Wintrust lettings agency
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions
Wintrust Residential is a lettings agency which ran two offices in East London. It claimed to provide the "most honest and professional service possible".
But we've heard from a number of landlords who say that, without telling them and without their permission, the business has moved people into their properties - and then changed the locks on the front door. On top of that, Windtrust Residential then didn't pay landlords the rent the business collected from those tenants.
Devinder Chauhan is owed £1,400 in rent money which his tenants told him they'd paid to Wintrust.
Excuses
He's rented a flat through the agency for the past four years. He was informed that tenants were moving in and received most of his rental payments for nearly four years. But in November 2008 the payments stopped. He has no idea why. When he approached his tenants, they provided proof that they'd paid Wintrust. But when he spoke to the business itself, he was given a variety of excuses.
Watchdog has spoken to several other tenants and landlords who've not received money they're owed by Wintrust. Some of them have even taken the agency to court - and won. But Wintrust hasn't paid up.
Lisa Davis gave keys to a couple of local letting agents in July 2008 when she was thinking about renting out her flat. One of them included Wintrust Residential.
Locks changed
She left her keys with Wintrust and signed a receipt. When a second agency found tenants first, she gave those new tenants keys and waited for them to move in. But the tenants called her and said the keys wouldn't work in the locks. When she went to the flat to help, she found her own keys wouldn't work either. The front door locks had been changed.
Lisa managed to force her way into the flat, and found someone else's belongings, which neither she nor the tenants recognised. She also found a phone number in the flat, and phoned it. It belonged to tenants that Wintrust had moved in that afternoon, without Lisa's knowledge.
Lisa was able to move this tenant out but some other landlords weren't as lucky. Keeley Andrews and Darren Sharp gave keys to Wintrust Residential for their flat in Barking. They too found that the business had moved tenants in without their permission.
Despite being angry, they let the tenant stay because they'd been assured by Wintrust that the rental income was secure. But soon afterwards Wintrust stopped passing on the rent to Darren and Keeley. The couple has lost out on five months of rent, totalling around £3,000.
Closed offices
But they haven't been able to get their money back from the company - Wintrust closed both of its offices in November.
However, another agency called Morgan Cromwell opened right next door to one of the Wintrust branches in Stratford, East London in January. It had some of the same staff, the same boss, and some of the same clients as Wintrust Residential.
Morgan Cromwell even sent a letter to some existing Wintrust clients saying they'd taken over Wintrust Residential. It promised them a "seamless transfer" and improved service.
Watchdog researchers went to Morgan Cromwell with another landlord also owed money by Wintrust Residential. They met a man who wasn't the owner, but who did claim he was in charge. He told the researchers that he'd never heard of Wintrust and that Morgan Cromwell had nothing to do with that business, even though Morgan Cromwell had sent out letters to the contrary.
However, when the employee was shown one of these letters, he changed his tune and admitted that Morgan Cromwell had taken on some Wintrust clients. A colleague, who used to run one of Wintrust's offices, claimed that Wintrust Residential had gone bankrupt.
But that's not true. Official records show Wintrust hasn't declared itself bankrupt, and neither has its owner. We wrote to the owner of Wintrust, Mr Ahmir Khan, at his new business, Morgan Cromwell. A few days later that office closed down too, and to date Watchdog has received no response from Mr Khan or his businesses.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~22~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
On your programme last night you correctly stataed that there was no regulation in the lettings industry. However some property management/letting agents are regulated as we are by RICS. This means we have to abide by many rules to safe guard our clients money.I and many others in the industry regulated by RICS would love for you to point this out as ALL client money is safe. Even if a company goes under the client money is always safeguarded as it has to be covered by insurance and any differance in the insurance amount and what is due is delt with by RICS.I feel that the public perception of this industry is poor. But there are good agents out there that follow all the rules and look after its clients.
Complain about this comment
Rather disappointed in the one sided view on the Windrush subject. I've worked as a letting agent for over 20 years and member of The Association of Residential Letting Agents. ARLA is a fantastic organisation giving training and qualifications to hard working professional agents. ARLA have been lobbying the Government for years to be licensed and it is hoped this will happen before too long. Contact [personal details removed] at ARLA who will fill you in on the work they do. Yes, there are some cowboy agents out there who dont hold professional indeminity insurance, are not members of a deposit scheme and who do not manage their properties well. I would advise any landlords to only let through an ARLA member agent. Always sign their own tenancy agreement and ask for regular inspections of their tenanted property by the agent. It is worth every penny in fees and a landlord is then assured their let property is in safe hands!
Complain about this comment
I work for an agent in E14 that has been contacted by ex wintrust landlords. Their behaviour as agents has been horrendus! We have helped a landlord located his tenant and now all parties are happy. Wintrust however have ran off with the tenant's deposit and the tenant is struggling to locate them. This is horrendus for the parties involved and the industry as a whole.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
As a Letting Agent that is regulated by The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) I was very disappointed by Watchdog’s one sided report and specifically that the industry was unregulated. Many Letting Agents are regulated by both ARLA and the National Association of Estate Agents and these bodies ensure professional standards are met; the staffs are trained and help to protect the landlords and tenants. Do a goggle search for ARLA and have a look. I would advise any landlords to only let through a member agent. It is worth every penny in fees and a landlord is then assured their let property is in safe hands! This programmes made me doubt if other reports on the programme are just as one sided. Shame on you Watchdog!
Complain about this comment
I have just searched for ARLA memebers in the area where I let out my house and only ONE came up out of about 10! Therefore there IS a problem with the regulation of letting agents as they don't have to be a member!
My letting agents are not that great - they take until the very last day of the contract to transfer my funds, about 38 days! Which means they already have the next months' rent!
They also owed me a couple of deposits which took them 4 months to transfer to me, after my threatening legal action. Luckily I know an accountant who helped me out but if is wasn't for him then I'd be on my own.
I would definitely advise anyone else to do their research and it is worth paying a bit extra for peace of mind.
I will shortly be taking my business elsewhere!!!!
Complain about this comment
It is all well and good for people to highlight the need for using ARLA and RICS registered letting agents when in many areas there are hardly any. The area where Wintrust was operating has very few and the area is largly flooded with many unregulated lettings agents who do what they want knowing there is little the law can do to stop them, so well done Watchdog for highligting this issue.
Complain about this comment
I am one of the tenants who were cheated by Wintrust and did not get the deposit back.Together with the landord we are trying to get hold of them, but everything is in vain. We have lost our hope to get the deposit back.
Really appreciate Watchdog for this highlight!
Complain about this comment
I am a (non-professional) landlord who has just learned there are problems with these agents, and do not have much idea what to do next.
Can anyone help with:
1. What is the legal situation if the tenant has paid the rent but the landlord hasn't received it? (Not that I'd want to evict anyone).
2. If legal action is to be taken against the agents, would it be advantageous for several landlords/tenants to join forces, and is anyone interested in doing so?
3. Is there a reputable / regulated agent who might like to take over a property in East Ham?
I am letting my aunt's ex-council flat (to help pay her nursing home fees), and various paperwork/fees are required by the council as freeholder. I sent these to Wintrust on 3/12 to get signed by tenant and forwarded. Returned 23/1 "gone away" (which did raise some doubts about the "seamless transfer" to Morgan Cromwell). I rang MC, they said they would deal with it, so I sent it off the same day. Newham Council have now written to say they have not received it and I am in breach of the lease.
MC didn't answer the phone, I looked on the internet for any other contact details, and found the Watchdog item. Then checked with bank - not received expected rent this month. As they seem to pay a month in arrears, they've probably got a couple of months' in their pockets.
I've never spoken to the tenants, and do not have a phone number. I guess I'll have to turn up on the doorstep and introduce myself.
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS