Letting agent encouraged tenant to leave with change of agent?
My partner moved in with me and let his property via a letting agent. The tenants were a couple with child and intended to stay long term. The property was let at market rate and rent has not been increased much since. We have pushed for increases and the agent has strongly discouraged it (to point of refusal), advising a settled tenant is better than the income. We have just about been breaking even. We were made aware last year that the partner has left and tenant is struggling with rent as single parent so further reason why we cannot increase rent.
Our circumstances have changed and we have left the UK. Our leave date was last week. Our family home is let through a different agent. His general views on renting are more in line with our own. We put the request in to agent 1 to move the property to agent 2. Agent 1 insisted on enforcing his 2 month notice period for moving properties. This request was at the start of June so due for handover to be completed by end of August.
We learnt a few days a go that a week after we initiated transfer of property, the tenant gave notice to leave. Agent 1 for years has reassured us, they had no intention of leaving so this all seems a bit coincidental, right?
I need some advice and guidance on what might be going on here. Can an agent encourage a tenant to leave with them? What motivation might there have been for not making me aware (other than pettiness)? What can I do about the 3 weeks of lost time where the property could have been marketed, if anything?
Full handover of property is due a week before the tenant is due to leave. What should I be pushing agent 1 to do to prep for the tenant leaving? They put up wallpaper with our permission. They have drilled some holes for hanging without permission. They also have a pet they didn't tell us about until we walked past and saw it. In response to this, they suggested increasing rent amount. The house was also professionally cleaned before they moved in.
As I've said, I am new to this and still learning so please don't just post to bash me. I'm asking to learn for the future.