Obliged to move in?

Our Experts Answer:

No, you are not obliged to move in.  If your wife never got to the stage of signing the papers because you wanted to have a look yourself then that in itself should have told the letting agent that you were uncommitted until you had seen the property.  A tenancy agreement, even in verbal form, can only be binding if the landlord and tenants agree on the terms of the tenancy.  You didn’t confirm an agreement in any form, so you cannot be bound to move in.  You may, however, lose the letting fee (depending on the terms under which it was paid).  It seems that your wife agreed to the fee, by the very act of paying it to the letting agent.