tenant unable to use kitchen

jemmiegal

Hi All Please can someone help.

I started renting this house at the end of March this year. We're paying £1300 rent. The kitchen cupboards are unusable - there is mould and damp in the wall, they're broken and there's mouse droppings everywhere. It smells so bad of damp, condensation, mould or whatever the foul smell is.We were told the place would be sorted and cleaned but obviously it wasn't.

The agent finally came round yesterday for an 'inspection'. So I showed him the state of it. The landlord claimed the first he knew of it was yesterday. And that he'd only put a new unit in last year. Then said his mother would be coming round with a builder yesterday evening. Then changed their minds and it will be today.

I mentioned that someone told me to get onto Environmental Health but the mother said it would be better to keep things 'friendly'. I take that as a thinly veiled threat, once the 6 months are up then they'd give us notice. The agent had also said not to get Environmental Health involved. He said the problem was because of damp with the neighbour's property.

So, we've not been able to use the kitchen to store foods, crockery, etc. We've been living off frozen food we can reheat in the cooker / oven, microwave food and fast food.

The agreement does say that if the tenant is unable to use all or part of the house then the rent payments would be reduced (or something along those lines). How do I bring that up? And how do I make it all formal now?

There are numerous other problems with the house - electrics, windows, locks,... I know, I was stupid to have signed up but I was naiive enough to believe them when they said everything would be sorted. My husband and I live here with our four young children.

Thanks

BitterAndTwisted

Put all of your observations about the disrepair IN WRITING. Include a comment about them having promised to rectify whatever they were before your tenancy started and how they still have not been addressed more than two months later.

Unfortunately, you are in danger of being given notice at the end of your fixed-term if you raise this with Environmental Health. To be honest, if things really are as vile as you describe I would be looking to get the hell out of there in any case.

jemmiegal

Thanks BitterandTwisted, does the letter have to be set out in any particular way? Or can I just write a letter as long as it gets the main points across.
Yes, am looking to move after the fixed term. Shame because the house itself is okay it's just odd that the landlord doesn't invest in it to keep it in a good condition. But I suppose plenty more mus willing to take it as it is.

BitterAndTwisted

No formal lay-out required. Just plain and polite English is all you need.

Unfortunately, there are hundreds of landlords who are too short-sighted, or too skint, to bring their properties up to a decent standard and rely on prospective tenants falling for their empty promises. Over and over again. And very often treat the tenant's deposit as the funds for doing whatever it is that needed to be done during the tenancy.

I sincerely hope that all of the mould and disrepair was noted on the check-in inventory which you signed when the tenancy started. And that you've received notification of which deposit protection scheme yours has been registered with.

AFK_Matrix

I would state in the letter first of all about how you have asked for these issues to be rectified before you moved in etc. And then list each of your problems in bullet point fashion so that it is clear and understandble.

And put on the bottom of the letter that you wish the problems to be sorted out within 14 days otherwise you will be forced to contact Environmental Health. Then it is upto you if you contact Environmental Health, just remember if you annoy the LL then getting your deposit back and getting a good reference from the LL could be a major hassle.

jemmiegal

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I sincerely hope that all of the mould and disrepair was noted on the check-in inventory which you signed when the tenancy started. And that you've received notification of which deposit protection scheme yours has been registered with.

Thanks, they've protected the deposit but there was no check in inventory. It was supposed to have been done a week after moving in but they changed it to the following week and then it was forgotten about.

Should I chase them up on doing an inventory? To be honest I don't think they cared less given the state of the house. I think I was just too blinded by the fact I had a roof over my head.

Turnbull2000

Sounds like you need to move, as banging on about will likely result in an retaliatory eviction anyway. Take a lesson from this and always ensure a property is up to good standards before moving in.

Perhaps move somewhere cheaper and start squirilling away some money. You'll be able to buy your own property with only a 5% deposit at a very low rate from next year with Help to Buy.

DollyDabbler

I would do all of the above, plus your local council should have an officer that deals with poor quality rental property in the private sector - it might be worth looking at your council services website and informing them by letter also.

G_M

Send the letter (yes, letter, NOT email/text) to the address you have been given "for the serving of notices".

It can be informal and friendly, butshouldclearly list the problems,AND thetimes you have previously discussed this with agent, AND any promises made.

Remember, you too can make thinly veiled threats! "Of course I completely agree with you that it is far preferable to resolve this amicably. I have no desire to take formal routes like Environmental Health etc. Perhaps you could let me know when your builder will be coming to look, when the remedial work will be done, and ifthe problem turns out to be to do with penetrating damp from next door, how/when this will be raised with the neighbour....."

RAS

jemmiegal wrote: »

Thanks, they've protected the deposit but there was no check in inventory. It was supposed to have been done a week after moving in but they changed it to the following week and then it was forgotten about.

Should I chase them up on doing an inventory? To be honest I don't think they cared less given the state of the house. I think I was just too blinded by the fact I had a roof over my head.

Oh good.

With no inventory it is almost impossible for them to successfully claim any money from your deposit :T.

Which rather tell us all we need to know about the professional competence of your landlord.

Did they give you the prescribed information regarding the deposist scheme?

I would be inclined to take an number of photos of the kitchen in is current state.

BitterAndTwisted

jemmiegal wrote: »

Should I chase them up on doing an inventory? To be honest I don't think they cared less given the state of the house. I think I was just too blinded by the fact I had a roof over my head.

No don't bother them chasing it up. The lack of a dual-signed and dated inventory will work more in your favour than it will in theirs when the tenancy ends.

I think you are right about them not caring less. I'm almost certain that they don't. All they care about is that £1300 a month you're paying them.

Give them a deadline to have the issues examined and their proposed remedies. If they do nothing, then get on to Environmental Health. It might not do you any good but it would prevent them being able to let the property in the same state to some other poor unfortunate