Ending letting agreement with letting agent

[Stevecon99]

Please could I ask your advice with the following.

I know a lot of people ask this, but the answer usually says : it depends on your contract. So I have given some details from the contract.

We are letting out our house through a letting agent. Its a full management agreement, however, we are finding it easier to deal directly with the tenants, than keep going through the agents. They just add confusion and delays. Because of this and to save money, we'd like to terminate our contract with the letting agents.

The Termination clause of the contract between us and the letting agent says :

"Either party may terminate by giving the other party 1 months written notice. However, any fee or expenses due to us (the letting agent) in respect of any tenancy remain payable notwithstanding termination."

The Appointment clause of the contact between us and the letting agent says :

" You appoint us to be your agent to perform such services as set out below, during the Contract Period and we accept such appointment".

The contract period is for 1 year, which we are now half way through.

Questions:

1) If we give notice and cancel our agreement with the letting agent and manage our current tenants ourself, do we still have to pay the letting agent their monthly (10%) fees for the rest of the 1 year contract?

2) If we wait until the year contract has been completed with our tenants can we then terminate with the letting agent (having given notice) without having to pay them any further monthly fees, while keeping the same tenants in our house.

Many thanks for any thoughts or advice.

Steve.

[Mortitia]

1. Yes you have to pay the fees in the contractual period even if you 'manage' yourself.

2. Methinks you have only shown text of part of the contract. It is usual whilst tenants found by the agent are in the property that a fee is due.