Student renting shared house

Jasp10

My daughter viewed a house in February this year (2012) with 2 other students, they were rushed around it by the landlord and couldn't look properly at the bedrooms because they were told some other tenants were sleeping at the time.
The house was full of their belongings and so it was hard look for any defects. Anyway as it was close to the Uni and one of her friends sisters had rented a house from the same landlord and so they decided to take it and a few weeks later signed the contract and paid the deposit.
On the 1st of September she went down to the Uni to move into the property and was shocked at what she found, alot of the other tenants belongings were still in the house, the kitchen was filthy, the smoke alarms were just lying on top of cupboards, loose electric wires were hanging from a ceiling light, the shower is filthy and full of hair with mould growing all around it etc etc.
She asked the landlord when the old tenants were removing their belongings, the landlord said ''just throw them away if you don't want them''. She ended up taking loads of photographs to prove how bad it is.
My daughter was quite disgusted and refused to move in her things in or to stay there with the house in such a state, she was in tears all weekend and wonders how she stands as far with her tenancy is concerned. She thought the house would a least be liveable and although I warned her she would have to clean it a little she didn't expect it to be left in a dangerous and filthy condition and that she was suppose to clean it from top to bottom to live in it.
She has now told us she doesn't want to live there any more and is looking for somewhere else and but I fear she is tied into the tenacy agreement and will still have to pay rent for the whole year.
Please could anyone advised me on her rights.
Thank you in advance.

Hump

Did all 3 sign the same tenancy agreement OR separate agreements i.e. each signed for a room. Is this in England?

Jasp10

Hi, Thanks for replying
Yes, all 3 signed the tenancy and yes it is in England.

Jasp10

I should have said all 3 signed the same tenancy, not seperate rooms.

Hump

Assuming the other 2 have moved in then your daughter should contact the local council's environmental health or private sector housing team and ask for a visit/ inspection (HHSRS - see http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/Privaterenting/Repairsandstandards/DG_189198)

This will get the 'unsafe' stuff sorted i.e. electrical safety, fire safety. However they will probably have to put their own elbow grease into getting the place clean

duchy

Is this landlord on the approved list at the university ?
What does the tenency agreement say about the condition of the property ?
Does she realize that it may be impossible to find anywhere decent so close to the beginning of term ?

If all three are jointly responsible for the rent does she realize the situation she is putting her friends into -and the possible impact on the friendship ?

Can she afford to pay two lots of rent anyway ?

Jasp10

Hi Hump,
Thanks for the reply, the other two haven't moved in yet. One is in Greece visiting family for the summer, and the other is in London and not coming back until October when the term starts. She has contacted the Student Union but waiting for a reply from them. She is also privately renting not via the Uni.
Shouldn't the landlord have inspected the property when the old tenants gave back their keys and made sure their belongings had gone before handinng the new tenants the keys ?
Also should there be a Carbon Monoxide monitor in the property these days ?