Agency and Landlord drama a week before i move!

LolStevo

I shall start at the beginning!

Basically, I started renting a property off a school friends parents in February 2013. On the 12th of that month i paid £595 deposit and £595 upfront and got the keys.

I then began paying my rent the 12th of every month up until my new job started in March 2014, due to the difference in pay dates i requested it was changed to the 25th of the month. It was all agreed and i continued to pay.

Now since the day i moved in i noticed damp patches on the walls downstairs, the landlord advised it needed to dry out for 3 months then would be redecorated. Months passed with no reply and no correspondence. I was constantly promised someone would be out and it would be repaired to no avail. 1 year in and i was now a mother of 3 young children, the youngest having breathing and chest problems in and out of hospital. I advised the landlord of this and the damp conditions were worse and nothing was done.

I have spent so much money on the house redecorating to cover the damp, had surveys done, spent time getting quotes at the landlords request. I have also had problems with the boiler since day 1 due to a massive leak and still to this day its not fixed!

The landlord came out around 3 months ago and said all would be sorted and checked around the house, a week later i had a letter to say it had been taken over by a letting agency. I now had to go through them telling them all the problems, a survey was done again and told every single internal wall was damp, plaster would need to come off and replastered before i would have to decorate.

A month later the landlord agreed to the works however i was informed on the thursday that work would begin on the monday giving me no time to remove or cover furniture and deal with 3 young children around a bomb site! I said it wasnt suitable and said i would leave the house. The agency were more than helpful and found me another property which i liked and applied for. I was then told i would have to pay £130 credit checks (even though i was advised i wouldnt having been a good tenant for over 2 years) then £80 to set up another tenancy agreement.

I am due to move on Monday 18th May and have had a call to say i owe 1 months rent due to changing my rent date. Where do i stand?

Its cost me so much money with fees, paying a man and a van, taking 3 days off work, needing new sofa and furniture due to damage from damp, as well as uprooting 3 young children and not being able to get them in a school near the new house meaning i will have to travel further to get them to school and me to work!

Am i being unreasonable by disputing this? The agency have me tied as they were transferring the deposit over but wont release it until i pay what they say! It makes it worse that my landlord and the agent are good friends

As if moving house with 3 under 4s is hard enough i have all this the week before!!!!!

Tixy

Hi

You may be better posting this in the House Buying, Renting & Selling

There are lots of posts on there about rent /rental periods / notice periods etc. Its not clear if/when/how you gave notice that you wanted to end the tenancy etc

LolStevo

Thanks i have copied it over!

National_Debtline

Hi

I’m not sure where you legally stand but it sounds like the landlord may not have fulfilled their obligations in terms of dealing with the damp and the boiler, which has meant you are now out of pocket. I recommend contacting an advice agency called Shelter as they specialise in rent related issues. You can call Shelter on 0808 800 4444.

www.shelter.org.uk

James
@natdebtline