Concerned about Letting Agent !

[indy6160]

Hi Everyone,

 

We finally made it to Melbourne a week ago and started our hunt for rental property. Recently we made a couple of rental applications online using the famous '1Form' on realestate.com.au website.

 

The application has a section where you can upload all your ID documentation for 100 points. We included all our passport, bank statements, medicare documents and a cover letter summarizing our application and our personal situation and also offering 3 months of rent in advance.

 

One letting agent was quite thorough and seems to have gone through all our documentation for id.

 

 

The second letting agent called us and said he didn't receive any of the attached documentation. However this agent didn't seemed concerned about receiving any of the ID docs, but was quite keen on knowing what was included in the content of the cover letter.

 

 

Our first application got rejected, but the second one got accepted. To our knowledge the second letting agent hasn't done our reference checks and didn't come across as being too concerned about having our ID documents but more concerned about the content of the cover letter (I assume people offer rent in advance in their cover letters!!!)

 

The agency website displays a couple of awards from WOMO and is a member of REIV.

 

So my question is....should this be a cause for concern? Is there a regulatory body that we can check the legitimacy of the letting agency? OR am I being paranoid? )

 

Thanks everyone

Indy

[Guest]

I would have though REIV would be the body to check with, although like most industry bodies their primary concern is their members not the public. Just because they claim to be a member doesn't mean they are!

 

A general google search on the letting agent might be fruitful too.

 

My rule of thumb (based on bitter experience) is if I have a niggle I will probably live to regret it if I go ahead but it depends how desperate you are - bear in mind if you have been offered it and refuse you will lose the money you have put down and may in fact be liable for more.