Landlords claim Lets Home Providers on Station Road has taken money off tenants and not paid it into the landlords' accounts. The office has been empty for the last month and a half and the phone line is just ringing out.

Although it is not clear how many property owners have been left out of pocket, police have received complaints from four landlords in the town and are trying to establish whether the agent intends to pay the money back.

Landlord Mary Bartham (right) said she was over £2,000 out of pocket.
Lets Home Providers manage Mrs Bartham's property on Malthouse Road.
They took £1,500 off her tenants on September 6 for a bond, admin fess and the first months rent, and a further £550 rent on October 4. But Mrs Bartham says she has not seen a penny of it.

She has now asked her tenants to change their standing order to pay directly into her account, instead of going through Lets.

Mrs Bartham, who lives on Kensington Gardens, said: "We've been down to the office several times and there's nothing at all, I can't believe it. Just a desk and some odds and ends. We just don't know what to do next.

"The computer and the keyboard have gone, but the monitor is still there. Someone took the printer just a few days ago, and there's no paperwork around.


"The guy in the shop next door said the owner had gone to America to buy some more properties, but that shouldn't stop his accountant paying me my rent money.

"We've been with the company for two years and had no problems, so this is really out of the blue. None of us can afford to lose rental income. It's not looking good."

Mrs Bartham, who has left several messages on the phone, said she first started to worry around September 13 when her first months rent was nearly two weeks late. She said her tenants are also worried whether they will lose their bond.

Her husband walks past the office every day, but there is never anyone there.

Along with several other landlords, she has rung Whitegates in Ilkeston to ask them if they know what is going on.

Staff said several landlords and tenants have been in, but they do not know what has happened.

Another landlord, with two properties on Queens Avenue, said: "We don't know a lot at the moment. I didn't get my payment for October so I've rung and emailed and been to the shop.

"It's really hard as a landlord to find anyone who is interested though."

Insp Pete Szabo at Ilkeston police station said: "We are making inquiries.

"We're also liaising with trading standards officers.

"However, at this stage no-one has been arrested and our inquiries are continuing."

The manager at Whitegates in Ilkeston said the owner of Lets agents, David Kay, owned a "substantial amount of houses" in the town.

Whitegates are now offering discounts to landlords who want to transfer over to them.