rental repairs

ilovepoppydog

We have been living in our rental for 5 and a half months - it's due to go periodic in 2 weeks.
I am argueing with the letting agent that it is in a state of disrepair. The walls in 2 out of 3 bedrooms, the hallway and lounge all have severely crumbling plaster beneath the wallpaper (which is coming away from the wall in places).
There are already many holes (presumably damage from moving furniture) throughout from before we moved in that were never covered or rectified that appear to be getting larger and a dark brown stain on the chimney breast in the baby's room that is getting darker.
A damp specialist came out in November and couldn't see any damp (although he didnt use a meter) and said that it was an old stain but since then the stain has spread and is getting darker. The wall in places (especially that room) are so soft that putting a drawing pin in the wall causes the wall to crumble and leave a massive hole.

In addition to this there is 3 skirting boards and a door frame that have been water damage prior to us moving in and are now crumbling and falling to bits with massive shards of wood coming away for no reason other than it being rotten through.

There is a missing skirting board that has never been replaced and has grass and plants growing up and through it.

3 of the (single glazed) windows have been leaking and not attended to since reporting in December..

Our letting agent simply says, we have noted your comments and will put them on file and monitor them at the 6 monthly inspections (not due next one till May).

I would like to know if soft/crumbling plaster would be considered a repair that should be done by landlord or is it considered an improvement to replaster the wall?

They wont do any work on this house unless urgent. It is low rent (£70 lower than others in the neighbourhood) but that also takes in to account that the heating is storage heaters, and there is no double glazing. For the house also to be in disrepair makes me think they dont give a damn about the house or tenants in it.

I want to decorate and make it nice but cant till the walls are looked at/repaired and skirting boards dealt with.

This also happened in Nov when we reported the shower being either scalding hot or freezing cold. Without even sending anyone to look at it they said it was only a hose attachment to the mixer tap and that there was a problem with the water pressure as the water tank is on the ground floor. This meant that there was nothing wrong with the shower. They then proceeded to say that the property was never advertised with a shower and it was our fault for not looking at the ad or viewing properly.

I tried to argue that the ad didn't say there was NO working shower/attachment and that the shower hose was clearly on view at the vieiwing but they refused to even look at it. So we have lived with no shower either for 6 months.

If I could raise a deposit, months rent and fees I would move but we just dont have the funds even after trying to save for last 3 months (bloody car MOT took the savings we raised) so stuck here for foreseeable.

I would just like to know if I am able to tell the agents that the need to be getting on with these repairs and shelving them/monitoring them is not adequate.

Any help is appreciated.
Thanks in advance x