Breaking rental contract - assualted by neighbour.

MikeyGB313

Hello All

On Thursday this week my neighbour decided to put a bag of dog poo through my door. Stupidly, i ran to see who it was and asked what the hell he was doing. Before any further words were said, in a rage my neighbour grabbed my throat trying to suffercate me to death. Apparently its because he is sick of picking up the dog mess that is around our flat (i dont have a dog) and we are noisey.

Only ever spoken to him twice before, never about the two things above.

Once I escaped, I phoned the police, who waited 24 hours to arrest for qustioning, despite him being downstairs in his flat and could come to my front door at any time. He is released with caution, despite admitting doing it.

As a result i have fleed my rental property as i fear for my and my girlfriends safety. From what i judge from my landlord (who just found out the neighbour is on medication) he wants me to follow normal procedure and give two months notice to leave. This is over £1000 that i cannot afford.

It is unteniable for me to continue living there and complete my contract. Is there any special legal way I can avoid the wooping payment?

Im currently crashing on peoples sofa's/floors as i have no where to go. Any advice?

Yorkie1

There isn't a way to get out immediately, however, some further info is needed:

Are you in England / Wales?
Are you in the fixed period of a contract, or are you on a rolling contract now?
If a fixed contract, when does it end?
If a rolling contract, what day of the month does each rental period start (this will be the day after the fixed term expired)?

david29dpo

What do you mean you cant afford it? The rent is due anyway wether you leave or not.

princeofpounds

Answer yorkie's questions and we can tell you your situation. Chances are the LL is offering a reasonably fair compromise, in a legal sense.

As for the neighbour, if he is on medication for a mental condition make sure th police report it. Mentioned this to my partner and she said it sounds like a possible sectioning case (dependent on circumstances).

MikeyGB313

Are you in England / Wales? - England
Are you in the fixed period of a contract, or are you on a rolling contract now? - Fixed
If a fixed contract, when does it end? - July 6th (i think, too scared to go back to flat to find out)
If a rolling contract, what day of the month does each rental period start (this will be the day after the fixed term expired)? - Not Rolling

What do you mean you cant afford it? - I cant afford to pay his rent aswell as deposit and rent on somewhere new to live.

As for the neighbour, if he is on medication for a mental condition make sure th police report it. Mentioned this to my partner and she said it sounds like a possible sectioning case (dependent on circumstances). - Im going to the police today to ask for any information on the case I can get hold off, but they probably have some confidentiallity clause to not release information on the neighbour. Shall update tonight if i get a chance.

MikeyGB313

By the way, thank you for replying, any guidance is much appreciated.

Mathew

Do you have the same landlord? I'm sure behaviour like that would breach his tenancy, maybe another option?

James_N

Mathew wrote: »

Do you have the same landlord? I'm sure behaviour like that would breach his tenancy, maybe another option?

The landlord cannot end person B's (the alleged assaulter) tenancy on the basis of person A's allegation, not summarily. Maybe there is a process, but a private person cannot be instant judge and jury. Mentally ill (or seriously unsocial) people have the same rights as anyone else. Sometimes this is unfortunate and seems unfair, but it's a factor we have to live with.

The OP says he cannot go back - yet it is not the landlords fault, and the rent and the notice period are still legal requirements.

Mathew

To be cautioned B would have admitted whatever it was that was alleged ie. assault of some degree I'd of thought. There is no suggestion of a private person being judge and jury.
I'd of thought that would have done to be in a breach of tenancy, but without knowing the wording of the particular tenancy it equally might not.

rogerblack

Mathew wrote: »

To be cautioned B would have admitted whatever it was that was alleged ie. assault of some degree I'd of thought. There is no suggestion of a private person being judge and jury.
I'd of thought that would have done to be in a breach of tenancy, but without knowing the wording of the particular tenancy it equally might not.

Even if it is, then getting such a neighbour evicted is unlikely to make them a happy bunny.

I would be extremely worried about him stuffing other, perhaps more flammable things through the letterbox in future.

Incyder

I would go back and carry on as normal now. Its unlikely to happen again now he has been arrested, dna taken, fingerprinted, photographed, cautioned. He probably feels a right idiot. Being on medication does not mean he is a loon, probably 30% of everyone is on medication.

Take a mate with you and just go back and carry on as though nothing has happened.
You have no dog, so it cannot be you that caused his outburst.