Glasgow tenant has demanded compensation from managing agent at tribunal for delayed move-in date, safety checks and how repair issues were handled.
19th Dec 20250 744 2 minutes read Simon Cairnes
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A tenant has demanded £80,000 in compensation following ‘communication failures’ by the letting agency managing her rental property in Scotland.
The firm involved is Fineholm, which later merged with DJ Alexander, which was named as the respondent during a hearing at a First-Tier Tribunal.
This followed repair failures and a move-in date that was repeatedly delayed from October to December, problems that tenant Marnie Silver took to the Tribunal.
She explained to the tribunal that after viewing the Glasgow property she had paid a holding deposit, but was told at short notice that the tenancy could not begin straight away due to outstanding safety matters, including the absence of a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report and the need for electrical works and compliant smoke alarms.
After eventually moving in, she discovered that the gas fireplace shown in the property’s marketing photographs was not operational, having been disconnected some years earlier.
Repair issuesShe also raised a number of repair issues during her tenancy. DJ Alexander accepted that there were failings in how repair timescales and progress were communicated to the tenant, but maintained that works were being arranged and that the property met the Repairing Standard.
Also, Silver claimed that she had experienced “abusive, intimidating and threatening communication” and referred to “gaslighting”, describing staff as “evasive, deflective and heavy-handed”, which she said amounted to “a more subtle form of abuse”. She also said she viewed being told she had a choice whether to continue the tenancy as a threat.
Complaints not upheldBut the tribunal did not uphold these complaints, finding her evidence in these areas “wholly unreliable”. The tribunal also heard that a junior staff member had been “reduced to tears” following a difficult encounter with Silver.
The tribunal did find, though, that DJ Alexander – as the new owner of the business – had breached Scotland’s Letting Agent Code of Practice in three respects relating to repair communication, including failures to inform the tenant of repair actions, likely timescales and delays.
It issued a Letting Agent Enforcement Order requiring the agency to review its repair-handling procedures, retrain relevant staff and confirm compliance by 31 January 2026. DJ Alexander had already paid the tenant £500 in compensation.
Judgement respected
David Alexander, CEO, DJ Alexander
David J Alexander, CEO of DJ Alexander Scotland Ltd, told The Neg: “At the time of Ms Silver’s initial complaint, the property was managed by Fineholm, which was merged with DJ Alexander in December 2021.
“We fully respect the judgement of the tribunal which took the view that because Ms Silver had already received £500 it did not consider it necessary to make a further order for compensation and that the compliance issues were minimal and not significant.”
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