Student threatened eviction by Landlord

anselld

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

Contact the local council and ask them to inspect the house. They might find things that need sorting out that you didn't know about and can sort these out with the landlord for you.

Couldn't agree more! Chances are that safety is not up to scratch. Have you checked smoke alarms, co alarms, gas certificate, etc? When my daughter called in environmental health in similar situation they served a 48hour enforcement notice on the landlord requiring them immediately to fix several serious safety defects.

Scabs

clutton wrote: »

"" suppose the question I am really asking is by my son paying rent upfront and the LL accepting it does that class as a contract? ""

the short answer is yes - but - your "home truths" are not going to make your sons life any easier when he starts at Uni - it is him that has to live there - let him get on with it, let him talk to the LL and ask him to clean the house, and it will be a very valuable life lesson for him -

i am a LL but i do not condone what this LL has doen - far from it - but as you sayh other accommodation is very hard to find at this time in the year, and i sure your son would rather live with his chums than strangers - your son can find a better place for next year

you never know it might make him appreciate his mum and dad's home all the more !!

Totally agree.
This will probably be the first time he has left home and now needs to stand on his OWN two feet. When I was a student I wouldn't let my mother deal with any of my University problems because I felt I was at last an independant adult.
The only people who disagree (of course) will be the over protective mums but let him learn on his own, but I think deep down you know this.;)

tek-monkey

Agreed. I had to claim HB for a few months once, and was renting at the time. They sent inspectors round within the month just to check the place, and resulted in a fair bit of work being done by the landlord. Luckily my LL was very good, all work was done immediately, but was suprised the council sent people out so quickly despite me not complaining.

MissMoneypenny

Scabs wrote: »

Totally agree.
This will probably be the first time he has left home and now needs to stand on his OWN two feet. When I was a student I wouldn't let my mother deal with any of my University problems because I felt I was at last an independant adult.
The only people who disagree (of course) will be the over protective mums but let him learn on his own, but I think deep down you know this.;)

I'm sure that all bad landlords will use that line. It's easy for bad landlords to bully someone out of home for the first time, but a different matter when they have to deal with the parents as they are then bought back to reality with a bump.

A parent who care about their child, will help their student offspring. Sadly some students don't have that advantage.

silvercar

It hadnt been cleaned or repainted internally and was dirty and shabby.

If this is the only complaint and there is a gas certificate and appliances work etc. you are probably on a hiding to nothing.

Students generallly don't look after properties well, within a month of the house being fully occupied you will find the place dirty and shabby, however clean it was at the start.

clutton_2

i do not condone what has been done - i do not condone shabby property and bullying landlords.

but, when young folks leave home, they have to learn a lot of things, - the only real way to learn life-skills is to just do it - this young chap is in his second year - and if HE were allowed to go to Student Housing Office, the local Council, Shelter etc etc he would learn so much more than if this was all done for him - he will no doubt be in rental accommodation for a long time to come - and getting to grips with LL&T Law, and negotiation skills, early on in life is a fantastically valuable opportunity.

AT least let him have a go, mum., before diving in head first with home-truths ....

tripleh_2

Firstly I need to alter my first post as my son is actually in his 3rd year at uni (don't ask me why I thought it was his 2nd). He was in a house last year where he was the lead person sorting out bills and any preoblems they had with the letting agent, so there is no problem there at all with him standing up for himself. When we visited the house my son wasnt with us, as we were going to within a few miles of his house we said we would drop off some of his stuff ready for when he moves in. That is when I phoned LL to tell him about the mess, it was so bad we brought my sons stuff back home with us.

The house looked like the last tenants moved out in a hurry the day before we got there it was so bad. Have asked my son about certificate, he will find out. Bear in mind he looked at the house when the previous tenants were there, and wasnt even sure then whether he needed it as he was waiting to hear about his 12 month work experience. I think from reading responses it needs to wait until my son actually signs his contract before the LL is told the home truths.

Imp

tripleh wrote: »

Hope this is in the right place. My son, in his third year at uni, took over a friends tenancy It hadnt been cleaned or repainted internally and was dirty and shabby.

It sounds like every student let I have ever seen or lived in.

I see two options to this. Either buy him a book to study.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Home-Comforts-Science-Keeping-House/dp/0304356247/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252171339&sr=8-2 He is at university afterall.

Or go and clean the house yourself.

Fire_Fox

I agree that your son needs to be the one to take action, as he is the tenant and an adult one at that. That doesn't mean you should let him sink or swim - support and guidance are what any caring parent would do. I am 36 and I still ask my father, the best letter writer I know, to final check any formal communication I might need to send. The only way you learn to stand on your own two feet is by getting stuck in: home truths from mummy is what happens when you are six years old and the neighourhood bully throws stones at you.

ILW

A mop and bucket from Wilkinsons costs about 6 quid.