Student house problems :( tenancy rights?

life_nit

Hi all,

This is not related to saving, but i just need to get advice from someone in the know ASAP.

Firstly i left finding accomodation late, and had to move into a room i got offered and did not manage to have a look around, but i was told by a housemate i was in contact with that the house was 'nice' (how wrong she was).

Moved in 2 days ago and my bedroom has damp on the ceilings, the window is single glazed and rotted around the frame, the carpet is dirty and the hoover supplied does not work. I'm cold at night, and the people im living with, who i don't know well said they don't want the heating on unless i pay for it all, because they dont think its cold enough. Also the contract i signed said it was furnished and it does not have a desk or chair supplied, so im having to do all my work in a library. I'm thinking of buying a portable heater and hoover myself, but i dont feel i should have to buy a desk and chair at all.

Anyway i have spoken to the landlord multiple times, and i don't think he has any intention about sorting this immediately and just won't do anything.

I'm having a miserable experience at the moment, and i just need to be comfortable at night the most really.

Can someone tell me if i can contact an organisation about tenancy rights or something please, i have never been in this situation before and i don't want to tell my mum, because she will just worry about me.

Thanks all.

xrjtg

I can't offer much advice, but if you're desperate and have no other replies, perhaps something is better than nothing.

Is there someone at your university you can talk to? Some places have staff who can help students with housing issues. Alternatively, their might be someone in the union who you can talk to.

As an immediate remedy for cold nights, can you get hold of extra duvets or blankets? If you have enough of those then hopefully you'll be warm at least, and can work on the other issues well-rested.

devildog

Is the property rented directly from landlord or is it a private property that the uni manage?
I know that uni managed private property does require that you are given a desk, chair etc for study but dd had same problem with hoover(as useless as a chocolate teapot) which they have now replaced and cleanliness issues etc(now waiting for all the other issues to be resolved)
I am not sure about regs if it is a private landlord, but if it is private property that IS uni managed I have plenty of links that I can add for you.
Your Uni should be able to help/advise with these types of issues

ultimatedingbat

Speak with your uni's welfare people. Most of those issues are h&s at least thats what mine told me when I spoke (except the hoover we've been told replace it yourselves).

as for being cold seriously invest in blankets and not a heater the heater will shoot up the electric bill.

lucylollipop

Even if it is privately managed, chat to your uni's housing/student welfare team - they'll have lots of experience of dealing with this kind of thing, and may well be able to help

life_nit

Thanks everyone, the property is not Univeristy owned, its managed through a private Landlord seperate from the university.

I will get in touch with someone in the welfare department today hopefully. in the meantime i will buy some extra blankets and tape up the gaps in the window frames.

lynnemcf

I suggest you get yourself out of there ASAP. It will make you miserable being in a cold damp room (I know, it happened to me). Speak to the Uni housing or welfare people, and let as many people possible know you are looking to move, the more people you tell the more likely someone will offer you a room.

Oldernotwiser

I think that you need to adjust your priorities if you think that you should have the heating on at night at this time of year! You seem to be sharing with sensible people who have some idea of how much heating costs and that having it on all night isn't a necessity, even when winter comes.

busiscoming2

If the property is in a general bad state of repair and neglected (and I dont mean just untidy and dirty), then I would contact the local council as they have powers to make landlords comply with regulations regarding housing conditions. Ask a the council to come and inspect it.
Something else to find out is if the Landlord has a House of mulitple occupancy cetificate, this is a legal obligation if the property is of three or more storeys and occupied by five or more people that are not inor related to each other in any way. You should be able to find out more from the council.

mumps

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I think that you need to adjust your priorities if you think that you should have the heating on at night at this time of year! You seem to be sharing with sensible people who have some idea of how much heating costs and that having it on all night isn't a necessity, even when winter comes.

My daughter was in a house like this last year, the problem is that in a damp house with rotten windows you do need the heating on. When we went to collect her in December it was warmer outside the house than in her room.

To the OP speak to student welfare, they can't work miracles but often know local agents well and can get something done. Unfortunately in my daughter's case the only thing we could do was rent a second property. Sometimes your child's health is more important than money. She managed to relet her room in spring so in the end the cost wasn't huge but we took the risk anyway.

Oldernotwiser

mumps wrote: »

My daughter was in a house like this last year, the problem is that in a damp house with rotten windows you do need the heating on. When we went to collect her in December it was warmer outside the house than in her room.

I'm not talking about in the evening when someone is in their room studying but at night when they're in bed. Many people with decent incomes don't run their heating at night, however cold the weather, much less in late September/early October.