Help with useless LA any advice please

Mark64uk

Hi All,

I'm having a bit of problem with a recent apartment and the letting agent who deal with it and was wondering if anyone could offer advice how to deal with this. It might be a bit long winded but ill try and keep it short as possible.

I was due to move into the apartment on the 19th i was telephoned two days before saying it would not be ready previous tenants have left taking keys and fobs and have damaged the hob. I signed on the 19th but tenancy did not start until the 22nd and paid £1000 upfront.

The 22nd came i called to pick up keys they said they didn't have them and would call me back no phone call so i chased and managed to get the keys, they advised that there were two entry fobs with the care taker but there was no manager to give me £20 out of there cash tin to pay the caretaker i said id pay, i contacted the caretaker and he told me that he had sold them as he had been phoning LA for weeks but they never returned his calls he did phone me back and said he managed to locate some fobs.

The big day had come i got the keys to my first place of my own of own oh the excitement but what a disappointment the place was a tip, the walls are filthy, there was dirty underwear in the cupboards and it smelt awful in the bathroom. After complaining i refused to move and they sent cleaners round.

All is then well so i thought, the property has electric panel heaters 4 in total 3 out of 4 the timer does not work at all the screen is blank and 1 has the thermostat and power switch is damaged and does not work at all and this is the living room one being on the 11th floor its freeezing.

I was told the hob would be replaced last Monday poss Tuesday still nothing i was told on Tuesday they would call me back in a minute im still waiting for this call. Finally the property has two sat outputs i've just had sky out to be told only one is working so i cant use sky + now.

There are more problems to the above but these are the main things especially no heating in the living room and the fact i cannot operate them via timer.

How would you deal with the above situation I'm thinking of putting everything in writing and sending it recorded delivery and if i don't get a reasonable response then writing to the Landlord explaining the problems I'm having with the property and his useless letting agents.

Thanks for you time.

Mark

BitterAndTwisted

Yes, put all of your issues in writing to the agent. However, it may not be the agents who are being useless. Often agents don't hold funds or are not authorised to spend any without the landlord's express permission, so it could your landlord who is delaying things or being useless.

moromir

Letting Agents can only act on the Landlord's instructions. If the Landlord is refusing to authorise expenditure/is holding things up getting multiple quotes to get the cheapest hob etc, theres little the LA can do.

What kind of electric heaters are they? Convector or storage?

I will just pick up on the satellite issue - aerials and satellites systems are usually a grey area. Check your tenancy for any reference to who is responsible for their maintenance. In the absense of any reference, I believe that it is generally accepted that if the tenant wishes to make use of 'luxury' service they pay for any installation as necessary, ie much in the same way as a telephone service, as far as I'm aware its not covered under a Landlord's repair liabilities under the housing act (Im sure someone will correct if Im wrong on this)

Is there any mention of the sockets on the inventory? Are there any comments like "Not tested" or anything along the lines of "installed by previous tenant"

Mark64uk

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Yes, put all of your issues in writing to the agent. However, it may not be the agents who are being useless. Often agents don't hold funds or are not authorised to spend any without the landlord's express permission, so it could your landlord who is delaying things or being useless.

The LA told me a new one had been arranged and was just waiting to be fitted i told them that i would move in as they told me there was a strong chance it would of been replaced over the weekend before i moved in so i assumed the landlord had agreed.

moromir wrote: »

Is there any mention of the sockets on the inventory? Are there any comments like "Not tested" or anything along the lines of "installed by previous tenant"

Funny you mention the inventory that had to be done while i was here i had to show the guy what was mine and what was the LL he never went near or mentioned the sat connections.

With this being a high rise were not able to have a dish on the outside of obvious reasons so every property was fitted with sat sockets.If there fitted to the property as standard and there is no other way for a tennant to have it should they not work as we can only rely on the communal dish that was fitted when the property's were refurbished.

I think the heaters are convection storage heaters are the ones you have to charge up over night ??? if so i don't do this.

Thank you for your feedback :-)

tbs624

Mark64uk wrote: »

Funny you mention the inventory that had to be done while i was here i had to show the guy what was mine and what was the LL he never went near or mentioned the sat connections.

Did you ask for all the issues to be noted on the inventory? It's not just something that the LA/LL produces and you agree with - it must be an accurate representation of the property's condition from the start of the tenancy and it must be signed by both parties. If the LA misses things off you write them on before signing it.

The LL has very specific responsibilities under the LL & T Act 1985, to maintain the space and water heating systems and you can get support from your local Tenancy Relations Officer/Env health Officer by the Council's private sector housing office.

Write to the LA and the LL listing out what is wrong with the property and telling them that you want resolve within the next 7 working days. The LL should supply you with instructions for the heating system and if it is not in working order then they should hire a temporary water boiler and space heaters until they can get it fixed. Don't be fobbed off by them because they should view that as a priority especially with the current cold snap..

Bear in mind that absolutely anyone can get a polyester suit, rent an office and call themselves a Letting Agent - they don't need to be trained, qualified or even have any common sense.

Take plenty of dated photos of the condition of the property, including inside any white goods etc and keep them safely with your tenancy agreement. When you move out you are only obliged to return the property in the same condition as when let to you, save for fair wear and tear so it's worth keeping that proof.

Mark64uk

I spoke to the guy who did my inventory about the defective equipment he said i will receive it in 7 days along with the DVD he went round filming everything and giving it some sort of grade he went thought the place top to toe, he said there will be a secton to write my own comments in and sign it if i agree with it.

Thanks for the info

Mark

sonastin

tbs624 wrote: »

Bear in mind that absolutely anyone can get a polyester suit, rent an office and call themselves a Letting Agent - they don't need to be trained, qualified or even have any common sense.

I think common sense is positively discouraged - spoils things for the rest of the industry :rotfl: