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letting agents from hell
drowningintears
Posts: 1 Newbie
Hi, i just wondered if anyone can help.
I've recently moved in to a rented flat. Since moving in i've discovered crack in my bedroom window, no tv ariel point, the washing machine is broke and my wet clothes are stuck in it, no key to my mailbox, a garden full of junk, a shower that doesn't stay hot, a rusty hob, no fire extinguishers anywhere in the building, faulty fire alarm, no boiler check since 2001, security light that doesn't work and inadequate lighting in the communal areas.
I have spoken to the maintenance person who has poo pooed the majority of my list of problems. The washing machine issue i am still waiting for a reply. I am at my wits end, and if it wasn't for the fact my dad has guarantored me i would move out pronto. he did that because my credit rating is rubbish I have only been here a week.
Please help
I've recently moved in to a rented flat. Since moving in i've discovered crack in my bedroom window, no tv ariel point, the washing machine is broke and my wet clothes are stuck in it, no key to my mailbox, a garden full of junk, a shower that doesn't stay hot, a rusty hob, no fire extinguishers anywhere in the building, faulty fire alarm, no boiler check since 2001, security light that doesn't work and inadequate lighting in the communal areas.
I have spoken to the maintenance person who has poo pooed the majority of my list of problems. The washing machine issue i am still waiting for a reply. I am at my wits end, and if it wasn't for the fact my dad has guarantored me i would move out pronto. he did that because my credit rating is rubbish I have only been here a week.
Please help
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Comments
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Write (maybe email but also write) a letter, a calm, polite, sober & direct letter listing the issues & send it (keep a copy) to both the agent & the landlord, inviting their timescales for resolving the problems..
Why both? Your contract is with the LANDLORD the agent is just that, his agent.
re. No aerial point - if no aerial point was listed on the inventory or advert for the place then sorry,that is what you rented.
Assuming the boiler is Gas the no check since 2001 is a real problem that they must fix ASAP.
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/home_safety/gas_safety
Until you get a reply you don't know if you have a problem or not. Suggest you do not tell agent they are the "agent from hell" .
Assume you have an AST from a private landlord in England??
See
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/repairs_in_private_lets
Cheers!
Artful
PS For g***s sake don't move out!! Your poor Dad would still be liable to ALL the rent for the initial, fixed term, period...0 -
PS as stated many times before to become a letting agent in England (it's not so bad in Scotland..) you need no...
- qualifications: Not even a GCSE in meja studies
- no membership of any professional body
- no supervision by any industry body
- no criminal records check (!! Oh! So that nice man who showed me round could be a speedo?? Yup, he could!!)
- Not even decent personal hygenie....
Sigh! And the new government just cancelled plans to regulate the little darlings....0 -
theartfullodger wrote: »no criminal records check (!! Oh! So that nice man who showed me round could be a speedo?? Yup, he could!!)
Speeding is hardly a criminal offence to get worried about unless he was really going fast.0 -
Hello, I’m sorry to hear that it’s like that, that’s a shame. Well, keep trying to get the man and the office people to sort it all out but if it’s really just not good enough, well, you’ll have to consider moving somewhere else that’s better, despite all the nuisance and hassle and cost that that entails. Maybe go back home or to stay with some friends for the weekend or for a few days and then see how you feel. On a bright sunny day and if you can have some fun then it may all feel better and sort of ok-ish. Or worth putting up with for a while and just about tolerable. It could be worse. And maybe it might get better. Good luck, let us know how you get on, thinking of you and wishing you good thoughts and a better situation.0
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drowningintears wrote: »Hi, i just wondered if anyone can help.
I've recently moved in to a rented flat. Since moving in i've discovered crack in my bedroom window, no tv ariel point, the washing machine is broke and my wet clothes are stuck in it, no key to my mailbox, a garden full of junk, a shower that doesn't stay hot, a rusty hob, no fire extinguishers anywhere in the building, faulty fire alarm, no boiler check since 2001, security light that doesn't work and inadequate lighting in the communal areas.
I have spoken to the maintenance person who has poo pooed the majority of my list of problems. The washing machine issue i am still waiting for a reply. I am at my wits end, and if it wasn't for the fact my dad has guarantored me i would move out pronto. he did that because my credit rating is rubbish I have only been here a week.
Please help
crack in my bedroom window
As you've only been there a week, were you given a copy of the inventory? Did you check this and amend the window to state that it was cracked and supply pictures to show this? If not, get a letter written to your Landlord with photos to back it up.
no tv ariel point
Were you ever told that there was one? If not thats your responsibility to check. If you want one, get a letter written to your Landlord asking for one to be installed, he may agree if you offer to pay half.
washing machine is broke and my wet clothes are stuck in it
You can drain the machine yourself if its near the kitchen sink but would advise you get someone sensible to help you if you can't cope. Your clothes are 'stuck' because the door won't open if the machine thinks its full of water for obvious reasons.. In the meantime provided your inventory or tenancy agreement hasn't explicitly stated whose responsibility maintenance of appliances is, get a letter written to your Landlord asking for it to be fixed.
no key to my mailbox
You may be able to get round this temporarily by hooking your finger in the letterbox and catching the latch, the lock mechanisms on these are pretty simple to undo. Get a letter written to your Landlord asking for a key to be provided.
a garden full of junk
I'm suprised that you have exclusive use of a garden area in a flat. Are you sure that this is the case? If it is a communal area then other residents have stored items there. This is basically outside of your Landlord's control. However you may have some luck by writing to them and asking them to ask the Managing Agents of the development to arrange for the items to be removed although this is a fairly time consuming process as they'll have to try and ascertain who all the bits belong to, ie expect to count months rather than weeks till the stuff is gone.
a shower that doesn't stay hot
Is it a power shower or just a shower that runs off a mixer tap? Water storage tanks in flats are usually 'level' with the flat and are rarely in the roof space. Basically that results in rubbish pressure and difficultly with the hot water feed in shower units working off mixer taps. Is there a bath? Do you have problems with hot water anywhere else in the flat?
a rusty hob
Did it get miraculously rusty since you viewed the flat? Does it work? If the answer to the first question is no and the second question is yes, then whats the problem? Note it on your inventory if you feel it is an issue.
no fire extinguishers anywhere in the building, faulty fire alarm
Within the flat itself, there is no legal requirement for the Landlord to provide you with fire fighting equipment or fire alarms (although it is highly recommended and provided the property isn't subject to the new building regulations, how old is the flat?) Your tenancy agreement should also state who is responsible for maintainly fire alarms. If you believe there are things missing, get a letter written to the landlord.
no boiler check since 2001
How do you know this? If you believe this is the case, get down to your local council housing department on Monday and they'll help you with the necessary letters to get things moving on this.
security light that doesn't work and inadequate lighting in the communal areas.
Can you change the bulb in the security light? 'Inadequate lighting' is incredibly subjective, have any of the other residents expressed concern about this? Get a letter written to your landlord asking them to contact the Managing Agents of the development if you feel there is a problem.
Who is the 'maintenance person' you talk about? Do they work for the letting agent?
Basically, get something to your Landlord IN WRITING on the above points, although I do feel some of them are a bit of a stretch and are things you just need to accept and get on with.0 -
You talk of communal areas? Is this a shared house, set of bedsits? What Im getting at is is this a HMO? If so it should be licensed and meet standards. I sense it probably is?
How many other people live in the same building as you? How many of you share eg kitchen or bathroom? How many floors is the building over? Is it a house?:beer: Well aint funny how its the little things in life that mean the most? Not where you live, the car you drive or the price tag on your clothes.
Theres no dollar sign on piece of mind
This Ive come to know...
So if you agree have a drink with me, raise your glasses for a toast :beer:0 -
OP - unless I have missed it, you don't say whether this is a private let, a Housing Association let, whether the property is self contained, a conversion within a house and so on? (see Lynz's post)
It's a criminal offence to fail to provide a T with the Tenant Copy of a gas safety certificate. Failing to actually get a check/certification done is an offence , as is failing to keep gas safety certs for a min of 2 years. HSE (Health & Safety Exec- national ) or EHO (Env Health Officer - local council) can deal with LLs who fail to comply with gas safety regs.no boiler check since 2001
How do you know this? If you believe this is the case, get down to your local council housing department on Monday and they'll help you with the necessary letters to get things moving on this.
.0 -
OP a quick question.
Did you actually view the property first ?0 -
theartfullodger wrote: »PS as stated many times before to become a letting agent in England (it's not so bad in Scotland..) you need no...
- qualifications: Not even a GCSE in meja studies
- no membership of any professional body
- no supervision by any industry body
- no criminal records check (!! Oh! So that nice man who showed me round could be a speedo?? Yup, he could!!)
- Not even decent personal hygenie....
Sigh! And the new government just cancelled plans to regulate the little darlings....
That is utterly criminal.
No wonder I'm getting screwed by these people for ridiculous fees.0 -
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