Advice needed - problems with flat, baby on way.

Sirbendy

Apologies for the length of this...:)

We're currently living in a top floor flat in a converted house - it's reckoned to be quite old. I could believe it. The floors creak, the doors are OLD, it looks like it's seen some life, and the floor joists are downright alarming when using the washing machine (think walking on a trampoline).

I can forgive it all this, as well as the 80's (estimated) conversion quality, the 0% soundproofing between us and downstairs, and the render that drops off the outside in chunks..I mean, It needs some serious TLC, but heyho.

HOWEVER...access is either by a steep flight of indoor stairs (front), or an aged and slippery fire escape (back). Right now, we're coping..missus is 32 weeks pregnant, I'm..shall we say for the sake of PC "Mobility and balance impaired".

Therefore, the flat becomes non-ideal quite badly there...not sure how we'd get sproglet up and down the stairs safely, especially since she'll be here on her tod once I'm back to work, and I have enough difficulty managing the stairs without a kiddie setting me off balance.

Add to that I've done some damage to my tendons (got a lump on one, can't stand well in the mornings now), and I'm currently experiencing mobility issues to a level I've not had since age 12..and it's really NOT good.

Now, this isn't the fault of our landlord..but it's a "non forseeable" issue that's re-developed.

We have an even bigger problem with this flat though..it's got a screaming damp problem. So has the one downstairs. It seems our guttering has been shot for ages. The external wall has damp that's now halfway down our bedroom wall, as well as the wall in the living room. We had black mould until I got in there with a mask, scrubbers, bleach and some paint. It'll come back. The bedroom walls and ceiling are woodchipped/glossed...that's all disintegrating (literally). You can see the damp moving down the paper. We're continually coughing/sneezing/sniffing while in the flat, it vanishes once outside.

Now, our landlords have been made aware, by us. And the plasterer who was repairing downstairs damp issue (he stated he does it every year, and THEIR landlord knows of the issue, and has told ours before - they're friends) said that NOBODY ever stays long in our flat, and that the structure is (I'll quote) "absolutely knackered. You have rising damp, rotting brickword, shot pointing, iffy roofing, bad guttering..and we've TOLD them every year it needs gutting. We call it the house of horrors mate."

Downstairs landlord even offered to make it good and charge ours...it is in his interest too. However, it's been months. Nothing. I'm also waiting (for 2 months now) for a plumber to replace the leaking, knackered bath taps and the boiler that spits out scalding water.

We've been looking in desperation at another property - we really DON'T want to bring sprog into here..if it's affecting OUR health, a newborn has NO chance. The estate agent we spoke to asked where we were..we said..and HE said "AH. You've probably found black stuff..yes? Don't blame you for wanting to move".

I've even had a total stranger in the street ask me if the property "Still gets a lot of damp"!! It seems everyone knew except us.

The problem is..we're in contract for 12 months (ending next feb). Sprog is here in 8 weeks max. There is NO WAY this place can be fixed up in that time. Does anyone here think we could make a case for exiting the contract on health grounds (damp, respiratory issues, mobility issues, incoming newborn, poor environment)?

It's actually that bad that we're seriously considering moving back to my mothers even if we can't escape the contract..I've been sneezing all day! I Don't want my first childs health put at ANY risk.

Any advice gratefully recieved...we're quite desperate..!

LydiaJ

I would suggest speaking to someone from the CAB (citizens' advice bureau) and/or Shelter. There also might be some kind of private lettings person at the Council.

Good luck, anyway, with the baby and with the flat.

BitterAndTwisted

I'd be having a chat with your local authority, Environmental Health especially. Get them round to have a look

clutton_2

If you are to surrender the tenancy early on health issues, you will need evidence from professionals to prove your case if your LL takes you to court for unpaid rent. -

Do you have a paper trail of all the requests for repairs you have put in already ?

i would start by asking Environmental Health officers to come and view the property - they will write to your landlord and may offer further advice.

also go to the housing office at your local council and explain yoru situation - it sounds as if this is totally awful accommodation for your health needs also

Sirbendy

Unbelieveable..just spoken to the landlady...

It's got damp in the walls.
"Ah. This would be above the stairs? It's nothing major".
YOU KNOW??? It's halfway down the damn walls..the place reeks of it!! One wall had mould on it!!
"If you think that's damp, you should see our house."
Erm..yes...it's damp, I'm not happy re: baby/health
"It won't hurt".

!!!!!!??????????!!!!!!!!

She's then spouted on about "12 months is 12 months", Jem even said "We'll surrender the deposit"..she's now said she'll have to talk to her husband.."oh, and I MUST call the people to fix the guttering"...

CAVALIER BLOODY ATTITUDE OR WHAT???!! HOW DARE SHE tell me that the damp will "not be a problem"..it's a big enough problem for me as an asthmatic...I spent ALL DAY yesterday coughing and sneezing..it cleared AS SOON as I left the flat today.

I don't even want to contemplate what it'll do to a newborn pair of lungs with no resistance..

I'm paying £420 a month, for that I DO NOT expect to live in DAMP conditions. It's THEIR bloody duty to maintain the structure, they've NOT done it, in fact they don't even seem bothered.

I'm SO P****D OFF right now...

BitterAndTwisted

Do you have a paper trail of all the requests for repairs you have put in already? Have you contacted Environmental Health?

It's time to stop talking on the phone to your landlord and time to start taking action

Sirbendy

No, no paper trail unfortunatly..it's all been word of mouth/over the phone. Proves they're aware of it though - I didn't once mention the location of the damp...

I shall be seeking lines of action in the morning, I think...I just can't believe the attitude!

clutton_2

first of all send a letter to confirm your conversation with the LL yesterday - this starts a paper trail

any EO worth their salt will see that the damp is a long -on-going issue - plead with them to come and visit

pinkshoes

Call environmental health and get them to come and take a look. A friend of mine did this due to excessive damp in the conversion flat he was renting (you could see the mould growing across the walls), and EH condemned it.

He was given the option of staying there rent free (he did - cheapskate!), ending the tenancy, or having alternative accomodation until the problem was sorted.

schueys_girl

Please do not take this the wrong way _ I am in no way saying that you should live in damp conditions - this is disgusting and you are entitled to sort this out-

BUT if you signed a 12 months tenancy, and you knew the problems with access and the state of the property - WHY did you decide to have a baby? Its not your landlord or ladies fault that you have made the decision to bring a baby into a flat with useless access for pushchair and is falling to bits.
So not a lot anyone can do about that I am afraid.

HOWEVER - the damp etc you can do soemthing about this is not on! You need to get in touch with the council and environmental health to sort this- this is something you dont need to put up with and may be your saviour in getting you out of this tenancy if they don't sort it for you

Good luck with it all

foxy-roxy

schueys_girl wrote: »

Please do not take this the wrong way _ I am in no way saying that you should live in damp conditions - this is disgusting and you are entitled to sort this out-

BUT if you signed a 12 months tenancy, and you knew the problems with access and the state of the property - WHY did you decide to have a baby? Its not your landlord or ladies fault that you have made the decision to bring a baby into a flat with useless access for pushchair and is falling to bits.
So not a lot anyone can do about that I am afraid.

HOWEVER - the damp etc you can do soemthing about this is not on! You need to get in touch with the council and environmental health to sort this- this is something you dont need to put up with and may be your saviour in getting you out of this tenancy if they don't sort it for you

Good luck with it all

Maybe it was a surprise??? Not everyone plans to have a baby, accidents can happen.