Wondering if we will ever move! Rental property - delayed again!

kodys_angel

Hi All,

I posted a few weeks ago about our potential new home having been raided by police a couple of weeks before we were due to move in. Well after reaching a stalemate with the LL and LA we agreed to part ways and got our money back for the credit check fees. :T

So now we have agreed to move into another property, lovely place, met the LLs, all great. La were efficient all the way. First month's rent and deposit all paid and cleared. Agreed moving date was today - contracts were all signed on Friday. 3 hours before our appointment to pick up the keys we have received a call to say that we can't actually move in today as there is no Gas Safety Certificate for the property...... :eek:

We're now stuck with a load of boxes that need to be shifted into the new place by tomorrow as there's nowhere else to put it. House insurance, car insurance etc has all been set up/transferred to the new place in preparation for moving today. Van has been paid for to shift all the large stuff on Friday/Sat and make a trip to the other side of the country and pick up my partner's stuff from his parent's garage.

Although a friend has offered to carry out the gas safety check and issue a certificate on the spot tonight (Gas Safe Registered) they have declined the offer and will wait for British Gas to do it. They can't get an engineer out until Weds and say it takes 48 hours for the certificate to be issued... So we may or may not be getting the keys at the weekend.

Obviously we're not happy paying rent for a place we can't even gain access to at the moment. Is it reasonable to ask for a discount on the next month's rent (first month is already paid up front)? Where do we stand with regards to cancellation fees for the van, storage of our stuff etc if we end up having to pay for it? We're waiting for a call from the LA to confirm if we can at least gain access to store our belongings, seeing as the place is all insured already...

Feel like we're never going to move!
If anyone finds my luck, please could you return it?!

Thanks,

kellyt86

That's bloody awful! The letting agent surely should have checked it first?

Now it's costing you money and uncertainty!

Unless they have obv concerns about the property I can't see why they don't give you the key and let you move stuff in as agreed?

Several times I've received a msg from the LL at current house saying he'd accidentally let the certificate lapse! Then take around a week to get a new one!

I think unless you get your keys on the day agreed they should give you some refund or compensation!

pmlindyloo

To be honest, if the LAs are saying that you can't move in as there's no gas safety certificate there is either a concern about the gas supply or they are not prepared to take the risk and are playing it by the book.

Therefore I suspect that they will not allow you to enter the premises even to unload boxes.

If this indeed turns out to be the case ask if there is a garage where you can store your boxes?

If nothing can be done and you have to cancel everything then you need to write to LA and LL specifying what has happened and asking for compensation to be deducted from first month's rent. eg cancellation fees for van/rehiring etc etc - in fact any costs you incur because of their incompetence. Work out the daily rent and deduct this also.

PS You have signed the tenancy agreement haven't you? Otherwise your tenancy hasn't begun and you may not have a claim at all!

Guest101

agreed with pmlindyloo, if you have signed a tenancy, you need to get the rent back for the time you're not there + costs for the move.

Otherwise you have a very strong case for court, and they know this!!