Getting things fixed in a rented flat

biggsy137

Hi. I'm after a bit of advice - I know I've seen bits of this around the forum so I apologise if this is a total repeat...

I have recently move into a house share with my other half (she was already living there) the land lord does not live there, and if he needs contacting with anything, one of the other tenants deals with it. This seems a bit odd to me to begin with but hey ho, that's just how it is at the minute.

Now, there are several things that need to be repaired - a tap that constantly drips, a tap that does not work, a window latch, a tempremental boiler and cooker...the list goes on. Now most of these issues needed fixing before xmas. To the best of my knowledge the landlord is aware of them but has not fixed anything (I fixed the lock on the gate in the end 'cos I was fed up of drunkards ending up on our terrace!)

Now where do we stand and what steps should we take next?

I'm thinking we should attempt to get hold of the landlords address and write to him ourselves?

Then what would be next...

Thanks in advance

oh, another thought, we are above a shop and southern fried chicken place and have quite a problem of mice... should this be sorted by the landlord? or go straight to the council (they offer a free 'come and get rid of rodents' service)

BitterAndTwisted

I would write to the landlord right away about all of the things that you can't simply do yourselves. A dripping tap I would tackle myself as it's a five minute job. Have a look at the Shelter website for guidance on how to get repairs done yourself and deduct the charges from the rent if your landlord is unresponsive as their are strict procedure you must adhere to in order to do that.

The mice should also be dealt with forthwith. I would have a conversation with the shop-owners downstairs as that's obviously where they're coming from. Then contact the Council. I suspect their Environmental Health people might be interested as it's my understanding that commercial premises pay for their own pest-control services whether the Council carry it out or not and there's no point in only having your own property visited by Pest Control if they're coming in from downstairs in their hundreds.

Marvel1

The boiler must be fully working and the landlord must have it serviced annually by a gas registered plumber.

As for the mice and being a food place, I would contact environmental health.

biggsy137

Much thanks! Several of the jobs I could do my self, its more the principal that we pay rent so anything that the landlord should be fixing, I'm not spending more of my money on.

I will have a look over at shelter now then.

I would say that talking to downstairs wont get me very far as they most likely wont understand what I say...

I have a feeling that calling the council/environmental health might start an avalanche of problems for both sides. From my point of view I would like to keep things as easy as possible for me but I do want these things fixed.

On the topic of boilers, we have a gas boiler and cooker - I've never seen a gas safety certificate which I believe I should have... but should carbon monoxide detectors be fitted by law? I'm pretty sure with 6 people living here we should have mains linked smoke alarms (which we haven't but that could be another days crusade) but not sure on CO detectors. If they are not required by law, can we still try to get the landlord to pay for them or would it be off our own back?

The more I think about this the more I realise why the place is cheap (relatively speaking) and wonder why we are here...

Thanks again for the advice

mad_madam_mimm

Hi there

I am the aforementioned other half, and just wanted to join in the thread as the situation has gone beyond a joke. I always knew that this place was in a state of disrepair but now realise that we have been putting up with more than is fair or legal. Since xmas we have had no running cold water in the kitchen (the tap mysteriously stopped working with the frozen weather), the oldest electricity set up known to man, and I have had a leaking ceiling in my room since I moved in 2 years ago, amongst other things.

Anyway, I digress. A friend of mine has mentioned that in a communal building such as ours (a house above a commercial property with each room rented out, a total of 6 occupants) there needs to be a certain amount of kitchen worktop space per person - can someone clarify this for me? Also she mentioned the need for fire doors - needless to say, we don't have these either. We do only have a piddly little kitchen, but it is the design of the house which must be circa 1900's-ish, so should this restrict the number of people living here?

Sorry for all the ranting and moaning but things have come to a head today when repairs were meant to have been done but weren't, I want/need to start the ball rolling as far as making this place habitable is concerned, my health is not good and the living situation only makes this worse.

Why don't I move out? Skint student - but certainly not a mug to be taken for a ride. :rotfl:

G_M

The first issue to clear up is your status. Are you a (joint) tenant? Is Did you sign a tenancy agreement with the 'landlord? Who do you pay rent to? Who holds your deposit?

Or are you a lodger, paying rent to the 'sharer' who deals with the 'landlord'? (though in reality in this case, the 'sharer' is YOUR landlord.)

If the former, you should have the LL's address (otherwise you do not need to pay rent!). Write to him detailing ALL the issues.
If the latter, speak to your 'landlord' (with whome you share) and it is for him to sort out.

edit: just seen the 'other half's post. It now looks like a HMO - house of multiple occupation. Do the occupants of each room live separately (separate households) and have separate contracts?

HMOs have much stricter regulation - speak to the council.

BitterAndTwisted

mad_madam_mimm wrote: »

Since Xmas we have had no running cold water in the kitchen (the tap mysteriously stopped working with the frozen weather),

This is totally unacceptable! Get writing to the landlord.

I have had a leaking ceiling in my room since I moved in 2 years ago, amongst other things.

Has this been brought to the landlord's attention before? I certainly wouldn't tolerate a leak and if you haven't reported it there could be trouble from the landlord about consequent damage. ALL repair issues should be communicated to the landlord in good time. That's not two years later.

A friend of mine has mentioned that in a communal building such as ours (a house above a commercial property with each room rented out, a total of 6 occupants) there needs to be a certain amount of kitchen worktop space per person - can someone clarify this for me?

Sounds like total cobblers to me.

Also she mentioned the need for fire doors - needless to say, we don't have these either.

Yes, if you live in an HMO these are mandatory.

We do only have a piddly little kitchen, but it is the design of the house which must be circa 1900's-ish, so should this restrict the number of people living here?

Not to my knowledge.

Sorry for all the ranting and moaning but things have come to a head today when repairs were meant to have been done but weren't, I want/need to start the ball rolling as far as making this place habitable is concerned, my health is not good and the living situation only makes this worse.

Why don't I move out? Skint student - but certainly not a mug to be taken for a ride. :rotfl:

I have a feeling that once you start getting the Local Authority involved, who are the onces who set minimum standards for HMOs, you could be in danger of getting your marching orders.

As a matter of the utmost urgency you absolutely MUST arrange for a Gas Safety Check to be undertaken, even if you have to pay for it amongst yourselves. Your lives could depend on it. Find a GasSafe accredited engineer. It should cost in the region of about £50.

biggsy137

Ok, just spoken to the tenant who is the 'middle man' In his words he is "the leaseholder" now I do not know if this is in the legal sense or if he has just chosen this title for himself...

To quote him "I do not have his [the landlords] address and there is no way or chance of us getting it...it's just how it is..."

Now to make things interesting, this middle man is who's signature is on the contract, he collects the rent and passes it onto the landlord and to our knowledge he holds the deposit... from what I have read that makes us lodgers? Giving us less rights then tenants?

Please correct me.

We have discussed getting the safety certificates for the boiler and cookers (on the question of when were they serviced I got a bit of a laugh and "never" ) should I put this in writing to this middle-man? How long should I leave this before taking another step?

AAARRRGGGHHHH!!! Springs to mind...

lynzpower

I have a feeling that once you start getting the Local Authority involved, who are the onces who set minimum standards for HMOs, you could be in danger of getting your marching orders.

Not neccesarily true, one option the council have at thier disposal is to overtake the running of the property and charge the landlord for all the maintainence and they arrange it. they will of course give the LL option to undertake works themselves.

Personally it does not sound great, and Ideally im sure you would have moved already if you could have.

Yes the size of the kitchen is important in HMOs, it must give adequate size and space to cook and store food hygiencially.

Electricity has to be safe. Fire precautions should be complied with.

Dont pay for the gas safety yourself, get the HSE or environmental health to force the landlord to do it!

This landlord sounds like a slumlord, if other LLs have to play by the rules, so should he/she.

Youve been banging your head on a brick wall for too long and the place sounds to me like it contanis serious hazards. The mice downsrairs coming upstairs are also an issue, environmental health can make the food business downstairs control thier pest problem.

Ps Environmental Health officers are interested in retaliatory eviction.

You could carry on trying to negotiate, or you could get someone else ( EH) to help you.

lynzpower

biggsy137 wrote: »

Ok, just spoken to the tenant who is the 'middle man' In his words he is "the leaseholder" now I do not know if this is in the legal sense or if he has just chosen this title for himself...

To quote him "I do not have his [the landlords] address and there is no way or chance of us getting it...it's just how it is..."

Now to make things interesting, this middle man is who's signature is on the contract, he collects the rent and passes it onto the landlord and to our knowledge he holds the deposit... from what I have read that makes us lodgers? Giving us less rights then tenants?

Please correct me.

We have discussed getting the safety certificates for the boiler and cookers (on the question of when were they serviced I got a bit of a laugh and "never" ) should I put this in writing to this middle-man? How long should I leave this before taking another step?

AAARRRGGGHHHH!!! Springs to mind...

How many people are living in this flat aside from you the couple and this guy?

krycek985

Why not just give your notice and move? Sounds a right dump anyway.

Why put up with a leaking roof for two years and now just add it to the list of problems ? Not accusing you of anything but If I was the landlord and you told me its been leaking two years and Im just hearing about it I wouldnt belive the time that it had been leaking at all.