Advice?

Off-Topic Chat
1

Okay, basically, I've been scouring the internet for absolutely ages and I'm getting really confused.

You guys may know about the problems I've been having with my flat, with the major leak in the bathroom and the letting agency I am renting from basically not giving a shit? I've had enough of it. I'm fairly certain that living in this hellhole has contributed significantly to me now being on anti-depressants, and I want to leave.

Problem is, I will be liable to pay rent up until June of next year unless I can find a replacement tenant, which is very unlikely at this pointin the academic calendar, and also once they take one look at the fungus in the bathroom (yes, I have mushrooms! Pics upon request) no one in their right mind would live here.

I have been on to my letting agency since September and nothing has happened to remedy the situation, besides one bloke coming to bleach the old mushrooms off the walls. Now they're back with a vengeance.

I do not have a copy of a contract with the letting agency. I was never given one. All the information on their website is basically how I pay them rent, and other thing that involve me giving them money.

What the hell can I do?

2

Contact the letting agent and ask them for a copy of your agreement, take your agreement down to CAB and get yourself some free proper legal advice, take your pics with you to

I am pretty sure that if the properly is not fit for habitation then you cannot be help liable for the rent, but the CAB will be the ones to help you out

If your at Uni there might be a advisory service at the University that can help if not that is what the CAB are for.

Good luck xxxx

edit, if they refuse to give you a copy of your agreement then still go, your legally allowed that, they are breaking the law by refusing

3

Thank you for responding so quickly, Boobaloo. The thing is, my contract for my halls last year was about thirteen pages long. For this flat I just remember signing one A4 sheet of paper. I'm really worried that I've signed away my soul or something.

I as considering the CAB but didn't know if that'd be the right place to go. Thank you so much for your help :)

4

Hi - sounds like you are having a tough time, suggest this site might give you some answers if you are not ready for CAB. This is a government site and contains lots of links

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/Privaterenting/index.htm

If not this looks OK too

http://www.primelocation.com/guides/landlords-developers-and-investors/tenant-and-landlord-rights/

Good luck with it, the fact you are trying to do something about it means you are taking control. The letting agent have a legal responsibilty to give you a copy of any agreements you have signed, I suggest a visit so they have to deal with it.

5

Can't really add more than has already been said, and don't worry about having to find a replacement tennat, the law is on your side.

6

I had similar problems in my student accomodation last year! We never met our landlord but we dealt with a rather dodgy lettings agency. We had leaks, broken floor boards, lack of central heating, the lot. When we would complain about someting being broken, there would be a handyman sent round who would do no more than make it "liveable" by his standards. We had a 4 page tenancy agreement which seemed pretty decent but we discovered after we moved out and did not receive our deposit back that the agreement wasnt worth anything! Our deposits were not put in a protection scheme and now the letting agency have disappered off the face of the earth!

May I ask what your letting agency is called? Just out of curiosity!

The CAB were really helpful for me a few weeks back, they don't really offer much help in the first meeting, other than suggesting you write threatening letters to the agency etc telling them you are aware of your rights. I'm planning to go back again this week to see what they suggest next!

I hate the fact that landlords treat students this way! The £200 deposit would be very useful right now! I could pay my heating bill instead of battling my third cold in 3 months!

Good luck :)

x x x

7

Lamb, yours sounds incredibly similar to mine. They have a team of handymen, all of whom belong in a museum, bless them, who come round and tut very nicely at various problems and do their best, but ultimately don't sort anything out for the long-term.

The plumber is a mystical creature who only appears when the moon is at its zenith or some shit, and the secretary at the letting agency never knows when he's around. It's wonderfully run, as you can see. I know it's silly, but I'd rather not say the name of my lettings agency because I bitch about them so often to everyone I know, so in the interest of anonymity... :P

My friends actually had a leaky boiler with these people; gas was leaking into their living room, and no one came to fix it for six hours after they called. That's why I'm so worried about this.

Thank you so much everyone for your help. I might ring them tomorrow and tell them that I am planning on ringing the council's environmental services if I don't get someone round to look at it that day. Is that too hostile or...?

8

Dont pussy foot about, tell the letting agent they have a month to get it ,if not next months rent will pay for a plumber to get the leak fixed,make sure they get a correspondense by registered post and you expect a reply in 7 days and the leak sorted in the next 14 days,dont let this shyters walk over you my friend.Good luck

9

cheer_up wrote:

Lamb, yours sounds incredibly similar to mine. They have a team of handymen, all of whom belong in a museum, bless them, who come round and tut very nicely at various problems and do their best, but ultimately don't sort anything out for the long-term.

The plumber is a mystical creature who only appears when the moon is at its zenith or some shit, and the secretary at the letting agency never knows when he's around. It's wonderfully run, as you can see. I know it's silly, but I'd rather not say the name of my lettings agency because I bitch about them so often to everyone I know, so in the interest of anonymity... :P

My friends actually had a leaky boiler with these people; gas was leaking into their living room, and no one came to fix it for six hours after they called. That's why I'm so worried about this.

Thank you so much everyone for your help. I might ring them tomorrow and tell them that I am planning on ringing the council's environmental services if I don't get someone round to look at it that day. Is that too hostile or...?

No worries about not mentioning their name! I was just curious as there seems to be a few agencies that were linked to my agency that all treated their students terribly! There has actually been a facebook group started regarding getting our deposits back and it is unbelievable the amount of students effected by this one agency across the whole country!

chubber wrote:

Dont pussy foot about, tell the letting agent they have a month to get it ,if not next months rent will pay for a plumber to get the leak fixed,make sure they get a correspondense by registered post and you expect a reply in 7 days and the leak sorted in the next 14 days,dont let this shyters walk over you my friend.Good luck

We actually stopped paying rent for a while and they threatened legal action, once of our housemates could afford a lawyer and actually challenged them which resulted in him living rent free for the rest of the year! So they were obviously in the wrong!

With a problem like a leak, you should give them 24hrs to respond, if nothing is fixed I say report them to the CAB or the counsil. You'll probably find they're not registerd with the counsil etc so threatening may actually make them do something!

Good luck again! I really feel for you! I have been through the same thing!

x x x

10

i would still go to cab they will help you with your rights to get this sorted no good threatning face less wonders they'll just take the piss and money

11

Your university student homes service and student union will be able to help with this too - they'll be used to this sort of thing.

Talking to as many people as you can and laying down a 'no rent until this is sorted' ultimatum sounds like a good plan.

12

You can also go to your local councils housing executive department, they have people who come out and check on poorly maintained property, they can also help with disputes between you and your landlord.

Shelter can also give you advice as well as CAB.

Don't know if this will be useful

http://www.nus.org.uk/en/advice/housing-advice/

Best of luck.

13

sharry wrote:

You can also go to your local councils housing executive department, they have people who come out and check on poorly maintained property, they can also help with disputes between you and your landlord.

Shelter can also give you advice as well as CAB.

Don't know if this will be useful

http://www.nus.org.uk/en/advice/housing-advice/

Best of luck.

Also, if the mould/ fungus is that bad the council should have a service to deal with it - I know mine does. Basically you'll have to go through them and they'll come and check it out, if it's really bad you will have to contact your landlord and they have to provide you somewhere else to stay while it's being sorted.

14

I did not expect to find a question about law and order in a sex forum!

A tenant has got lots of rights when renting a property and one of them is that the accommodation must be suitable for normal habitation, with no health and safety issues. Mould is definitely a health hazzard, so the landlord is in the wrong. Bear in mind that your landlord is ultimately responsible, not the letting agency even if they manage the property.

You should write to the letting agency and the landlord and ask them to rectify the problem without delay and in any event no later than 7 days. Otherwise, you will commence legal proceedings without any further notice, you will seek all related costs, in addition to the costs of removal and finding a suitable accommodation (which in the circumstances of desperation, may be a lot more expensive).

It's good to get in touch with solicitors, some work under legal aid , so it may not cost you anything, or very little, bearing in mind you are a student, so presumbably will qualify for legal funding. There are also charities that can help. CAB I would not recommend that much, but yes, they do their best, but do not take cases to court or tribunals.

Legally you should pay the rent, but that is a bit grey area, because you only pay for goods and services that are fit for purpose, your flat isn't. Withholding rent will certainly put a pressure on the landlord and unless he lives in the same property, he cannot just change locks and kick you out. He has to go through eviction process in county court, which takes some time, could be 3 and more months.

Landlords have to put deposit in deposit protection scheme, if they don't you can sue them and take 3 times this amount.

I hope you will find the advice useful (sorry if there are typos, no time to re-read it) and good luck! If you have further question, email me to say that you have posted those, as I may not be alerted about that for some time.