blunther

Beware of additional fees on top of a 'finder's fee'. You'll probably have £100 each credit check fees, and a chunky 'administration fee' as well. They sound like charlatans so unless you're really sold on the place I'd run a mile!

In Singapore maybe...! I love the bus shelter sign over there with 'Choose Your Weapons, Face your Consequences' on it - can you get us a pic? I loved the bicycle chain bit! never even thought of using that as a weapon till I saw that.

Arr, this is probably your best bet if they hadn't mentioned this before you paid.

The Landlord should be paying a finder's fee if anyone. They will rip you off for administration fees. The credit checks they use cost about £6 each, but we paid about £180 in 'admin' fees in all last year. Unfortunately it's not illegal as far as I'm aware, as they are pretty much completely unregulated and can do and charge whatever they like. I'd say to walk and find another house, but it looks like you've paid a holding deposit so that makes it tricky. If you can somehow get the landlord's details, it might be wise to let them know. If I was trying to let a house, I'd be pissed off that the agent was making it difficult and putting off prospective tenants.

Seriously, just do the same thing. Tell them you're not paying as you're moving onto a periodic tenancy. Even if they try to pressure or stall you, even if the contract expires before you sign anything the tenancy agreement automatically becomes periodic. You don't have to do anything at all. The ridiculous thing in your case is that the only reason you might want to pay the fee is if you want the long-term security of knowing you'll be in that place for the term of the tenancy, but if they're drawing up contracts that require renewal every 6 months anyway, then it's only an extra 4 months on top if the notice they'd serve you if went onto a periodic tenancy. Letting fees for renewal of tenancy agreements are the biggest scam going, and they are piss easy to avoid. This

And back on topic: landlords and letting agents.

It's a fee for printing off a few pieces of paper and posting it to you. It's ridiculous but they can charge what they want as letting agents are completely unregulated. I've heard of them charging 150 quid before. However you don't necessarily need to pay it. If you do nothing, just continue paying your rent as normal, you will go onto what is known as a periodic tenancy. In essence you are on a monthly contract. If the landlord wants you out they have to give you two months clear notice, coinciding with the rent due date. If you want out, you need to give one months fear notice, coinciding with a rental date (ie if your rent is due on the first of the month, and the landlord serves you notice on the 15th June, you leave two months after the next due date, ie: 1st September in this case. You need sign nothing to go onto a statutory periodic tenancy - it is automatic. Just lay your rent as normal. The letting agent may May try to con you by saying something like 'we don't do periodic tenancies'. However it is not their choice, it is the law. Agents don't like it because these arbitrary fees they charge are a nice little earer for doing **** all. Of course the problem with this is the landlord can serve two months notice at any time. It might be worth paying that fee if you get a 12 month contract out of them if that's what you want. The Shelter website has some useful info.

If the landlord has actually sold the property then I don't think you can "be a word removed" about it at all. Your contract is with someone who no longer owns the property, not to mention the contract has expired. There's having no leg to stand on and then there's this. As I understand it the house would have been sold with sitting tenants and the new owners take over the existing tenancy. You still can't be removed without a court order, though it would be harsh on the new owners to refuse to move as it ain't their fault. It's one of the risks of buying a place with tenants in situ though and is why buying such a place is accordingly cheaper than buying with vacant possession.

On a brighter note, we were two weeks shy of our notice date when a house came up on the same street at the same price, and was a lot nicer. We love our new house, and it makes the old one seem shite. Just religiously check rightmove - this house had been on the market for two minutes when I called up and had it removed - paid holding deposit over the phone there and then without even viewing it, then had a few mates round to cart stuff up the road (12 doors away). Took four hours with a few cider and fag breaks. So it can work out for the best.

Yeah you could be right, it's just a contract expiry rather then being thrown out so maybe it isnt eviction. Thanks though I think the landlord has sold the property so there's nothing anyone can do. It will be the full 6 months (As they're getting keys 31st of May). So no compensation, it's my own fault as I should have signed a 12month contract. Worst thing is there's no where on the market where i'd like to live so I may have to move back to the parents til something comes up, which is just more hassle with storage etc... :cry: Wounder. Had it done to me last year too, and found out while on holiday...! If you want to be a word removed about it, there are ways of dragging it out if their paperwork isn't up to scratch. And technically they can't get you out without a court order - the Section 21 notice that they should have submitted to you is merely a notice that they will start court proceedings to remove you if you are not gone on that date. These take months.

I've kept fairly quiet about McLeish all season, but his post-match comments are a **** disgrace. Get out of my club.

Hmmm, old thread, but it's a topic close to my heart. My missus is a Man U fan which is annoying. Her old man made her pick a team from MOTD when she was little, and she picked Man U, which would've been in, I think, about 1988. If only she'd picked Sheffield Wednesday or something life would be better but there you go. She does know her football, and comes to the boozer to watch games and that, so it's swings and roundabouts really. Her argument is that everyone in her neck of the woods, which is Walsall, is a Villa fan, and they're gloryhunters as much as she is. Woe betide any Villa fan from Walsall telling her she should support her local team. Have a mate who's a Man U fan too, but his old man's a Man U fan so got no qualms with that. I'm also friends with a couple of bluenoses, but they happily admit they're a pile of wank so that's fine.

If I recall correctly, that spider stat was just made up by a radio DJ somewhere to test if people would believe made-up facts. Though I could be wrong. After all, how on Earth would anyone know they'd ate a spider asleep...

Made up that, innit.

I used to spend all day on Skyscrapercity. Don't go on there very often now though. Had thousands of posts.

Asda do it, and so does my local Co-Op. Pisses me right off.

On that note, the phrase 'colleague announcement' in a supermarket. They are staff. It is a staff announcement.

Someone eating an apple near you. Never seen square brackets used in the way you mention Stevo... always in BOF's way which is how I understand they should be used.

As I understand it, the government used to pay you a good sum each year to have them, as well as the savings that you'd get on your bills. You could either foot the bill yourself and receive the subsidy, or companies fitted the panels free, and took the government subsidy. I believe the best time has passed now though as the subsidy has halved recently.

Renewed! There was a queue this morning!

Who the **** does that? The only thing they'd share with me is a slap in the chops if they tried that with me.

So season ticket holders have no right to complain but someone who doesn't go and has a Barcelona avatar does have the right? Okay.

Please come back to this thread and tell me more.

Because they are seemingly on route to developing nuclear weapons and have a stated desire to wipe another nation off the map. When did they actually say that?

Recipe please. Always nice to see how others have a go at a home cuzza.