Renting - Rights re: worn staircase carpeting?

TheDink

Under the Occupier's Liability Acts, the occupier, i.e. the tenant is responsible if anyone visiting the property were to injure themselves, for example tripping on loose carpet on the stairs.

Do whatever you can to get the LL to repair this as it is a health & safety hazard. You could try speaking to the housing department at the local council as they can issue repair orders if the property is deemed to be hazardous. I'm not sure if carpets are included in this though.

If you have an AST, you do risk the landlord simply serving you with notice though if you upset him, so as others suggested, it may be worth taking action yourself, such as in removing the dangerous carpet.

olly300

scrummy_mummy wrote: »

Legally a LL has a duty of care to a tenant in statute...this means that if any of the property owned by him and rented (including carpets) are dangerous, he MUST replace them/make them safe and failure to do so is negligent.
If you were to fall and damage yourself, he could be sued for personal injury/damages etc.
However...in the real world if he ain't got the cash, or the will unfortunately, there's not alot without going to court, you can do about it except get the rent reduced/move/do it yourself...which you have already done by using duct tape!
I'm sure he would find losing a long term tenant more distressing than a couple of hundred for a new carpet....
You could always try calling in the rent assessment committee...they would come round and assess your rent, if it was too high because the place is shabby, you could then use this to get the rent reduced with the LL.

The OP could complain but if the LL was being difficult he would just evict them.
http://money.guardian.co.uk/news_/story/0,,2102172,00.html

I knew a LL who instead of rehousing all his tenants when major repairs needed doing, or having the problems with evicting them basically let the interior of his properties fall apart. The tenants then moved off their own accord, he could do the empty properties up and put the rent up to market rate or sell them.

Mind you it seems that even LAs have problems with getting LL to do minor repairs-
http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/investment/article2030634.ece