Signed Tenancy and now terrified and desperate

poppysarah

Spacivixen888 wrote: »

Hi there, thank you for replying

As i borrowed the money to move, i will have a month overlap between properties so i can stay at my current address for the next month. The removal van is booked for the 17th May.

I work part-time for the NHS and don't think they'll let me have tomorrow off to try and sort anything out, but i will certainly try my best. I will ask to speak to the environmental health office and tenancy relations officer, even if only over the phone

Look for phone numbers now and emails on the council website.

Email them and give them your contact details -
and then try and ring on your lunch.

SternMusik

Spacivixen888 wrote: »

Is there any way whatsoever I can get out of this. I took out a bank loan to pay for this move to improve my daughter's quality of life, and now i think i've made the biggest mistake ever. Other than my daughter I have no family to turn to for help and i feel so desperate and lost. I can't face packing to move us into this mess.

Hi there,

Just wanted to say that I was once in a similar situation. The rental property looked lovely when I viewed it, but once I had the keys it turned out that that there was mould everywhere. Behind the cuboards in the kitchen, underneath the kitchen vinyl (which was coming off), behind where the furniture had been, behind the curtains next to the windows, just everywhere. It was ghastly. I had problems with my breathing within 30 minutes of being there. The mould was really quite cleverly concealed when I viewed the house.

I then got the council involved (environmental health). They came round pretty swiftly and said that although the property was "habitable" they would recommend improvements. I think this helped me when I approached the lettings agency about terminating the AST. In the end I lost less than one month's rent and got my deposit back in full.

I don't think any improvements were carried out before the new tenants (postgraduate students from overseas) moved in....

Best of luck in trying to sort this out. You might lose out financially, but having a decent place to live for your daughter is the most important thing.

nikki_angel

Just picking up on the fact you say that you are giving notice on Wednesday as that's when you pay your rent. Are you certain that this is the correct day? Rent day doesn't necessarily mean rental period start/end.

Spacivixen888

Thanks again for all the replies. I apparently have to give notice on the 2nd of the month as that's my rent day and and provides the required 28 days notice to terminate my current agreement (which is currently on a 28 day rolling or periodic tenancy).

On a slightly more positive note i phoned a close friend earlier when my daughter was asleep and explained how i was feeling and that other than having the house deemed uninhabitable i was tied to living in the new house. She had a friend at her house and they asked my daughter and i to call round so we could discuss further. They then asked to have a look at the property and both insisted that the cracks seemed minor and that it wasn't something that would be dangerous to live with for the next couple of years, but that the owner would struggle to sell it as it is (probably why they're renting it out now) as would be very costly to repair. They pointed out a couple of minor things they felt i should speak to the agent about including a faulty fire in the living room (hadn't even noticed that) but they felt that it was a perfectly safe house and would actually be safer for my daughter given the location (i'm currently living on a very busy 40mph road with no garden).

I'm going to speak to the agent and hopefully the minor things could be sorted out before I move in, and I'm going to move as planned and make sure i'm prepared to move out at the end of the tenancy period if things are bad once i'm in there. I can't risk refusing to move and then potentially owing rent on two houses and above all, even if the house is a bit shoddy in places, there have to be positives to it (which i saw to start with and that i will try my best to focus on now).

Thanks so much for all the advice, it's really helped me to know where i would stand so that I can put things into perspective. The mould in the kitchen i will be keeping a close eye on and will treat it as much as possible, but if it does continue to be a problem I will definitely be involving environmental health as I know if ignored could have health implications.

Thanks again, it's appreciated

jimofwales

Try not to worry too much about the mould! Use some dettol mould and mildew remover and it will disappear. Keep the place well heated and ventilated and periodically respray.

I honestly can't believe the level of mould that some people let build up. Went to a mate's flat recently (in an old council block in London). The mould in the bathroom was incredible and he had spent ages trying to get the Landlord involved and thought it was some major structural problem with the building, and unfixable without major investment. I had it spotless within about 15 mins (with said spray)

pmlindyloo

Spacivixen888 wrote: »

Thanks again for all the replies. I apparently have to give notice on the 2nd of the month as that's my rent day and and provides the required 28 days notice to terminate my current agreement (which is currently on a 28 day rolling or periodic tenancy).

On a slightly more positive note i phoned a close friend earlier when my daughter was asleep and explained how i was feeling and that other than having the house deemed uninhabitable i was tied to living in the new house. She had a friend at her house and they asked my daughter and i to call round so we could discuss further. They then asked to have a look at the property and both insisted that the cracks seemed minor and that it wasn't something that would be dangerous to live with for the next couple of years, but that the owner would struggle to sell it as it is (probably why they're renting it out now) as would be very costly to repair. They pointed out a couple of minor things they felt i should speak to the agent about including a faulty fire in the living room (hadn't even noticed that) but they felt that it was a perfectly safe house and would actually be safer for my daughter given the location (i'm currently living on a very busy 40mph road with no garden).

I'm going to speak to the agent and hopefully the minor things could be sorted out before I move in, and I'm going to move as planned and make sure i'm prepared to move out at the end of the tenancy period if things are bad once i'm in there. I can't risk refusing to move and then potentially owing rent on two houses and above all, even if the house is a bit shoddy in places, there have to be positives to it (which i saw to start with and that i will try my best to focus on now).

Thanks so much for all the advice, it's really helped me to know where i would stand so that I can put things into perspective. The mould in the kitchen i will be keeping a close eye on and will treat it as much as possible, but if it does continue to be a problem I will definitely be involving environmental health as I know if ignored could have health implications.

Thanks again, it's appreciated

I'm so pleased that things have turned out better than you thought. Good idea to ask the LA/LL to sort out the problems before you move in.

Try to have a read of the 'stickies' at the top of this forum about what your LL is obligated to do as part of your tenancy agreement. E.g registering your deposit.

Also in view of the possible repairs needed make sure you take photos of everything when you move in (dated) as proof of the condition of the property.

If there is an inventory read it carefully and make sure that you add comments to it before you sign it.

edwink

Spacivixen888 wrote: »

Thanks again for all the replies. I apparently have to give notice on the 2nd of the month as that's my rent day and and provides the required 28 days notice to terminate my current agreement (which is currently on a 28 day rolling or periodic tenancy).

On a slightly more positive note i phoned a close friend earlier when my daughter was asleep and explained how i was feeling and that other than having the house deemed uninhabitable i was tied to living in the new house. She had a friend at her house and they asked my daughter and i to call round so we could discuss further. They then asked to have a look at the property and both insisted that the cracks seemed minor and that it wasn't something that would be dangerous to live with for the next couple of years, but that the owner would struggle to sell it as it is (probably why they're renting it out now) as would be very costly to repair. They pointed out a couple of minor things they felt i should speak to the agent about including a faulty fire in the living room (hadn't even noticed that) but they felt that it was a perfectly safe house and would actually be safer for my daughter given the location (i'm currently living on a very busy 40mph road with no garden).

I'm going to speak to the agent and hopefully the minor things could be sorted out before I move in, and I'm going to move as planned and make sure i'm prepared to move out at the end of the tenancy period if things are bad once i'm in there. I can't risk refusing to move and then potentially owing rent on two houses and above all, even if the house is a bit shoddy in places, there have to be positives to it (which i saw to start with and that i will try my best to focus on now).

Thanks so much for all the advice, it's really helped me to know where i would stand so that I can put things into perspective. The mould in the kitchen i will be keeping a close eye on and will treat it as much as possible, but if it does continue to be a problem I will definitely be involving environmental health as I know if ignored could have health implications.

Thanks again, it's appreciated

Hello there

Hope everything is going ok for you now!!

Just wanted to ask was an Inventory form completed for the rental property?

If so did you sign it ?

Ed