Tresspass

Kaminari_2

Thanks Lush,

I wanted to just leave the whole thing because it has been a nightmare but if they will not let it go i will have to look at other ways to deal with it.

We haven't had gas safety certs for the last year and a half either.

I thought if the landlord believes that we are still responsible for the property then i can gain access again and get the environmental heath dept to force them to fix the damp wall (something i should have done while still living there)

rosysparkle

Only under some circumstances, and only for unfurnished properties. Some councils grant an empty property exemption for six months, some for only six months over the life of the property (so the six months gets used up quite quickly, and then the landlord has to pay).

dougk_2

Contact the council again and show them proof of your new address (even though you are on their records). Also if you still have it send them a copy of your prior agreement and a copy of the letter of notice of leaving the previous property.

Do all this in writing with the council and state that the landlord is pulling a fast one to avoid paying council tax on his house and you suspect him of commiting fraud!

Kaminari_2

Contract was for a year with a no break the first six months, we could move out after then with only one month notice. We gave them 2 and a half to give them time to fix it while we were still there.

And yes, recorded mail was delivered and signed for.

When we first noticed the leaking roof in August last year and water was coming out of the power point we managed to get hold of them to have a look, the landlord said - "don't worry, i've seem worse" and that was it.
Two months later when we moved bookcases in our living room we found the whole wall wet and covered in mould (Drainpipe on the outer wall was broken). The landlord fixed the roof two weeks later. Two days after that a foot long purple spark came out of the powerpoint in the wet wall and blew all the electricity. The landlord came the next day, detached the powerpoint from the wall and told us to let it dry out and he would be back with a dehumidifier the next day. He never came back. The powerpoint was still hanging from the wall when we moved and the wall was still covered in mould.
In January they called to put the rent up and we said that the wall needs fixing first or we would have to move out, they agreed to that but didn't do anything about it.

rosysparkle

They couldn't have put the rent up in the first year anyway. It doesn't sound like your landlord is up to speed on the legal side of things (no gas safety cert either)!

If you would be content with having left the property and getting the council tax stopped from the day you moved out, I think a letter plus proof of the end of the tenancy as set out above should suffice. If you want to take further action against the landlord over the repairs, the gas cert and the attempt to put the rent up within the first year, I suggest you see housing aid (contact your local council for your nearest one).

I think an action for trespass could potentially open you to a claim by the landlord for unpaid rent.

Kaminari_2

I am a landlord myself except i have very good management dealing with it all as i know how rules and regs i have to keep to. I think our previous landlord believes managing a property is only about making sure the rent was on time.

We were in the property for 2.5 years. New yearly tenancy came up mid Jan, they wanted to put the rent up which they have done every year again but haven't carried out keeping the property up to a livable condition. We signed again at our all rent believing that refusing to accept the increase in rent would motivate them into keeping their word and fixing the property. It didn't happen so we felt we met our obligations and left.

Ideally i would just like to let it all go but if they really think that they have done nothing wrong and provided the proper service as a lanlord i would like to show them what being a real landlord is about because it gives good landlords like myself a bad name.

sanfrancisco

Look Kaminari,

Your getting bogged down in all this information because you feel !!!!!! off with your Landlord/ the situation. I believe you have every right to feel like this, I would be the same. BUT, from an outsider looking in let me shine some perspective on. Your only problem is that the Council want you to continue paying CT. That is it. Stop worrying about the damp, the trespassing and the !!!!ty LL. Do what Dougk says. Send all the info to the council, today, recorded delivery. Then ring them up on Wednesday and confirm they have all the information.

Does anyone know the law on this? If OP stopped paying what would happen?

Just focus on getting rid of having to pay the CT. Everything else is not important. Life is too short to get bogged down by w***a's like your LL. You need to try and move on as soon as possible and sort this out via the shortest road.