Reporting code violations

alenax

I'm a bit crap with the technical terms so forgive me for that!

If you know that a building that is being rented out to people is currently in serious violation of standards that it has to meet (e.g. electrical wiring, no heating, no smoke alarms, fire hazards etc), who do you report it to? Is there a particular department in the local council and what is it called? Also, is it possible to remain anonymous?

I have looked around my council website but the layout isn't the best to put it mildly...

clutton_2

if this is a rental property and is in England/Wales then talk to the environmental health department of your local council .. they do treat complaints anonymously and do not pass on complainants names to the person they contact.

alenax

clutton wrote: »

if this is a rental property and is in England/Wales then talk to the environmental health department of your local council .. they do treat complaints anonymously and do not pass on complainants names to the person they contact.

I just had a look and it says: "The Environmental Protection Team is concerned with safeguarding [Town]'s surroundings and ensuring that the quality of its environment is maintained and improved. This covers a broad range of issues, including dealing with complaints about noise, smells, dust and smoke. The team enforces controls aimed at minimising the effect of industry on the local environment and the control of noise from construction sites. Officers in this team also administer the pest control service, deal with drainage issues and carry out animal licensing functions."

This doesn't really sound like the exact thing I was looking for... it's a private property, rented out directly by the landlord.

G_M

Rental property? In England/Wales? Then talk to the environmental health department of your local council .. they treat complaints anonymously and do not pass on complainants names to the person they contact, though it might be pretty obvious it is the resident tenant complaining!

squinty

Each council has a different structure. The sction you want will be called something like Private Sector Housing Team. As Clutton says, most often thay are in Environmental Health, somtimes in Housing, somtimes part of an Enforcement, Regulatory Services or Licensing team.

Easiest option may be to look on thier website - most have an A to Z and search for private sector housing.

clutton_2

if you told us what the problem was we may be able to advise more specificially....

doyou now belive that you need to contact your EHO now that 3 different posters have given you the same advice ?

i very rarely do this but - my name is prefixed by

""
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this might, just possibly, might, indicate that i could, perhaps, know what i am talking about ?

alenax

clutton wrote: »

if you told us what the problem was we may be able to advise more specificially....

doyou now belive that you need to contact your EHO now that 3 different posters have given you the same advice ?

i very rarely do this but - my name is prefixed by

""
Join Date: Apr 2006
Post Count: 7,583
Thanked 6,399 Times in 3,596 Posts

this might, just possibly, might, indicate that i could, perhaps, know what i am talking about ?

It's a number of things, I'm not a tenant but I've been there before and it's just squalid conditions really, electrical wires all over the place etc.

And wow, touchy

BitterAndTwisted

Eh, people often pop in here and ask for advice but sometimes it becomes patently obvious that they don't or won't take it or even do their own research before asking so Clutton's frustration is understandable to anyone who posts here regularly.

Have you been in touch with the Local Authority? And have these tenants tried to do anything about the unfavourable conditions directly with the landlord themselves before?

alenax

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Eh, people often pop in here and ask for advice but sometimes it becomes patently obvious that they don't or won't take it or even do their own research before asking so Clutton's frustration is understandable to anyone who posts here regularly.

Have you been in touch with the Local Authority? And have these tenants tried to do anything about the unfavourable conditions directly with the landlord themselves before?

Fair enough, to be fair "environmental health" doesn't sound like anything I was looking for so I hope I can be forgiven for being a bit sceptical would also explain why I couldn't find anything on the council website.

I haven't been in touch with anyone yet, will try it a bit later on if they're open on a Saturday. The landlord situation is a bit weird, basically he lets them pay really cheap rent if they don't mind all the grottiness but I think people shouldn't really live like that. I don't really want to mention all the details because you never know who's looking but yes, will get in touch with them later.

gemini24

If the property has a gas supply in use then a landlord has a legal obligation to ensure this is checked on an annual basis. If not in use and not required, it should be capped. If no supply (as you indicate there is no heating) this obligation is removed. That really is the only true legal obligation a landlord has to a tenant. It is a criminal offence to not comply with this.

There is the question of a landlord having a duty of care but this would be brought in to play if the tenants are complaining about very dangerous problems in the property and the landlord not acting. They should take legal advice if they wish to pursue it that far.

In the real world of lettings, they have a grotty house, getting it cheap because the landlord doesn't like spending what he probably deems to be unnecessary money. I bet the house needs total renovation and been let out for years.

Generally, poor condition properties have owners tight as a duck's end bits and attract bad tenants. Sometimes the landlord can get lucky and gets good tenants who their own money sorting out problems but that is rare.

Realistically they have two choices, stay where they are and put up with it and carry on paying cheap rent or move out, get a decent property and landlord but pay more. Very often the only remedy is for private tenants to vote with their feet.

SouthCoast

Housing - In England


Disrepair in rented accommodation

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_family/housing/disrepair_in_rented_accommodation.htm