Bit of a dodgy landlord?

stuckdebt

Hi, I currently live in a house share. Been living here for at least a year now.

When I moved in everything seemed fine, I had a good job and the landlord was friendly. Unfortunately I got laid off after 6 months and I needed to apply for housing benefit to continue to pay my rent. I was rather silly at the time and it was my first time living out of my parents house, at 18 years old. I asked my landlord to help me fill out the form and he told me that he was going to put my rent up because of me being on housing benefit was a hassle for him. But because the council pay most of it he said it wouldnt be a problem for me. So instead of the 75pw I was paying he put it up to 95pw. He also told me that they only pay a percentage of what is claimed for and id get more this way.

So, stupidly, I had listened to him rather than doing research. After research I found out that my council will pay you up to a certain amount, and not a percentage. I am now stuck having to top up my rent each week from my job seekers allowance and that leaves me with just enough to get food. I have to borrow money from my partner if i need to travel for a job interview, and i just cant keep doing that. During this time I built up quite a bit of arrears due to problems with the council and my job seekers allowance. Thankfully my father helped me clear most of it. But now my landlord is demanding more money from me even though he has received in excess of 1k from my father. I am now forced to pay everything I get each week and I am only left with less than £10 a week for myself.

A few days ago, I found out that my room is listed as an office/store room on the building plan. I then look at it in more detail and find that there are 3 more rooms listed as a lounge, office and a store room. This is not the case. There is a letter from the council posted up stating that there are 6 households in here and there should be no more than 7 occupants. This is not the case, there are 10 households and at least 12 people living here. Does this mean my landlord is renting the house out illegally? If so, what do I do? I dont want to end up homeless.. I also dont want my landlord to know ive said anything. He is a big guy and ive heard a few stories about him recently.

I don't know what to do anymore, i hate being stuck in this hell, I cant see my partner often and its putting a strain on our relationship and I am also finding it very hard to find a new job. I feel like I am going to be stuck here forever.

red40

It sounds to me as though you are living in a licensable HMO, if there is a notice on the wall saying what it can be let as. So you can contact the council if you so wish.

I think you need to give a bit more detail on the tenancy status. Does the landlord live in the same house? Is it an assured shorthold tenancy? Presumably they are all individual tenancies, which would lead me to believe that it isnt a house share, but bedsits.

Tenancy dates will also be important. Not sure about the rent increase, because you are on benefits doesnt seem right, but if you have agreed to it that may be a problem. Sure others will give the right answer though.

You could also seek advise from the CAB or the councils tenancy relations officer/section.

ood luck

thegirlintheattic

Can I suggest you get your parents to lone you the money to move into a better managed property.

Benefits does not = rent increase. The LL can ask but you can say no. You then might get a S21 served to give you notice he wants you out.

G_M

Does your landlord live in the same property? Share accomodatipn/facilities?

What contract did you originally have? Type? Start date? Length?

When your rent went up, did you sign any new agreement? What?

How many people live there? Do they each have separate contracts? Are they all separate 'households' (see definition of a HMO here).

Contact your council as this is almost certainly a HMO which should be licenced - is it?

Benji

A though for G_M and others to ponder, which may help stuckdebt.

If a landlord is prosecuted for not having a required HMO license, the tenant can apply for up to 12 months rent back though a RRO (rent repayment order). Would this apply if a landlord has got a licence (for 7 in this case) but should have a licence for 12? After all, he does not have a valid license does he? Would the fact the stuckdebt seems to be one of those extra 5 occupants strengthen his claim?

theartfullodger

Think you've established that he's a crook on the fiddle.. in several ways. So get out...

Then, grass him up, if necessary anonymously to HMO guys at council, HB/LHA guys, Environmental Health, Planning & HMRC (he'll be fiddling his tax probably..). If he's innocent of all these unfair slurs a couple of simple letters will clear things up.

Basic rule: Don't do business with crooks, bigots or thugs...

Best wishes, hope the next place is better!

red40

Benji wrote: »

If a landlord is prosecuted for not having a required HMO license, the tenant can apply for up to 12 months rent back though a RRO (rent repayment order).

No the rent repayment order only applies to landlords who dont licence the property or have an application in writing placed with the council. However the landlord can be prosecuted for knowingly let the property to more people than is stated on the licence. The fine for this breach is a max of £20,000 and of course if found guilty would no longer be seen as a fit and proper person and his licence would be revoked.

HTH

[Deleted User]

Your landlord sounds like my OH's landlord. My OH thought he was a great guy (he'd made lots of promises).., hackles rose on my neck the first time I laid eyes on him but didn't know why. It was a HMO, all bedsits of varying sizes.

I moved in with my OH temporarily while finding other housing, the LL agreed to this initially but then decided it would put his status at risk (red flag no.1 lol.., read on) and did everything possible to get me and the children out.

Showers broke, were never fixed, one toilet never worked and smelt awfully til we sorted it out. There were mice (more and more of them).., and in the end it turned out his licence to run a HMO had run out and not been renewed.

I had moved out because I found him quite harrassing, he had started knocking on the door every morning to ask when I was leaving lol. Fortunately I managed to find other housing but we did see him harrass other occupants more actively.

As others have said, u being on benefits is not a reason to put the rent up (its similiar to a trick our LL tried although the bedsit was already rather expensive compared to others). Get out as soon as you can and find a house share or bedsit you can afford. U can't carry on like this.

Also, we did report the LL to the council (how we found out his HMO licence had run out), and apparently he was ordered to correct quite a few problems, and mesh the house to stop the mice from getting in. I was truly upset for him (honest, he was a nightmare character).

donnap83

What's HMO please?

vuvuzela

http://www.hmo.org.uk/

Benji

red40 wrote: »

No the rent repayment order only applies to landlords who dont licence the property or have an application in writing placed with the council.

But this landlord doesn't have a valid licence and neither does he seem to have applied for a valid licence.

Surely if the licence is invalid, he has no licence?
If I tried driving with an invalid driving licence.....