Does my FIL have any right to complain...?

moneybunny123

makeyourdaddyproud wrote: »

I also think the FIL engaged an Agent who is just as bad as the LL.

He didn't "engage" an Agent. He saw a property that met his needs and it was up with this particular agent. No choice in the matter.

To be honest, the agents aren't very helpful. When my husband rang them at 4.45pm yesterday to find out what time they closed (so he could pop in and speak with them personally), they couldn't give him a straight answer. They also told him "your father was here at 9.05am this morning!". His reply was "Is that a problem? What time do you open?". "9am" came the reply. It seems my FIL had disturbed their 'getting-comfy, brew-drinking' time before the real work starts.

I've just read their inventory, and it is filled with comments how the bath, windowsills, oven, hob, etc, etc, etc are "grimey", "needs throroughly cleaning", "filled with grease", etc, etc.

They have promised that the drains will be unblocked and the garden power-hosed. The rest of the house my FIL has cleaned himself.

Thrugelmir

moneybunny123 wrote: »

To be honest, the agents aren't very helpful.

The Agents aren't in a position to tell the LL what to do.

Hopefully if they are reputable they themselves will terminate their own contract with the LL in due course.

Yellowstar_2

I'd echo what others have said - report the drain problem (in writing), and then get ready with the marigolds and a spray bottle. By all means report the dirty state of it, but I don't think you can insist the LL do anything about it.

I really do sympathise - when we moved in to our current property a few weeks ago, it was filthy. Really disgusting. Just yucky-sticky-grimey. Everywhere. On every surface and every wall. The oven was disgusting, and the previous occupant obviously had a cat (I'm highly allergic) and has left cat hair EVERYWHERE. And that stuff sticks like nothing else!

We reported (to the LA - the LL is abroad) the inoperative boiler, oven that was on the blink, and asked if we could put up a smoke alarm (at our expense), took lots of pictures of the filth as we were never given an inventory (including someone else's waste caked onto the inside of the toilet - no this was not there when we viewed), and got to scrubbing it.

It was depressing to say the least, especially as we're paying through the roof for the property (it's in a nice part of town - we're very lucky in that regard). I'm still wheezing from the cat hair, and it's demoralising. But I think that's all you can do, and the sooner you roll up your sleeves, the sooner it will be done and you can get on with living in your new home (or at least, your FiL can).

Ironically, we met the LL a little while back when they were visiting the UK (having delt only with the LAs previously) and they did actually seem to care about their property, and were very fair and reasonable. I can only imagine that they had no idea the state it had been left in. I'm not looking forward to the day we move out because I wont be spending a lot of time cleaning the property, and the LL wont be able to take a penny out of our deposit (was given to us filthy, we have photos, they have no dual-signed inventory)...

Yellowstar x

tbs624

Am presuming this property is in Eng or Wales? ( If in Scotland LLs/LAs have to be registered and the property has to meet the Repairing Standard)

Has your father in law paid a tenancy deposit on this property?

The LL has 30 days from the day any tenancy deposit was received from your FIL in which to scheme register it and give your father the scheme's prescribed information (Eng/Wales) If Scotland, as the tenancy has started after 2Oct 2012, the deposit similarly has to be scheme registered and key information handed to the T by the LL, within a 30 working days timeframe.

He should note the appropriate date in his diary. You may want to tell him not to flag this up with the LL/LA prior to the expiry of 30 days because if the LL fails to meet his legal obligations she will not be able to serve a valid s21 Notice, unless she returns the deposit in full to your father ( or any jointl;y agreed reduced amount, and of course it is unlikely that any T in this situation would agree to deductions.)

Anyone can set themselves up in business as an LA without needing to be registered, trained, qualified, regulated, certificated, accredited etc (Eng/Wales) Unfortunately, some of them are totally unprofessional but you/your FIL should not have to tolerate rudeness from them: an LA ought to be able to deal with these sorts of issues. You may want to check in case the LA has voluntarily signed up to a Code of Conduct via membership of ARLA, NALs etc.

The concise suggestions made by Sooz are the best way forward IMO

If the LL fails to get on and deal with the drains issue ( for which she has a statutory liability) then you may want to suggest that your FIL speaks to the local Council's Env Health Officer.

For other respond posters there is more info in the OP's other related threads at:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/56337649#Comment_56337649 and

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4312893