Landlord issues, advice please.

uk-tyler

Firstly apologies for the long post, I have a few issues with my landlords and was hoping for some advice before I meet them on Monday to discuss these.

I viewed a flat in December, and agreed to take it. The letting agents showed me around. The flat was being decorated and the cooker was standing in the hallway.

The letting agent told me the cooker was going back in.

I move in on the agreed date, however the flat was a mess, not cleaned, no curtain rails, no cooker and radiators not working, except the kitchen.

I spoke to the landlords, they sent cleaners round whilst I was out collecting more furniture. The cleaners came and went, doing a pretty poor job of cleaning. When they left they did not lock up, so my flat was left open with most of my belongings in it, luckily nothing was stolen.

The next morning two people working for the landlord walk in without knocking, to put the curtain rails up.

I had no heating for three days.

The cooker was never replaced, the landlords stated it had failed its testing so I needed to buy a new one, however I had not budgeted for it. I was told if I got one the landlords would fit it.

I purchased a cooker and informed my landlords. Christmas came and went. My christmas dinner was breakfast cereal and sandwiches.

Finally I get a date for the cooker installation, at the end of January, well over a month after I moved in. I finally got the cooker installed myself.

Then the radiator started leaking, I contacted the landlords and they arranged a date for repairs. To stop me needing to take time off work I asked for the landlord to provide a second front door key, so I could arrange for a friend to be here. They did not supply the key, or turn up on the agreed date.

I contacted them again, asking for a key and repair. No key, but they did repair the leak. I took two days off work for this.

Finally I got my spare key, then went out at midnight to help a friend mend a puncture. Get home and my original key does not work. Landlords 'emergency' phone line is not answered. Ended up sleeping outside. Had to go to work the next day without the things I needed, and subsequently lost about 15 hours of overtime (my boss wanted to send me to Germany, my passport was in my flat).

I am seeing a representative of the landlord on Monday, can I claim the money I have lost in earnings from them?

BitterAndTwisted

No, you can't. What else are you looking for?

uk-tyler

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

No, you can't. What else are you looking for?

The cooker to be fitted. I'll take mine out and sell it.

BitterAndTwisted

Then tell the agents that. To be honest you'd probably be better off leaving the cooker there and getting them to fit it rather than selling it. The resale price could be rather depressing.

uk-tyler are you a foreign national, like German, for instance? I have a feeling that you're being mucked about because they all think that you don't know how rentals work here. I've never heard of a landlord asking a tenant to buy their own cooker!

What length of tenancy are you on? I think you should give up this property as soon as you can. Most sensible landlords would want to appear to like they care about keeping their tenants happy, especially in the first few months. This one sounds like they didn't give a you-know-what from the very first moment once they'd got their hands on your rent-money.

uk-tyler

No, I am English, but have recently moved back from Germany.

My landlord is a well known Midlands based housing association.

The complaints procedure so far has been a visit from one of their staff which was followed up by a letter which did not deal with any of the issues raised.

The visit on Monday is from a director of the housing association.

I don't think it is deliberate poor treatment, rather a series of poorly managed !!!! ups.

EDIT:
I had the cooker fitted myself, rather than waiting for them to do it. I can sell it to a friend who needs one.

So far I've been a tenant for less than three months and have lost well over a months worth of rent sorting out the issues.

BitterAndTwisted

Is it normal to expect a cooker to be supplied by a Housing Association? I'd be surprised of it was but I don't understand where the letting-agent comes into the picture. Odd

Hump

Are you renting from a 'market rental' arm of a well known housing association? Certain Housing Associations (now called Registered Providers) have subsidary businesses which are allowed to make a profit and they do so by developing/purchasing/renting properties at commercial rates - as opposed to subsidised 'social' rents - the profits go back to growing their businesses and subsidising their 'social' housing.

If not, and if you are renting from the 'social' rents side of the association then your experience is sadly all too often 'par for the course' - at least you were only without heating for 3 days!

Either way the likelihood of getting anything other than an apology from them is very remote - I'd try for a couple of rent free weeks as opposed to any 'financial compensation'