Tenancy agreement - what's the damage for 'bailing'?

ahrimaniac

Morning all

I currently rent a flat with my partner and it's been no end of problems. We have several repairs/improvements that need doing and the letting agency are proving utterly useless.

We have an extensive mould problem in both our bathrooms, and we reported it as soon as it started appearing, as both the extractor fan and the hallway heater don't work to take the moisture away. Both of those repairs were reported over a year ago and nothing happened to get it fixed, but they've snottily told us we'll have to pay half the repair bill for the mould as it is our fault the mould came about (we ventilate the flat the best we can without the extractors - the windows are open most of the time). Nevertheless, we've paid our half, and the repair people have come and painted over the mould with bog-standard paint, so lo and behold, it's come back.

The kitchen floorboards (it's that horrible laminate stuff) is all loose so slides around, and where the ends meet it has all chipped and risen over each other, which looks horrible - again, haven't fixed it. In fact, the only repair they've done quickly was to glue a draw handle back on when it fell off, and that was only because they were in the flat to look at something else and it came off in their hands. Bah.

They also told us our rent had to go up by £50 a month recently, though after speaking to the landlord she said it was fine to stay as it is, though the letting agency were foaming that I'd circumvented them.

We're not happy where we are now - we've always paid the rent on time and we've been there nearly two years. The letting agency never, ever do repairs without quibbling and taking ages about, and they're extremely rude to deal with - but the landlord will not consider changing, we've already spoken to her.

So, when we come back, we want to move. I'm sick of living in a 'expensive apartment' that is made with the cheapest of everything and breaks easily. Our tenancy agreement is supposed to be for a year, with about ten months left on it. What happens if we just move? I imagine we'll lose our damage deposit, and we'll pay our rent up until the day we leave, but what else can they do?

Oh, and if it helps - the tenancy agreement I signed had a bit of a mistake in it. All throughout the document, it refers to the end of the tenancy as 'December 2008' instead of 'December 2009' (where they obviously forgot to do an autoreplace when they were spending ages crafting a document they had the cheek to charge me £49 for...) - so does it even stand, legally?

Help! So many questions!

poppysarah

Speak to the council's private rented housing team - the mould should be sorted properly - and if you're ventilating enough then it's not your problem.

How long have you been there and have you re-signed a tenancy even though there were repair issues?

robpw2

if it refers to the tenancy ending in december 2008 and its been signed by both of you then you are no longer in contract ,

ahrimaniac

'How long have you been there and have you re-signed a tenancy even though there were repair issues?'

Nearly two years - signed a new year long contract about two months ago. Wish I hadn't, only did it because at the time it would have been really difficult to move

robpw2

the problem is your no longer in contract as neither of you have signed anything dating from december 2008 on wards so your contract expired 27 days ago , your ll obviousley hasnt read his own contract .

you need to decide what your going to do and quickly

ahrimaniac

Hmm...well we have decided, we want to jump ship. But I'd like to know what the repercussions could be.

olly300

If you have repair problems and the letting agency weren't doing anything then how comes you haven't asked the landlord directly in writing?

Many times letting agents don't report things to landlords or when they do they delay doing so.

So if you complain about something they will take 6 weeks to tell the landlord. There as if you tell the landlord directly they will sort it out asap.

robpw2

there technically would be none , if you were still in contract then he could take you to court for the remainder of rent for your contract but he would have to proove your still in contract and as i say if your agreement has dec 2008 as contract end date then he would face problems

it would be your word against his .

ahrimaniac

'If you have repair problems and the letting agency weren't doing anything then how comes you haven't asked the landlord directly in writing?

Many times letting agents don't report things to landlords or when they do they delay doing so.

So if you complain about something they will take 6 weeks to tell the landlord. There as if you tell the landlord directly they will sort it out asap.'

Or - not. The landlady is well aware of the problems and, although lovely to speak to, keeps saying we should speak to the letting agency!

Trillionaire

I'm a LL and how I understand it is - you can give 2 months notice in writing and be on your merry way by the end of March/beginning April. If your LL quibbles about the contract, just point out what was said above (about the date being Dec 2008). Don't get into any arguements. Give your notice, be polite at all times. Do everything in writing. Your LL has to return your deposit to you.

Simple.

ahrimaniac

Sounds like a plan. I think it will help that relations between me and the landlady are good - she's always nice but overreliant on the letting agency.