*Updated*Council billed me £6500 for work I didnt ask for? Rental house

tom9980

Maybe the council have contacted the wrong landlord i would contact the tenant and inspect the property ASAP

agrinnall

I think tom could be on the right track. I've never heard of a council installing central heating: they could perhaps condemn heating already installed but there is no legal requirement that I'm aware of that says rental properties have to have central heating. And if there was a problem with what was in the property then surely your tenant would have contacted you first? As tom suggests, contact your tenant and see whether anything has been done at all.

BigAunty

travelchick wrote: »

Today a letter arrived and it states that they served myself and my ex with an improvement notice on dec13 however we have never received anything?

If we are served with an improvement notice surely they have to send it signed for to prove we got it giving us time to repair anything?

Do they have the right to just go into the house without consent from us and without proving that they had made any effort to contact us.

I have never heard of a landlord being ordered to install central heating (though others pointed out that perhaps it was under safety legislation) as housing law generally requires just the maintenance of the existing infrastructure rather than 'improvements' per se.

I am not aware of the court order process so hopefully this will be clarified for you. I am aware that councils have environmental health units that undertake safety and hazard inspection of private properties when contacted by the tenant and can be forced to carry out the work.

Google the The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and see here government advice on how it will be enforced.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/7853/safetyratingsystem.pdf

I don't know the specific burden of proof required over contact. However, when it comes to landlords serving eviction notices on tenants, for example, there is no requirement to prove that the tenant has received the notice but the courts prefer that the landlord proves that it has been sent.

Landlords typically avoid 'signed for' delivery on the grounds that the tenant might be out, might not pick it up from the sorting office and will be aware what the letter will be about so will avoid signing for it. Landlords typically keep copies of their letters, ask the post office for a proof of posting certificate, send multiple copies or hand deliver letters with witnesses - anything but 'signed for'. So I wonder if its the similar case here.

travelchick

Thank you
Ill read that

phill99

I_have_spoken wrote: »

You could have installed C/H and written off the cost against tax. Were you using an agent to handle everything?

Thats wrong, its classed as a capital improvement and therefore, not tax deductible.

BigAunty

phill99 wrote: »

Thats wrong, its classed as a capital improvement and therefore, not tax deductible.

Would the cost of the installation be offset against a future capital gains tax bill if the property is sold?

Kynthia

BigAunty wrote: »

Would the cost of the installation be offset against a future capital gains tax bill if the property is sold?

Yes, but due to the many reliefs and personal allowances not every landlord has any CGT to pay. So this cost might not actually reduce their bill.

thequant

Ulfar wrote: »

No they don't have to send letters that have to be signed for on receipt, they can send them via normal post. If they have been sent to your address and they have have sent more than one, then claiming you haven't received them won't get you very far.

this is true, although it's surprisingly easy to prove or disprove whether letters have been sent in my experience because anyone fibbing is usually quite easily court out. Especially if they work for the council!


Best example I had personally, I gave notice on a council property and gave a forwarding address, and moved out a month later.


A couple weeks, later council wrote to me, that I had disserted the property and failed to give notice and a forwarding address.


Unbelievably they took it all the way to court, which was wrapped up in 2 mins when the judge asked, if he failed to give notice and forwarding address, how were you able to contact him so quickly ?

dimbo61

Plug in electric Oil heaters that you had wall mounted.
Cost a fortune in electric every week/month.
What 2/3 KW of electric each so £400/500 a month if all used for 6/8 hours a day.
Not allowed in a HMO due to fire risk.

G_M

OP still has not confirmed if this is an HMO or not.

HMOs have much more stringent regulation...