Shared Utility Meter

dannys27

Ok, so I contacted the councils planning department. Planning permission was filed back in 2008 to turn the property into 8 self-contained flats. So now i need to determine if there are more than 8 flats and then it can be escalated to the enforcement team.

The landlord however is insistent that there are separate meters, yet won't show us where these separate meters are.
We also have a bit of a damp problem, surprise surprise, but under our conditions to let this was supposed to be addressed. I don't suppose anyone knows of getting out of their rental agreement via a breach of the conditions to let...

Either way, it's going to be a long, and possibly costly, process.. sigh..

CashStrapped

What did they say about the apparent lack of individual gas and electric meter?

Regarding leaving your tenancy agreement early, read this document

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/renting-a-home/tenancy-agreements/#h-ending-a-tenancy-agreement

I would also ring citizen advice bureau (as they recommend) for more specific advice.

Good Luck

[Deleted User]

If there`s nine or ten flats now squeezed in, it wont be long or costly to you.The landlord hopefully will get a whopping fine and destruction of his extra living spaces. Council enforcers will be out pretty quickly and they wont be bothered too much about the gas/electric facility. You have done well to find out about permission for 8 flats..now get counting. On the BBC "Housing Enforcers " prog with the bullish Matt Albright, extra living spaces were squeezed in even in shed affairs in the back gardens.. I ve never heard of a landlord who does nt know where the meters are, sounds like hes lying.

CashStrapped

How is everything going.

I revive this post because I saw a Dispatches documentary about the state of housing in London. It was quite depressing.

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/housing-benefit-millionaires-channel-4-dispatches

In one section, they showed how a landlord had illegally split a single incoming electricity supply (designed for a single house) to supply 5 "so called" self contained flats. The resulting set-up was very dangerous and the loads on the single incoming supply could get so high that it could start a fire.

Anyway, I thought it was relevant and you might be interested.

Do you have an update as to your situation?