Rental house - problem kitchen

honeyD

Hi, Just writing on behalf of my parents. They rent a 2 bed house from a private landlord. They were promised a new kitchen before they moved in and they have now been there over a year and still havent got a new kitchen. (I know, I know, I told them they should have got it in writing!) The problem is in the winter the whole kitchen is swimming. It is cold in their kitchen due to no heating in there and the whole room is tiled, tiled walls! They take things out of the cupboards and they are dripping water. Water drips down the tiles and around the ceiling light which sounds very dangerous.
The landlord said they would put in the new kitchen in September but still havent done it. I also think they dont have a gas safety check, and I dont think they saw one when they moved in either but LL told them there was one.
In my opinion the LL has no intention of ever giving them a new kitchen and have told them to look into moving.
Any advice welcome. Thanks

Fire_Fox

Where is the water coming from? A new kitchen will not solve a damp problem. Is there condensation from the rest of the property, penetrating or rising damp, a leak from pipes above the kitchen Have they put any of their concerns into writing?

lizziloves

Hi - you should get your parents to speak to your local Council's Environmental Health or Private Sector Housing Team. They will be able to advise you on your best course of action.

It might be worth writing the landlord a letter stating that you would like a date for when the kitchen problems will be dealt with and list all of the problems. I say this because if the Council approach the landlord he will know that your parents have made a complaint and this could affect future landlord/tenant relations.

The landlord has to by law provide them with a copy of the gas safety certificate when they move in and every 12 months from the anniversary of the certificate - it is designed as 3 forms one for gas fitter, one for tenant and one for landlord.

The landlord by law does not necessarily have to provide a new kitchen but the house needs to meet the requirements of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System and damp, excess cold etc are considered by the Council as part of the assessment process.

honeyD

My Dad said its condensation on all the walls. The problem is the only way to air it is to have the door or window open as theres no fan, and then theres still the problem of it being cold in there so cant dry out with heat.
Cant have the door open all day, especially when its so cold.

Fire_Fox

honeyD wrote: »

My Dad said its condensation on all the walls. The problem is the only way to air it is to have the door or window open as theres no fan, and then theres still the problem of it being cold in there so cant dry out with heat.
Cant have the door open all day, especially when its so cold.

Condensation won't go away because you have a new kitchen, nor will it disappear if you heat the kitchen, the water will simply be held in the air like a sauna. The water is coming from the entire house and settling in the coldest spot.

You need to look at cuttting off the source of the water - most common are drying laundry indoors, tumble dryers not properly vented, not putting lids on saucepans when cooking, showers and simply breathing! Removing excess water means airing the house properly (I open all my windows daily, year round) and/ or using a dehumidifier.

honeyD

Ok thanks for that Fire Fox. I think another reason for a new kitchen was because it is just so darn horrible lol. Ive passed the info to my Dad so will see what he says later.

tbs624

Your parents should send a recorded delivery letter to the LL asking him to let them have the Tenant copy of the original gas safety certificate and to confirm when the next safety check will be made. The LL is committing criminal offences if he fails to (a) get an annual gas safety check completed by a Gas Safe registered HE (b) get a gas safety certificate (c) pass a copy of the cert on to the T (d) keep copies of the gas safety certs for two years.

It's vital that they get this one sorted out asap - Env Health Officer and/or the HSE ( Health and Safety Exec).
With repairs issues tenants should *always* put them in writing to the LL - if you do it by phone or in person first you then write saying "I confirm my conversation with you today by phone/in person , when I let you know that................. and it was agreed that you would ..................." and then keep a copy.

Rooms that are tiled from floor to ceiling are an absolute pig when it comes to condensation and if there is no heating in that room either you'd be fighting a losing battle without some sort of extraction system.

The LL has a legal obligation to keep electrics safe and if he has been notified that there is water dripping off light fittings and does nothing to sort the cause out he's not showing "due diligence" IMO. The EHO can give you guidance on how to reduce problems from condensation but it sounds as though the LL needs a third party to have a word with him too. An example of the info given to Tenants can be found here

If they moved on after October 1st 2008 had they been shown a copy of an EPC (energy performance certificate)?

Did your parents pay a deposit on this property and, if yes, has it been scheme registered by the LL and have your parents been given information on how the scheme operates?

C_Mababejive

Your parents should save themselves a lot of stress,put the LL on notice that they intend to end the tenancy giving the right notice period and find other accommodation.

Keep it simple.

honeyD

tbs624 wrote: »

If they moved on after October 1st 2008 had they been shown a copy of an EPC (energy performance certificate)?

Did your parents pay a deposit on this property and, if yes, has it been scheme registered by the LL and have your parents been given information on how the scheme operates?

They moved in September 08. They paid a deposit but never heard where it was placed and Ive checked myself with the deposit places and theres no record of it.
My parents know it should be registered and Ive told them if they move and theres trouble over it they can take them to small claims court for 3x the amount. Theres also no inventory. Seems like this LL just wants the money and do nothing else.

inspace

Ask the landlord first and tell him you want to redecorate the kithchen - then start to get all the tiles off first - prep all the walls - and seal them - then call him back in and show how far youve got - now suggest that this would be a good time to put in a few units ect - In other words make a start and nudge him along the way, if this doesnt work just line the walls and give a lick of paint to spruce it up - and try again next year - Ive lived in rented all my life and just by starting something it encourages them to get a move on. Ive even gone as far as getting some cheap units from ebay and fitting the easy ones leaving the plumbing stuff then ringing and asking them to do that bit if they dont want a leak lol. Cheaper than moving sometimes to just do a bit or get someone in family to do it. As long as it always looks better landlords never complain.

I know this isnt good legal advice but who cares ive been renting 20 years and always get it to the standard I want by little nudges.

honeyD

It turns out it is not just the kitchen that is a problem. My parents arranged for someone to come out and install loft insulation. Well, they came out today and went up into the loft, came back down saying he cant do it because the loft is so damp and theres concrete (?!) everywhere!