Landlord not proceeding with repairs

Aliliva

Hi all! I'm looking for advice/ideas to get out of a nasty situation with our landlord, which is refusing to carry out repairs claiming they're too costly or he would be fine living with things like they are.
So, long story short, when we signed the contract we were told some minor maintenance issues were to be solved in the incoming weeks. Fast forward three months, and not only the issues haven't been solved, but we found other faults in the property that we missed at the viewing. They include things we couldn't check, as white goods in the kitchen and heating (we viewed the place in summer, and anyway the radiators not working were covered by pieces of furniture). On top of that, the apartment had't been cleaned at all, so we had to call professional cleaners for carpets and the bathroom/kitchen (they were in appalling conditions, I can't even think how ppl could live there before).
We have reported the problems to the agency and the management team several times, with emails, photos etc, but the landlord is refusing to sign and pay. Is there any way we can "force his hands"? The heating is getting a real issue and we are paying a very high rent for an apartment with almost no functioning electrical appliances.

Any thought is welcome, as long as it doesn't involve braking the contract or the law (say, by not paying the rent).

Guest101

Contact the council


- not paying rent is not a criminal offence, just fyi

Aliliva

We are definitely going down the route of complaining to the City Council, but will it really speed things up? Do you know usually how long it takes to them to answer and send an inspector?

Grenage

What about finding another rental?

Pixie5740

This advice assumes you are either in England or Wales.

What are these minor issues you have reported to your landlord?

What is wrong with the heating? Have you reported the issue to your landlord in writing?

What does your tenancy agreement say about white goods? Just because they were in the property that doesn't mean your landlord is responsible for repairing or replacing them.

The property didn't have to be "professionally" cleaned prior to you move in. You didn't have to hire "professional" cleaners you could have cleaned the place yourself but you chose to pay someone to do it for you. Nowt wrong with that, I pay someone to do my cleaning and ironing every week.

Since your landlord is refusing to repair the heating you can escalate the matter to environmental health. As your tenancy started after 1st Oct 2015 you have some protection against retaliatory evictions.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/repairs_in_private_lets/landlord_refusing_to_do_repairs

Pixie5740

Aliliva wrote: »

We are definitely going down the route of complaining to the City Council, but will it really speed things up? Do you know usually how long it takes to them to answer and send an inspector?

How long is a piece of string? It depends on how busy the environmental health department is and the urgency of your case.

As for whether it will speed things up well I imagine it would since the current pace is 0 mph.

Aliliva

Pixie5740 wrote: »

This advice assumes you are either in England or Wales.
Yep, definitely in England!

What are these minor issues you have reported to your landlord?
They include a window that can't be closed (broken handle and lock, we've been told) and some decoration issues (but we could live with them, really). We than found out that the electric system is partially not working, same goes with some lights, some radiators don't receive hot water (and the valves are open), another window can't be opened, the dishwasher is broken, the shower is leaking out and I'm sure there was sth else, but I don't have the list with me

What is wrong with the heating? Have you reported the issue to your landlord in writing?

What does your tenancy agreement say about white goods? Just because they were in the property that doesn't mean your landlord is responsible for repairing or replacing them.
The dishwasher was one of the highlights in the advert itself and we specifically got for this slightly more expensive apt cause it was supposed to have all the electricals in place. We never used it, it was already broken the first time I tried to run it, and the landlord admitted it but said he didn't see the problem, given that he never uses it.

The property didn't have to be "professionally" cleaned prior to you move in. You didn't have to hire "professional" cleaners you could have cleaned the place yourself but you chose to pay someone to do it for you. Nowt wrong with that, I pay someone to do my cleaning and ironing every week.
The carpets were stained so badly that no normal household product could help. We should have checked better when viewing, but the stains were mostly covered pieces of furniture and other clutter, so they got revealed only when the place got emptied as we moved in! And I'm aware that professional cleaning is not always mandatory, but at least emptying the garbage should be :mad:

Since your landlord is refusing to repair the heating you can escalate the matter to environmental health. As your tenancy started after 1st Oct 2015 you have some protection against retaliatory evictions.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/repairs_in_private_lets/landlord_refusing_to_do_repairs

Thank you for the link, that whole site looks very helpful!

Aliliva

Grenage wrote: »

What about finding another rental?

We're bound by contract for 1 year, unless the landlord agrees on releasing us earlier.


PS: I'm sooo looking forward for the day I have a deposit big enough to free me from renting! Hopefully only one year of savings and I might make it :T

ToasterScheme

Just a simple suggestion for a common problem with rads that don't turn on again in the autumn.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=57517195&postcount=28

Or bleed them.

G_M

Read

* Repairing Obligations: the law, common misconceptions, reporting/enforcing, retaliatory eviction & the new protection (2015)

essjae

Ok, so I would tackle this in a few different ways:

Heating: have you tried bleeding the radiators? Has your landlord provided you with an up-to-date gas certificate? If not then this is something you must chase up immediately.

Cleaning: You have paid for the professional cleaning without agreement from the landlord, so I would not expect to claim this cost back. What does your inventory say about the cleanliness of the apartment? Presumably it should list everything as it was before cleaning, so you will not need to clean again when you move out!

Dishwasher: What does your inventory and your contract (not the advertisement) say about the dishwasher? If it is listed as working or in good condition and you signed the inventory to agree to that, then you may struggle to show that it was not broken by your own actions. What does the contract say about the landlords obligations for white goods? Some may not include them. How is the dishwasher broken? Have you read the manual (search online if you don’t have a copy) and checked that it is plugged in / fuse in plug ok / water supply and drain correctly connected / filters clean?

Windows: The one that can’t be closed sounds like it may be a security risk – personally if my landlord was being slow about getting it fixed, then I would just DIY it or arrange and pay for it myself, as you may find that it might invalidate your contents insurance if you are burgled via an open window. The one that you cannot open – again is this listed accurately in the inventory? How is it fixed shut? Unless it is classed as a fire escape, it might not be obligatory for the landlord to fix this, so I would consider using my DIY skills on this one (though expect to pay for it yourself if you break it).

Electrics: Have you checked the obvious things like fuses / bulbs? Is there a recent test certificate for the system? Sometimes older properties which have been rewired may have left old switches and sockets in place which are no longer connected, but if you are concerned that the electrics are unsafe, then this is one which you should chase up with Environmental Health, and if necessary use Shelter’s process for having repairs done.

Decorating: Assuming that decorative state is listed accurately in the inventory, I would not expect the landlord to be obliged to do anything about this. You could ask for permission (in writing) to re-decorate yourself, at your own expense (unless the landlord is kind enough to offer a contribution).

For all of these matters, if the landlord is being slow to do anything, try asking for their agreement to arrange the works yourself, and deduct the cost from your rent, but you must only do this if you have their explicit agreement in writing. Else, follow Shelter’s process.