Letting Agents responsibitilities when notice is served to both agent and tenants

Letting Agents

Hi guys,

I rent out my house in the East End of London through a letting agents called City & Urban.

I have had to serve notice on both the agent and tenants due to damage to the house, which is going to cost thousands to fix. This is the second set of tenants I have had in the house through C&U. The first tenants didn't report a leak in the bathroom which I discovered when I went to the property after the tenants had moved out and C&U had already done their final inspection. I told the agent at the time that they must do proper inpections in future as problems must be caught early and they are being paid to do them periodically.

The current tenants had agreed to renewing the tenancy agreement for another year starting on 4th February 2014. But when I went over to the house I found that there is a horrendous amount of damage to the house, that should have been picked up by the agents doing inspections.

With due consideration I served notice to both the agent and the tenants, as this kind of damage to the house can not happen on their watch. It ended up that I had to give them both 2 months notice, which means the tenants move out and the agent services stop as of the 3rd May 2014.

The agent even though the tenants did not signed the new tenancy agreement - should I still be charged a renewal fee on a month by month basis? They are currently charging me the normal management fee as well as a monthly renewal fee.

Also they organised for a hob to be replaced early last year, I have been chasing them for the warranty since then, and now that I have served them notice I really do need to get it. Today after asking again for it, they emailed me back saying their handy man sorted it here's his mobile number if you want to call him. I think this is disgraceful, I am still paying them double the management fee and yet they are asking me to go do the work myself!

So my questions are:
Should I still be paying a monthly renewal fee - even though no tenancy agreement was signed and the reason for serving notice is down to the agency not doing inspections, finding issues and reporting them to me. As well as the tenants making significant alterations the house without permission.

Once a landlord serves notice on an agent - is it normal practice and legal for them to stop providing service to the landlord, even though the landlord is still paying management fees?

Help I'm at the end of my tether with this agent.
Thanks
Willi