Please help - concerns about landlord..

slyracoon

At a minimum ensure that your deposit is protected and you have a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate. The landlord is legally required to do both of these, they are for your protection.

Everything else (permission to let, landlords insurance, tax etc.) is the landlords problem and not for you to worry about.

tbs624

slyracoon wrote: »

Everything else (permission to let, landlords insurance, tax etc.) is the landlords problem and not for you to worry about.

Except as as very real indicator of the fact that you will be dealing with someone who takes "shortcuts" and thinks that the law does not apply to them personally. Good basis on which to enter a binding contract? No, IMO.

Such "amateur" LLs will usually however expect that the T fully abides by their own obligations and will be quick off the mark to complain if this is not the case..

pinkstarsx

We advised her it was illegal to not hold the deposit in a scheme.
She said we have her word the deposit will be safe and not touched. Also said that she never has problems renting privately and doesn't wish to discuss her mortgage details when we asked if it allowed her to let.
We said we weren't happy to go ahead as our deposit werent protected and she said she doesn't appreciate us telling her it's not legal and we have no right to tell her how to let her property !

Odd how she was so nice and has turned nasty i think she's become very defensive.

How do i go about reporting her as someone mentioned before?

1984ReturnsForReal.

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Which particular leg/s did you have in mind? Should the OP have a signed tenancy agreement and a proper inventory etcetera I can't see much of a problem bar the risk that the LL may fall behind with their mortgage payments. Should it come to repo time the OP will receive correspondence from the lender at which point they could stop paying the rent in order to recover their deposit.

Whatever...

G_M

pinkstarsx wrote: »

How do i go about reporting her as someone mentioned before?

Is she declaring and paying income tax on the rent? See HMRC here.

Does her mortgage lender know? £4 from the Land Registry to find the lender (see section 3 the 'Charges Register') - then a letter to their mortgage dept.

HSE - will be interested if there's no Gas Safety Certificate (or Environmental Health at the local council.)

No EPC? - Contact the Trading Standards Dept at your local council.

Doubt you can find out who her insurers are though.

suited-aces

1984ReturnsForReal. wrote: »

Whatever...

What a cutting response.

lizzywig

You say in your original post that she had problems with a previous tennant but then she goes onto try and talk you around by saying she's never had any problems before. As a renter myself I would say chances are she did have problems with a previous tennant and now she wants to do everything her way.

My friend has lived with LL problems for the last year and has just moved out. When she moved it in was a dump, practically a squat. The LL was with an agency but they weren't much better and although they insisted on an inventory (which my friend had to do herself) the LL didn't want the deposit in a protection scheme and so told the agents that if they insisted he would employ someone else. So the landlord looked after the deposit and my friend persisted, during this time she turned the flat practically into a palace. My friend called the council and they advised that up until the day before she moved out he could put the deposit into a protection scheme, if he didn't she could take him to court and win back three times as much as the deposit, however this had to be done whilst she was still living there. Unfortunately she had a very bad experience with the LL turning up at her doorstep shouting at her for going to the council about it etc. His family went over and threatened her, it was a nightmare and she was very scared and had to change the locks which the landlord was furious about. In the end she handed her notice in when he tried to put the rent out saying that she was living in a desirable property and did she know how lucky she was (she had paid to decorate and carpet etc herself and had added the value). He refused point blank to put the deposit into a scheme and by this point she didn't have the energy to fight. When she moved out the landlord had deducted lots from her deposit for 'breakages' and for getting rid of things without his permission (like the fridge that actually had insects in and was rusty and falling apart). This is probably a worst case scenareo but you don't want it to happen to you!

pamelamalcolm

I don't think you're being scammed. Maybe you could draw up a contract instead, stating her condition? At least her signature and yours will be on a piece of paper so when something happens, you have something to show.

tbs624

pamelamalcolm wrote: »

I don't think you're being scammed. Maybe you could draw up a contract instead, stating her condition? At least her signature and yours will be on a piece of paper so when something happens, you have something to show.

A LL who fails to meet the law on tenancy deposits is a "dodgy" LL. Full stop.

pinkstarsx

Thanks for all your responses.

We have problems with our current landlord (absolute nightmare hense trying to find another property)

There is mould and damp in both bedrooms and some of the windows in the lounge. He has advertised our flat avaliable for rent from the 16th April and wants to show people around before then.
He cannot be attending to the mould and damp correctly before the new tenants as he wouldn't have time to do so before then - we move out on the 7th April!

What are our rights with regards to not allowing viewings?
I don't think we would mind so much if we are both there (which isn't very often anyway) but it will be very awkward if they ask what the landlord is like - he's failed to rectify any problems we have had in our tenancy so far.

Thanks in advance!