Help needed over Dangerous Property/Landlord allowing this.

Scousebird_2

Hi Everyone

I am hoping someone can offer me some advice here. I am waiting by the phone today on a house I have applied for privately, all the checks should of gone through and we will be arranging a move in date so I am really excited after the year I have had in hell!!! So here’s my situation;
I currently live in a two bedroomed house, in a not so nice area (but you live with what means you have and it was all we could afford at the time)-we rent through a private lettings agency and we never get to meet the landlord as they ‘deal’ with everything.

So basically, we have been here just short of a year on an initial 6 Month tenancy which is now rolling on. The day we moved in we had problems and repairs that we were assured would be done either before, or in the week we move in-but gradually, very little has been done and things have got worse.
We moved in and there was no central heating that worked for longer than 30mins before the radiators started rattling and pipes start hammering, so much so that next door have complained about the noise and he is an old man, so due to the noise the boiler has to be switched off (it’s an old back boiler) 11 months on and various ‘supposed corgi registered’ engineers have been out and said that the valves on the radiators have been the wrong way round, and even the pump has been installed incorrectly-I have heard it all, and the radiators also have black gunk in the upstairs ones when you bleed them so it’s not nice. I have constantly reported it and although various people have been out, 11 months later the issue still is outstanding.
Next is the guttering, it is in such bad condition, that there a plant growing in it and I cant get up to it to clear it out-reported 6months ago and still nothing-rain water is coming in through one of the seals in the window in the bedroom, and the supporting wall is damp with mould-I have managed to keep it at bay in the winter by using strong Domestos on it and in the summer it’s behaved itself.

Our TV aerial has never worked and looks like it’s been cut in half up the outside wall, we have reported this but have lived without it.

Twice now the electrics in the kitchen have been faulty. Once the socket where our cooker is wired into burnt out and our washing machine (which was only 8 months old)-the plug FUSED into the socket and melted the plastic insulation on my plug-but the power was still going through because the washer light was on. And then most recently, my electric deep fat fryer fused to the other socket that is in there and has done the same thing. Plus the light switch has sparked at me a few times as well. The bathroom pull cord light also gave up due to it’s age-I reported it as it was too dark to have a shower, and after 3 weeks I gave up and went to B&Q and got my friend who is an electrician to do it-it was a small job, but when you rent it is not your job is it!

3 weeks after moving in, we had a mouse infestation (we do live by a railway but this is not the point)-and the landlord and agency offered us no support at all. So I spent a lot of time and money dealing with this and this deeply distressed me when having to get rid of the mice.

The most serious thing is the gas fire in the front room. In February, I reported it as smelling of gas and like a popping noise and flame that worried me. I also got headaches from it and switched it off, then informed the agency. They sent the landlords ‘registered gas engineer’ out who is freelance, to check it, he removed all the coals, hoovered it out and put smoke bombs up it, then went outside, come back in and said all was fine. He said the popping and disturbed flames were just because the fire hadn’t been used much so it was dust and air that would eventually stop. So I continued to burn it out and after a few hours got concerned again due to the smell, so I rang the agency back. In JULY they sent an independent engineer out-and guess what!! He found that the Flue had holes in it, and our loft was thick with black smoke when he went up there, after running the fire for a while-so he told us we MUST NOT use it and he capped it off to report back to the agency.

So the report was put in and I waited and waited-then when I last contacted them, they informed me that the landlord had been given the quote and he couldn’t afford to do the repairs (so no central heating and now no fire) the estimate was £741.00 and we have paid just shy of £7000 in rent since we moved in-we have always paid the rent despite the fault, in good faith that he will do the repairs but nothing. And the final nail in coffin was when we were told he has more properties and that he wouldn’t pay the man who can out from the independent plumbers-but he would send the other man back who hoovered the fire out first time and left it unsafe to use.
Also our immersion tank gave up in March and the whole cylinder filament needs replacing-still waiting

There is only me and my partner in the house and we work full time but this is all putting a strain on us-we have taken time off work to wait for people who haven’t turned up-plus have taken time off for inspections that we HAVE to adhere to in our tenancy, and still when things have been reported, they have been left. I am frightened to use anything in this house and every noise the boiler makes scares me. I have found soot on the fire in front of the back boiler, the man who said our fire was ok (not) checked that in January and said it was NORMAL!! And basically left it-so I have never used that fire because I am too frightened to.

I think this pretty much covers it all to be honest, apart from the cheap carpet that has been put down without underlay-it was stained and dirty when we moved in, I have since carpet cleaned but that cost me a fortune and the stains were still there. The carpet was stretched to make it cheap by the looks of it because on the top step of my landing, the carpet has slipped down on the depth and is now gathered at the tread-I can tack it down but I want to take pictures before I go. Imagine if a child lived here and they fell-god forbid, our stairs are VERY steep.

I really need to know if I have grounds to sue for compensation, not only has this affected us mentally-especially myself, but we have lost wages at work for pointless time off, I have had sleepless nights, I have paid my rent without fail and very little has been done by agents to resolve this. I just can’t take anymore. I have to keep things sweet until I move into my new place (still praying by my phone that it’s green to go)-I have handed the notice in and will be paying slightly more rent than is due, due to that notice period, but they have a massive deposit on hold and I just can’t rest until I know I’m out of here. This is all affecting my job and I just don’t know what to do. Do I have grounds to sue-even if I don’t get money from it-all I want is for a court to rule that this man should not be allowed to let properties in this standard, as one day someone could be hurt or even killed (especially with that fire in the living room), which should have a condemned sticker on it but doesn't!!

Thanks for reading and sorry for the length but I couldn’t leave out the facts!

daveyjp

Get your local council housing department involved. They will have a section who deal with private sector landlords.

sooz

Scousebird wrote: »

I really need to know if I have grounds to sue for compensation, not only has this affected us mentally-especially myself, but we have lost wages at work for pointless time off, I have had sleepless nights, I have paid my rent without fail and very little has been done by agents to resolve this. I just can’t take anymore. I have to keep things sweet until I move into my new place (still praying by my phone that it’s green to go)-I have handed the notice in and will be paying slightly more rent than is due, due to that notice period, but they have a massive deposit on hold and I just can’t rest until I know I’m out of here. This is all affecting my job and I just don’t know what to do. Do I have grounds to sue-even if I don’t get money from it-all I want is for a court to rule that this man should not be allowed to let properties in this standard, as one day someone could be hurt or even killed (especially with that fire in the living room), which should have a condemned sticker on it but doesn't!!

Thanks for reading and sorry for the length but I couldn’t leave out the facts!

I'm sorry to hear of all the things that have been happening over the last year, but why ask about it just as you are planning to move out?

Like the previous poster says, you should go to the council - and you should have done this ages ago.

Speak to both the private housing officer & enviromental health. no-one should have to live with so many faults in their rental property, but the time to complain is when a problem occurs. With a problem LL, always put things in writing, & allow a 'reasonable' length of time to have the issue resolved. For boilers the 'reasonable' time will be shorter than that of the gutter, for example. If it is not resolved, then go to the council for help. It is unlikely that you will get any compensation.

poppysarah

Move. Easy.
Be prepared to refuse to sign for the next property until all work is done

Scousebird_2

poppysarah wrote: »

Move. Easy.
Be prepared to refuse to sign for the next property until all work is done

Our new property is newbuild and is a very good agency. Because I was new to the area-I never heard the horror stories of this agency until it was too late and I had moved in. I never reported it because I never knew who to go to. The agency were always saying we're dealing with it'' and I kept that thought in good faith as it was always down to the landlord.

I admit, I have well been pooped on here and I am disappointed in myself because had it been anyone else, i'd of gone storming in-but with the commitments of work (I haven't had a holiday since Feb 07) and everything going on, I have not been hounding the agency every day. Over 2 months ago I threatened to leave and still they have done nothing so I have obviously had plans to go elsewhere. I think you are right and I should contact the council-especially given the conditions, but after everything I have heard about I just want my reference from them then get out.

Scousebird_2

sooz wrote: »

I'm sorry to hear of all the things that have been happening over the last year, but why ask about it just as you are planning to move out?quote]

I was worried that they may evict me at the end of the 6 month lease meaning we would have to move-I find it VERY difficult to get time off work and financially, they have £1000 on deposit from us, I just didn't have that kind of money to put back down on a new place until this agency refunds me my deposit-my family can't lend us the money as they're either retired or on benefits and my partners mum works for minimum wage so it just financially wasn't viable. I have literally had to sell some things and scrape together odd refunds and have credit on my utilities refunded-plus borrow a small amount from the bank to finance this deposit (for my new place) until I recoup all monies-even then I will be out of pocket because I have been paying for a substandard property.

My own fault for not complaining enough but especially separating work from home is hard and I take pride in my job-I didn't want this being overheard in work time or thinking about it affecting my job because of stress and worry but it's hard not to.

Scousebird_2

Thanks for your suggestions, I have contacted the council private sector team and they are going to help me file my concerns so that the next tenant does not have to deal with what I have had to. I am just frightened that someone else is going to have to go through this and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I am sure this is not legal and something needs to be done. I have a duty of care morally to have something done about this and I do think I should of acted sooner. I am doing the right thing now though and this Landlord should be damn ashamed!

Generali

1. Get the council involved.
2. Get out - your health is at risk as the electrics sound like a fire hazard
3. Get advice from the CAB

lincroft1710

I think you are making a lot of fuss about nothing! Let's face it you've only been possibly electrocuted four times, poisoned by carbon monoxide continuously, possibly suffered food poisoning by rodent infestation, possible boiler blowing up.

YOUR LANDLORD SHOULD BE PAYING YOU TO LIVE THERE

Report him instantly before he kills someone through his stupidity, negligence and selfishness!!!

clutton_2

Your landlord sounds truly appalling

i assume you have never had a LAndlords CORGI gas safety certificate ? this is a criminal offence and your LL could be fined heavily for not providing one on an annual basis.

i would tell the local council \about all these experiences, and then i would move and try to put this awful experience behind you

as others have said - the time to have complained was in writing at the time the repairs were needed - it is pointless taking him to court now - the judge will ask you "what has been your financial loss?" and you will have difficulty answering that question.

best wishes in your new home

lynzpower

I would also say please please take some holiday, if only for a couple of days- not having any time off for 18 months is harardous to your health too. You can only be 100% if you allow yourself the time to relax a bit. Dare I say it if you had taken the annual leave you are entitled to, then you may well have been able to get out of this property a bit earlier, or certainly got this shonky LL bang to rights a long time ago.

Please take care of yourself