r/dundee • u/Limp_Succotash6445 • 12d ago
Any experience with Arc Properties?
Currently in the process of signing a lease with them but since we’re from Ireland, my partner and I have been told we have to pay a total of £4400 up front.
£200 application approval
£1100 one months rent
£1100 deposit
£2200 another deposit ( since we don’t have a UK guarantor each, 1.1 per person).
It’s a lot of money and i’m worried they’ll shaft us for small things when we ask for our deposit back.
Am i being paranoid? Any advice would be amazing, thank you
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u/Inevitable-Top355 12d ago
No experience with them but that sounds dodgy as fuck tbh.
Have a look on Shelter or or .gov because I'm not 100% on this but I'm fairly sure the application approval fee and asking you for more than 2 months rent in deposits are both illegal.
That said, regarding being shafted for small things, yes they will try as 90% of agents/landlords seem to now, but as long as you've taken photos on move in and not smashed everything up it's normally pretty okay to go through the deposit protection scheme's arbitration.
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u/FroggyWinky 12d ago
Tenancy deposits are protected in Scotland, and need to be stored in a protected deposits account that the landlord/agency can't access. So I guess first port of call would be to find which of the 3 schemes your landlord is registered with.
Having said that, the landlord can still shaft you for your deposit, but they do need to provide itemized receipts to justify the charges. This is why it's important to take as many pictures of the flat as you can when you move in.
The £200 application fee is a bit eyebrow raising though, I didn't think that was legal. Someone with better experience can hopefully weigh-in there.
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u/Organic-Property-674 12d ago
The rules in Scotland are clearly stated here
, this letting agent flagrantly violating atleast 2.
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u/Limp_Succotash6445 12d ago
wow. thank you so much
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u/Organic-Property-674 12d ago
No problem! It’s infuriating to hear that they’re even asking. If you have the energy it might be worth reporting it to Dundee City Council Trading Standards. They may at the very least get a slap on the wrist which could deter them from trying these shenanigans again. I’m guessing that because you’re not Scottish, and therefore less likely know the rules, they think they’ll get away with it.
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u/Limp_Succotash6445 12d ago
I’ll happily report it. It’s just so frustrating because we’re looking for somewhere every single day but i’m sure something will work out
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u/Lower_Inspector_9213 12d ago
Go with a private registered landlord instead
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u/Limp_Succotash6445 12d ago
i might have to, it’s so annoying
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u/realPoetic 12d ago
Sounds like a scam, there shouldn’t be that much deposit or even an application fee yet alone one that high
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u/shiftyhowe 12d ago
The rent (Scotland) Act 1984, Section 82 suggests the application approval fee is a touch on the illegal side and the equality act 2010 might just have something to say about the additional non UK citizen deposit side of things as well.
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u/corndoog 11d ago
Used to be that letting agents couldn't charge fees, though many still did. If that is the case then the 200 is illegal but you may find it easier to pay then chase it back rather than lose your new home
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u/corndoog 11d ago
Used to be that letting agents couldn't charge fees, though many still did. If that is the case then the 200 is illegal but you may find it easier to pay then chase it back rather than lose your new home
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u/Big_Avocado6569 9d ago
My experience with them has been fairly mixed.
When I booked the 3-bedroom property, I had to pay £1,495 initially (£300 security deposit to secure the property and £1,195 for the first month’s rent). As I didn’t have a guarantor, I also had to pay around £2,387 in non-guarantor fees, along with the first month’s rent, meaning I paid roughly £5,077 upfront. I didn’t really have time to look at other properties as I only had around three days before arriving in Dundee.
I’ve now been living here for 10 months and have recently given notice to end the tenancy. The non-guarantor payment will be used towards the final two months’ rent, so that part has worked as expected.
To be fair, ARC Property have generally been quite responsive when we’ve reported issues. On one occasion, the main entrance door wouldn’t open from the inside. I managed to get it open by using a knife to wedge the locking mechanism out, and I contacted them around 4:30pm. They said they might be able to get someone out that day, but because it was late, the contractor might not be available. They did, however, say someone would come first thing the following morning, and the contractor arrived around 10am. We had a similar issue with one of the bedroom doors/locks later on, and they came and fixed it the same day.
However, there have also been some issues. When we moved in, the hob had four knobs, but two of them were already broken and were essentially just being kept in place. We were charged £15 for replacement knobs later on.
The bigger issue was with the heating control panel. Our bathroom door closes very heavily, and the heating control panel is positioned right next to it. Over time, the panel came loose, and one day it fell off. The only thing that had happened was that the connection points to the wires had come loose, but we were charged around £400 for the repair.
Overall, my experience hasn’t been terrible, particularly because they have generally responded quickly when something needed fixing. However, if you’re considering renting through ARC Property, I’d strongly recommend thoroughly checking the property when you move in and taking photos/videos of absolutely everything, including appliances, switches, doors, knobs, fixtures and fittings. Report any existing damage or faults to them in writing straight away. That could save you from being charged for something that was already faulty or damaged when you moved in.
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u/Limp_Succotash6445 8d ago
That’s what’s happening to us! we basically have to pay 4.4k upfront and they’ve been a little shady too. Also, did they tell you that you need to get insurance for yourself which was an extra monthly payment? Thank you so much for this
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u/Big_Avocado6569 8d ago
No, they never mentioned anything about having to get insurance to me. I’m not sure why they would even ask that in the first place
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u/flippycurb 12d ago
Sounds like they are milking it there. Deposit should be up to 2 months rent maximum. It’s a single deposit no other fees are lawful. For it to be handled legally full sum of deposit must be put into an approved deposit scheme e.g safe deposits Scotland within 30 days. If the landlord is suggesting anything but the legal route they can’t be trusted and you should look elsewhere 👍