MAJOR help needed... typical LA

deedee71

Ben_Reeve_Lewis wrote: »

Law in Scotland can be different in many ways to English law and I simply dont enough about it DeeDee but I am pretty sure that section 1 of the Landlord and tenant Act 1985 applies, in that if you demand the name and address of your landlrod in writing they have to comply within 21 days, also in writing or face prosecution. Check with Shelter Scotland for that.

Also you can contact land registry for proof of ownership, which oftens throws up their address. It costs £8.

In England. under Section 48 of the same Landlord and Tenant act if you dont have the address of your landlord in England or Wales where you can serve notices on them they arent entitled to receive any rent, but under Scottish law it may be different

Thanks Ben, but I'm not the tenant. Let's not put Marlie's thread off track.

OP glad to hear you'll be back with your mum and agree with your plan to save for your own place.

duchy

I suspect Marlie won't follow up but will just move out, move on and forget about it ....which is a shame for the next vunerable person attacked by these bullies -but entirely her right to do so.

RAS

marliepanda wrote: »

I appreciate the sentiment, but I am NEVER renting again. EVER EVER. I am going back to my mums, saving like crazy, and getting my own place. I cannot deal with this crap again.

Just make sure that you never use that agency to buy a house!

And please please get hold of your local councillor, or even the one who heads up housing and make sure that they know and understand how appalling their service is. You have paid CT and other taxes to them so they can provide a service, which is plainly absent.

marliepanda

duchy wrote: »

I suspect Marlie won't follow up but will just move out, move on and forget about it ....which is a shame for the next vunerable person attacked by these bullies -but entirely her right to do so.

I will follow up, but just from looking at the ARLA website its either sketchy info, ignores tenants rights, and flat out seems to support them. As well as having hugely outdated info on deposits!

I think the EA angle may be best...

k1ngston

*Robin* wrote: »

I'm a landlord and I think it's appalling!

I should have said SOME LLs - there are plenty who are excellent. My LL threatened to kick me out when he thought I hadn't paid my rent in the midst of a dispute over damp (I had and on time, he just hadn't checked his bank account that day). Instead of calling me to check he sent me a text suggesting that if my way of resolving the dispute was to not pay I should move out immediately.

I suppose my point is that situtuations like this can be just business for the LLs and LAs but as the tenant that is your home at risk. You don't get to chalk it up to a bad day at the office and forget about it.

@Marlie: Don't feel bad about doing what was the right thing for you in your situation. It is very easy for us to be brave from behind our computers. Best of luck with your move and saving for a place.

RobertoMoir

marliepanda wrote: »

Anyway I personally showed the viewers round. I did not let him in after the initial inspection. Yes I know I probably shouldnt have done this either but when Ive had very little back up from the police and the council its difficult. I made sure to point out that the reason my bike was in the bedroom is because the bike store keeps getting broken into!

Anyway I am sorry to those who wanted me to completely tell them where to go but I see now how little back up from anyone in authority that tenants get.

I have handed them a letter regarding viewings, stating who I do not want to deal with anymore and that all viewings must be expressly agreed to by myself. This was kindly editted for me by Ben and contains the relevant laws etc so hopefully this will be heeded. I have a copy for myself a witness to me handing over the copy.

I hope nobody here criticises you for not "fighting". It should not ever be about "fighting", it's about you or anyone else in that position having control of your lives. Doing what's right for you - no more and no less.

I hope you feel a bit better now that the moment of crisis has passed. It sounds like you've made a compromise that you're happy with (relatively speaking) with the agents, so hopefully you feel a bit more like you're in the driving seat again.

Angry_Bear

RobertoMoir wrote: »

It sounds like you've made a compromise that you're happy with (relatively speaking) with the agents, so hopefully you feel a bit more like you're in the driving seat again.

That's not what it sounds like to me. It sounds to me like a young woman living alone has been bullied by her LA and let down by her council and police to the point that she has let people she doesn't want (and is afraid of) into her home. Spent the last day in terror and now is moving back home and will "never, ever rent again". The whole situation is beyond disgraceful!

Oh, and Marlie, I don't in the slightest blame you for not standing up to what amounts to thugs and bullies on your doorstep. I very much doubt I would either! Hopefully now you will be able to press a complaint (I'd love if it was possible for it to be criminal ), without worrying about thugs breaking down your door.

tbs624

marliepanda wrote: »

I will follow up, but just from looking at the ARLA website its either sketchy info, ignores tenants rights, and flat out seems to support them. As well as having hugely outdated info on deposits!

I think the EA angle may be best...

(My bolding) Sorry, this one is a side issue but if Marlie's comment is following on from this earlier post in the thread

jimjames wrote: »

Looks to be rather out of date re deposit schemes too!

http://www.arla.co.uk/information/tenants/tenancy-deposit/
The best way for a tenancy deposit (bond) to be held during the tenancy is by the ARLA member agent as "stakeholder" between the parties (landlord and tenant).

Unbelievable that the Association representing agents is so misinformed!

then I think we need to be fair to ARLA.

IMO jimjames has perhaps misunderstood the term "stakeholder". See this from one of the tenancy deposit schemes by way of explanation

"Members must hold deposits, protected by TDS, as stakeholder. This is to prevent the deposit being paid to either the landlord or tenant without the parties’ agreement. .............. The meaning of the agent holding a deposit as a stakeholder is that the agent takes responsibility for it on behalf of the landlord and tenant......"

An LA acting as a stakeholder does not mean that the LA is contravening the tenancy deposit regs

Painsmith solicitors also offer this explanation

Yorkie1

Glad to hear it's over for today, marlie.

I'd have come round if I'd known earlier.

In addition to the above advice about complaints, I'd seriously consider complaining to the council about the advice they gave to co-operate with a lying LA in the face of harassment and threatened illegal eviction.

http://www.york.gov.uk/housing/Housing_advice/tenants/

Cllr Tracey Simpson-Laing is the Executive Councillor for Housing too. Don't think she's much cop but she'd have to respond to your complaint.

HB58

I am so glad that this is over. I do hope that you are able to relax and enjoy your weekend now!