lift repair query

Fire_Fox

mike8888 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice; but when you say `write formally', does that mean a paper letter, or will my email suffice?
I don't know the identity of the landlord; I only have the letting agent's details.

Paper letter to the landlord, send recorded delivery or two copies from different Post Offices with proof of posting. You then have a paper trail if you need to take this further, they can use this to negotiate/ complain to the freeholder - if I was still a landlord this would really help me out. There should be an address for serving notices on your landlord on your tenancy agreement: you can also write to your letting agent and request the landlord's address.
http://www.landlordzone.co.uk/landlord%27s_address.htm

propertyman

I would seriously first try knocking on a neighbours door

" I rent a flat and have not been told about the lift being out- have you been told anything?"

olly300

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Have a supermarket delivery your groceries, they are supposed to bring them right to your flat door tho the drivers probably won't want to without a lift! There are often free delivery codes on MSE or it's £3 for certain time slots - if you order enough heavy longlife goods for two weeks it won't cost any more than going to the supermarket in a car or on the bus.

From previous experience Waitrose and Sainsburys delivery men have no problem using stairs as long as you tell them in the delivery details that you live in a flat on the x floor with no lift, but the other supermarkets do regardless of whether you warn them or not.

Fire_Fox

olly300 wrote: »

From previous experience Waitrose and Sainsburys delivery men have no problem using stairs as long as you tell them in the delivery details that you live in a flat on the x floor with no lift, but the other supermarkets do regardless of whether you warn them or not.

That's useful information. Here Asda have been fine when the lift was out of service but I am not as high as four.

propertyman

We had two 10 storey buildings with lifts out and the supermarkets would not deliver. We paid for additional porters to do the work ( med checks and method statements done) and one chap lost so much weight I paid for new suits.

On the plus side he said his wife had not been so "happy" for years :A

Kynthia

You can 'ask' for compensation from the landlord in the form of discounted rent but I strongly wouldn't recommend threatening to withold rent, especially as the lift isn't under the landlord's control. What is better is to write to the landlord, care of the letting agent if you don't have an address, alerting them to the problem and asking for when repairs will take place.

Do you know if your neighbours have received communications from the freeholder about the situation or is there a noticeboard where an update may have been posted?