leaving rented - exit checks

sportbeth

We're hopefully soon going to be exchanging on our new house and will shortly after that leave our rented flat.

The flat we are in is out of contract (contract was made in 2000 for 1 year) and we have now been there for 6 1/2 years. There was no deposit taken from the landlord.

I don't think there will be any problems, but due to no maintenance on the flat by the landlord whatsoever in 6 years, it has developed the following faults:-

plaster fallen from the ceiling in the lounge due to a leaking roof (reported 5 times but not fixed)

Boiler leaks once a week due to drop in pressure and runs over the kitchen worktops onto the floor. I reported a problem with the boiler in 2005 and it's not been serviced ever since I've been there (I understand that this is a requirement for a landlord)

Bathroom tiles have warped and cracked around the bath and grouting and sealant have developed serious mildew and raised away from the wall.

Wallpaper in the lounge has raised and bubbled away from the wall due to leaking roof in another part of the lounge

Plaster cracked and massive stains in the bedroom from that same leak, this time it came through the bedroom ceiling after I had reported it and when I got into bed during a storm, my bed was soaked through!

Obviously this is serious lack of maintenance on the part of the landlord and I have always reported problems to him with no effect. I am just worried about him trying to apportion any blame on me for the state of the flat after I have left. Since I have been there I have replaced the flooring in the lounge (the carpet was disgusting) and decorated the lounge, also replaced the carpet and decorated the spare room. Both activities were agreed with him prior to me doing any work. So overall i think I have been a good tenant.

But should I cover myself in any way when I leave the flat by putting anything in writing to him? Is there an "exit" letter I can send him that states that I've tried my best but it's his responsibility? He can be an awkward so and so from what I can gather so I'm keen to make sure there's no backlash!

Astaroth

Personally I wouldnt antagonise any situation by telling him he is responsible. Take photographs of all the issues (as high quality as you can rather than just a cameraphone) so that if there is a problem you can show the damages and argue that they are all maintance issues and not tenant neglect.

clutton_2

These types of landlord, make me absolutely furious. Dont say a word (but do take photographs). If you sent letters to him, reporting all these damp issues, i would have thought you have nothing to worry about. I am truly horriefied that the boiler has not been serviced in 6 years - there could so easily have been a serious explosion. I would report him to the council when all this is over, as the new Housing Act is trying to stop landlords like him having anything to do with rentals. If you dont, sooner or later a tenant will be injured. I am not being doom-mongering here, i have come across 2 boilers which exploded in recent years from lack of maintainance. One person died, and thank goodness the other tenant was out at the time. If you wanted to do make sure this does not happen again, ask the local council for their private tenancy officer to come and visit you - she will make darned sure he cant do this again.

If it was me, i would just stop paying rent now !!!

rrutter_2

clutton wrote:

If it was me, i would just stop paying rent now !!!

So would I - another possibllity would be for an independent party to sign and date the photos to state this was true at the date of your leaving. Also note that although the contract was for one year, as it has been on-going the terms would be considered to be accepted for the entire period of the rental by both parties, and any notice in the original agreement or payments due would be valid now. However, given your description, I can't see anyone actually bothering to come after you!!

MORPH3US

When you reported things to him, was it verbally or in writing?

If it was verbally, he could deny you ever told him!!

I would write recorded delivery now to "remind" him of all the problems you have reported previously. That way, you have covered your back when you do move out.

Taking pictures is all well and good, but I could easily knock a wall down in my flat and then take a picture of it and say "look, a wall fell down and it wasn't my fault!"

M

M

BobProperty

sportbeth wrote:

.... and it's not been serviced ever since I've been there (I understand that this is a requirement for a landlord)....

Just a minor technicality, the landlord has to have a safety check done on the boiler, not a service. It is perfectly possible for it to pass several safety checks without being serviced.
Clutton have you got any links to those boiler disasters. I'd like to know the details as DIY gas work is a regular hot topic on building forums, and I think there was a case where the landlord and his handyman managed to kill or injure the tenant but it was CO poisoning not an explosion. CO poisoning is, I think the more common problem.
As for the OP, deffo get photos of the state of the place. Is there any way you could write, say a letter, describing the problems and do something to record the fact that you have written it now without having to write to the landlord. Like post it to a friend for safe keeping, just in case it's needed later. What I'm getting at here is that you have a record of the situation at the time and don't have to try and remember what was where, working etc. in several months time if this has to be taken further.

honeychunky

When we left our rented accomadation, we shampooed the carpets, redecorated the entire flat with fresh white paint, scrubbed it clean from top to bottom, repaired any damage we had done whilst living there and also put right things that were not done by us, such as repairing leaky taps and filling in holes not made by us. We left it in a better state than when we took it over, but the !!!!!! landlord still took £180 from our deposit for ''making good the paintwork''!!! I wrote to him several times challenging his actions and never got any reply. Believe it or not this person was a family friend!!! My advice would be to do nothing to the flat, photograph everything as it is for evidence and report your landlord to the council. People like this should be stopped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mad:

sportbeth

Thanks for all the responses people.

I will make sure I take digital photo's and date them with the camera before I leave.

Unfortunately nothing was reported in writing, stupid on my part I know, and I do now shudder to think of the boiler problems. The issue with the leak is that ever since it has been installed, there has been a problem with dropping pressure. If the pressure drops below 1 1/2 bar it starts to drip and the heating switches off. It's a combi-boiler and luckily it's just got worse in the last month or so.

The landlord did instruct me though to keep an eye on the pressure and if it drops too much I have to use a valve in the cupboard underneath to push the pressure up. Corgi registered I am not. That could have been really dangerous.

It is stupid but one of those things though that after a while of complaining you just kind of put up. I don't get home until late and often can't get hold of him so only get a chance to track him down and nag him. I do have a witness to all of my issues with him, one of the local shopkeepers has kindly grabbed him whenever I have had a problem and nudged him for me as he knows he never gets things done. That might help.

I guess my last resort would be that if he tries anything about the condition of the flat when I go, I could delicately mention to him that if he tries that I will report him to the local council for being a negligant landlord!

I just worry because when I had a conversation with him a couple of months ago I said we were looking but we might not be moved out until September. He said to take as long as we like.

A neighbour told me at the weekend that he was kicking off because we had told him we would be out by August and we will be taking longer than we had agreed to. (we will with any luck be out by August 1 but it sounds like he's losing his marbles a bit!)

sportbeth

BobProperty wrote:

Just a minor technicality, the landlord has to have a safety check done on the boiler, not a service.

I see what you are saying, but he hasn't even done a safety check! When it broke down in 2003 for 2 days he didn't get anyone out to look at it. after 2 days it started working of it's own accord but no visit from anyone. When I reported a fault in 2005, still no check. My words to him were "Maybe it's due a once over to make sure it's all ok" he agreed. But still no visit from anyone!

clutton_2

This man can be taken to a criminal court for not having provided a Corgi Gas Safety Certificate every single year that you have lived there. Under the terms of Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998 all boilers (domestic, landlords, and commercial) have to be installed by qualified and registered CORGI operatives.

i think we all share your horror of this man's total disregard for your health and safety, but on re-reading your first post, i wonder if you are worrying in advance ? Why not enjoy the exciting prospect of your new home and ignore this man, he truly is a viper of a landlord. When you are safely ensconced in your new home, then report him to the council. (dont give him your real forwarding address tho, and use Royal Mail to redirect your mail)

Should he trouble you in the future, this website thread is a record in itself, should it be necessary. But, notes written in a diary are equally valid - "phoned Mr X re bedroom damp again" etc etc - who is to say when exactly pen was put to paper .....

BobProperty

sportbeth wrote:

....If the pressure drops below 1 1/2 bar it starts to drip and the heating switches off. It's a combi-boiler and luckily it's just got worse in the last month or so.

The landlord did instruct me though to keep an eye on the pressure and if it drops too much I have to use a valve in the cupboard underneath to push the pressure up. Corgi registered I am not. That could have been really dangerous.....

No it's not dangerous unless you consider turning a tap on dangerous, because that's all you are doing in effect. There is obviously a leak somewhere in the central heating circuit hence the pressure loss. The system won't work either effectively or at all if the pressure is too low. Anyway that's not your problem it's the landlord's.
I wholeheartedly agree with Clutton on the safety cert issue. This is one of the most simple legal requirements landords have, if it uses gas, it has to have a test certificate. (let's not go into the DIY gas argument on here as well please) Not supplying one is a criminal offence. The law was introduced because too many people were being killed or injured by CO poisoning (I can remember the TV advert). The landlord seems to be the sort of person who gets landlords in general a bad name. This results in OTT legislation to stop the minority and causes additional burdens and costs to the majority. (gets off high horse and goes for lie down in darken room )