Internet in with rent, but not working..help!

phebe3

My daughter rents a property, a flat, with one other student in a block of flats. The rental agreement agrees to include water and internet. She rents from Leicester Lettings Company (LLC)who are the agent for Leics Housing Association (LHA),who are the landlords wef Aug 2011.

Over the last few weeks there has been little to no internet service. She has made frequent calls and complaints to LLC and LHA and although a technician came out and looked at the router last week and claimed it was fixed, it wasn't.

Is she within her rights to withold any of her rent as they are not providing a full service and if so how much? It has impacted on her life and work as she is at present doing her dissertation so needs the internet urgently. She is having to spend a lot of time travelling to and from university libary just so she can use their internet as hers doesn't work, and time on the phone trying to get someone to come out and fix the internet! :mad:
Thanks for your input on this

DannyboyMidlands

As a short term solution why not get an internet dongle from her mobile phone provider? At least then she can get the dissertation sorted.

phebe3

Sorry...bit thick here..what's an internet dongle? She does get internet on phone, but not good enough to use for work really

DannyboyMidlands

You can get a USB stick about the size of a pack of chewing gum that you plug into the computer. I think they call it "mobile broadband".

I used to move house a lot so got one through T-Mobile. From memory it cost less than £10 per month.

BigAunty

No, tenants cannot withold their rent if the landlord is not meeting their obligations. Their obligations to pay rent is not conditional on this.

For private tenants with assured shorthold tenancies, there is a formal process whereby a tenant can withold their rent to pay for repairs that they undertake themselves after issuing a deadline and written notice to their landlord - this is detailed on the Shelter website. It's not clear to me what type of tenancy she has but the Shelter website has a tenancy checker, too.

Nothing to stop her from requesting a rent rebate - the landlord is not obliged though.

phebe3

Have been onto housing agent AGAIN...hopefully will sort this time!

G_M

phebe3 wrote: »

..... She has made frequent calls and complaints to LLC and LHA and although a technician came out and looked at the router last week and claimed it was fixed, it wasn't.

Is she within her rights to withold any of her rents

Has she reported this problem formally? In writing?

If not, do so, as well as summerising all previous phone calls, actions taken, attempts made to fix, along with dates + names of people spoken to.

Ask for a timescale by when it will be fixed.

Has she also called the ISP direct herself? As a user she may get response.

Is there any chance it is a PC/laptop problem?