boiler and cooker broken landlord nowhere to be found - help !!

princeofpounds

Tell the environmental health team that you *do* have an address for service of a notice. It is the address on your tenancy agreement (the whole point of which is that it's valid for service of notices). He might not 'open the mail' so to speak, but the notice will have been served and should he ever come back to the UK he could face prosecution as a result, which will be a moral victory at least.

His assets may be in the hands of an administrator. If that includes your residence then that administrator is your LL and the duty of repair falls on them (only if his assets can cover it - they themselves are not liable as they are a bit like agents in a sense).

If on the other hand you do not have a valid address in England/Wales for the landlord then you are not obliged to pay rent (although you have to set it aside as it becomes due once you are given one). This is precisely to avoid the absentee landlord problem you are facing, though not so helpful as you aren't paying your own rent.

I cannot advise on the housing benefit issue as I know little about it, except that you should be able to get it paid to yourself in normal circumstances, regardless of what the LL wants. CAB might be able to help you, also council officials if you catch the right one at a quiet time. I think this will be the most useful thing if you can do it.

I think the council involvement makes this one complex. CAB, Shelter, Councillor, MP are all avenues you should pursue.

lemonjelly

Yes you can, it is your benefit claim, not the landlords. The Landlord has no right to make such an insistence.

Contact the benefits team at the council, it is a straightforward thing to do.

In fact, the way housing benefit was originally designed, it was supposed to be paid to the claimant, who then pays the LL.

The fact that it didn't happen this way has created a lot of people with difficulties in managing money, paying bills etc as they have become disenfranchised from paying rent. Indeed many people now say that "they don't pay rent, council pays it". This misses the point it is their responsibility. Part of the reasoning behind the LHA.

[Deleted User]

hi
i have finally found a new house to rent where the property is managed by the letting agent and is £100 a month cheaper than the old one.
there is hot water and a cooker that works - it is lovely :j

my instincts were right , it was reposessed about a week after i moved out. thankfully my deposit is being returned as my landlord was at fault.

so now i can put that towards repaying the money i had to borrow to move (6 months in advance as my salary is quite low)

thanks to all those who offered me advice ,i really appreciate it,
louise

clutton_2

so glad you have found somewhere suitable - good luck

nico26

Good luck Louise .Hope you will have fewer problems and are happy in your new home. Glad it has all worked out for the better.

[Deleted User]

thankyou nico