlord - bashing going on without us joining in.

     
  • icon

    Will he be taking action against councils and housing associations ? as they seem to be the worst offenders here.

  • icon

    Ajay, what a load of nonsense you are peddling, we always fix things promptly, we are required to have Electric in good order checked every year and DICR every 5. Toilets only ever ever get blocked when they are misused which is very rare although I had a situation where they had a party & over crowded & blocked the 3 Toilets in the property with fast food packages, still I was within half an hour and cleared them as soon as I knew. Kitchen without a floor what on Earth are you talking about, send in the Clowns. The allegations you make is a needless scandal some unsubstantiated cheek and certainly a long way off the Noam.

    icon

    Can't see many tenants taking out insurance; as with Dlighted,suspect this won't last the course

     
    icon

    Literally received this last night. It’s always a few that give the majority a bad name.

    “Hi Alistair,

    That’s brilliant, thank you so much. We are always very impressed with how quickly you respond + issues are sorted. It’s very much appreciated.”

    It’s how we ran our agency with c. 400 properties and how we run our personal portfolio

     
  • Neil Moores

    To be fair to Mr Jagota, he is just pushing his business. We have all come across very poor landlords and they often get away with it. These will be the ones WITHOUT electrical checks, the correct HMO licenses etc and will have tenants who do not have the capability to deal with their complaints. Not all tenants know their way to Shelter and other avenues of complaint. I have advised many tenants who have been taken for a ride by unscrupulous landlords. None of these cases have ever gone to court because the landlord has spotted what’s coming once it was clear that the tenant had knowledgeable help on board, making the landlord terrified of repercussions, rent repayment orders, fines etc. My only issue is that my experience shows that Insurance backed schemes like these generally don’t do the job. The tenants could end up with a dodgy Landlord AND extra outgoings in terms of their insurance payouts. How solid is the insurance? Is it any better than the many new homes build insurance policies which have had such disastrous ramifications in recent years with insurers going bust left, right and centre?

    PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    @ Neil - Perhaps you should go into business with him ?
    Any Landlord with sense will steer clear of this Tenant-sympathiser.
    Agents are employed ' solely ' by landlords ( moreso since the Tenant Fee ban ) and any Agent who makes his business by selling out and screwing landlords over doesn't deserve Landlords custom.

     
  • icon

    Well I am NOT one of those Landlords !!!!
    I think the letting industry needs sorting out ,there are many rogue agents,many!
    And don't talk about the insurance industry !

  • icon

    His insurance company will go nowhere. You cannot get tenants to take out contents insurance

  • Neil Moores

    @PossessionfriendUK
    I have no intention of going into business with anyone with the intention of fighting for tenants’ rights. However when I am asked by friends, relatives and associates to help because a tenant they know is being abused and having their rights trampled over, making their life hell, I won’t apologise for helping them and hopefully ridding the business of a landlord who is doing other landlords no service whatsoever. “Possession friend UK” clearly doesn’t realise that supporting landlords who break the law, endanger life and make people’s life a misery, is not in the best interests of the industry, the renting public, or anyone other than dodgy landlords. I have a very large property portfolio of properties and have rarely had to resort to court action but I feel comfortable when I do have to because I know that my tenants have been dealt with professionally and legally.

icon

Please login to comment

MovePal MovePal MovePal
sign up