Going from bad to worse to nightmare

Tumbledown_Tammy

ok brief outline..

friends 6months assured tenancy signed 1st May 2012 end of tenancy 31st October 2012.

tenancy deposit securely deposited with DPS by letting agent

Octobers rent due out tommorow the 1st.....:eek::eek::eek::eek: she swung her legs out of bed and put her feet on the carpet and sploosh there had been a leak in the roof dwell rainwater from the deluge of last night, all the wall is wet and in her daughters room that shares the same wall the carpet and the bed that was up against said wall is wet too:o little girl keeps crying saying mommy I havent wet the bed poor wee thing....

Loose roof tile were reported in July, roof felt from the dormer window (dormer bungalow) split and lifting reported end of July ALL reports to LA in WRITING, two letters sent one recorded delivery, one registered post, both signed for, despite repaeated phone calls, and logging dates and person to whom she was talking to, no response from Landlord or LA, there is no way of contacting Landlord except by mobile phone number she has phoned repeatedly and left messages. There is no contact address for the Landlord on th tenancy agreement.


So they are staying with me, this morning LA said after finally getting hold of them, mop up the mess and we will be round in the morning ie Monday nearly 36 hrs after the event and more rain probably tonight.
Electric lights upstairs tripped the upstair circuit thing in the fuse box.
Have moved her furniture out of the damps way, took date and timed photos....and used the wet hoover to suck up the wet from the carpets etc all photographed and witnessed time and date.

Looking on Zoopla today, my last lovley Landlord has a property to rent, she has a viewing tommorow and can afford the deposit etc hope she takes it and tells this bloody old Landlord to get lost.

As she was in a 6 month AST tenancy which finishes on 30th October 2012 does she have to give any notice or does the AST just finish after the 6 months and can she just say ok enough is enough, and pay her last months rent October and just move or is there a minimum notice period needed here.
Also think she will have a battle on her hands to get her deposit back despite having photos dated and timed the beginng of said AST tenancy as she was determined to rent the place because of school etc NO inventory was taken by LA re condition of property etc on entry so Landlord will have a fight on his hands provIng it was the palace he says it was..


So does she have to give notice...she intends paying Octobers rent to avoid hassle and just move at
the end of the AST term and leave it all behind her ..he is an absolute disgrace as a Landlord and the LA well Im so :mad::mad::mad::mad:at there lack of response to her emergency, god knows if there was fire they would have probably have thrown her a tent and said the back gardens ok...

T

BitterAndTwisted

She can move out by the end of her AST at the end of October. Formally, she doesn't even need to give the landlord any notice, although it would be wise to do so IN WRITING as soon as she has made alternative arrangements. Meanwhile the rent needs to be paid tomorrow

Tumbledown_Tammy

hi thanks for the quick reply, she intends paying the last months rent, shows she has kept her side of the rental agreement and also gives her a more good status if Landlord starts his usual wrangling with outgoing tenants re condition of property etc ( hes well known for this:mad:)

still next time she rents she might listen to some advice...she didnt approve of me taking the photos when she moved in but when I saw what she was renting I did and am mighty glad we did now...

G_M

This post here explains what happens at the end of the initial Fixed Term (6 months).

Regarding the repairs, by all means report urgently via Letting Agent through phone, text, email whatever works, but ALWAYS follow up with a formal letter (yes, royal mail) to the landlord, at the address on the Tenancy Agreement "for the serving of notices".

Ask what action will be taken, and in what timescale.

Fire_Fox

Tenants are entitled to an address for the landlord from the letting agent under one of the Landlord-Tenant Acts, they are also eligible for alternative accommodation at the same rent if the property is uninhabitable which it sounds like it is - speak to Environmental Health urgently.

The letting agent may not be telling the landlord. Equally a leaseholder cannot simply fix the roof of a flat, the structure of building belongs to the freeholder NOT the leaseholders. Not an excuse for the lack of communication but one possible explanation for lack of repair.