Problems with landlord - where do we stand?

Mithvingiel

Hi

We're currently privately renting a property which we've been in for just over year, our tenancy ends on the 1/8/11.

Before we moved in we noticed that two tiles had small cracks on the kitchen floor and was told by the landlord that they would be fix when he had the kitchen refitted. Time has passed, the kitchen was done but not the floor. Over time more have become cracked, 5 gained holes in them and 4 completely caved in and are very loose so that when you stand on them they raise into the air!

We've been chasing the landlord up ever since the kitchen was done(poorly) in october as it's just getting worse. You can see from the pieces of tiles you pick that the floor was never laid properly and with us walking on them all the time they're not strong enough to handle any weight, particulary the cracked ones.

Originally he said he would replace the broken ones but then changed his mind and said he would replace the lot as they whole floor is a disgrace. Now he's saying that we're harrassing him and will only replace the two that have come completely loose..he says he doesn't know what to do, this has never happened with previous tenants and blames us for breaking them! I get the feeling he wants us to pay for it! The only thing we're guilty of is walking on the stupid things! We were told this weeks ago and we're still waiting for even two of them to be fixed!!!

We have two kids who are 5 and under and they're always falling over them and I'm getting very worried.

Where do I stand with this? Any advice?

tbs624

Have you raised the issue *in writing*, keeping a copy for your own records?

If not, then do so now and refer to the previous conversations . Keep only to the facts and ask the LL to give you a date by which the work will be done. State that the tiles are a "trip hazard": the LLs insurer's will require him to minimise such risks as an tenant injury would be costly to them.

Google Shelter and their pdf , "Guide to Getting Repairs Done"

Jenniefour

And get some photo's as well.

Mithvingiel

Thanks for the advice.

We wrote to him in January along with a list of 13 other faults which we also forwarded to the council as we were getting sick of the condition of the house. He received a letter from council telling him he had 14 days to resolve everything and that was at the begining of february. Every else has been done it's just the floor which as I said he claims we have caused. I have photos, the letters and texts all as proof but I've just been told he's in touch with his builder and will eventually let us know when the work will be done.

Apparently he's replacing the cracked the tiles and will be putting lino over the rest..I'll have to wait and see which ones the builders actually replace, should be interesting! Still, I can see more tiles cracking and breaking through the lino if he doesn't do it properly!

I will not be signing up to another year with them once the tenancy is up, I will opt for a rolling tenancy as the first chance I get to move into a decent property I will be taking as I've had enough of the crap we've had to deal with with this lanlord!