Student Flats - incomplete but full rent demanded

pmlindyloo

Have a read of this link as it is similar to your predicament:

https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/comments/4cxto0/new_landlord_hasnt_provided_most_services/

Willow2206

Thank you pmlindyloo - that's really helpful

Guest101

Willow2206 wrote: »

I am the guarantor and am also paying the rent each month so my thoughts and opinion are as important as my daughter's. Of course we have discussed the matter in great detail - she appreciates my support and I am not forcing her to do anything. As for the services, we signed the agreement based on the offering - plent of other student accommodation offer similar services. For them not to be provided is mis-representation.

Legally your thoughts and opinions are meaningless though and I think that was the point

pimento

Willow2206 wrote: »

Oh please - Chill out. I only wanted some advice not a lesson in legal terminology!

There's an overwhelming opinion amongst some here that children should be cast loose at 16 and left to it. I had the same kind of 'butt out he's an adult' when I asked for advice here when my son went to university. Ignore it. My son is 24 now and happily lives away from home but asks for my advice all the time and I'm happy to give him the benefit of my experience.

Could your daughter ask any of her fellow renters if they're also unhappy and perhaps write a letter between them? You could assist with the wording (if required)but she could sign it.

bitsandpieces

Can her student union help pressure the landlord?

The lack of lift could be a major issue for some - new student accommodation often has a lift to allow access for more disabled students.

AdrianC

pimento wrote: »

My son is 24 now and happily lives away from home but asks for my advice all the time and I'm happy to give him the benefit of my experience.

And nobody is suggesting that is inappropriate.

But the fact remains that an 18yo is, legally, an adult - and they are, legally, solely responsible for a contract that they have signed.

That is a simple fact. It is completely separate to whether or not parents who mollycoddle them and try to take over everything as soon as things get mildly complicated do anybody any favours in the long term.

sjbrun

To sort the Internet out, you can use the £50 to get a small box from ee that gets Internet from mobile phone signals, I got one while I had issues with my broadband and it worked fine, was £20 for the data I needed.

For the gym, this won't be used as much as she's climbing the stairs as there's no lift, and for parcels most places don't have one anyway, or it isn't a full reception, my first student flats advertised as having one but it turned out to be just when there was someone there and not guaranteed.

HouseBuyer77

Are there are similar blocks that don't have gyms/concierge?

You could look at the price difference in rent between this block and those blocks to get a market value on these services.

Perhaps you could also claim the cost of using a 4G dongle for internet for a month due to lack of WiFi (I'm assuming here you mean no internet at all, rather than wired only)?

What has your daughter's previous communications with the LL said? Perhaps a letter signed by as many people as possible who are living in the block asking for a refund of X where X is the rent difference between this block and one without gym/concierage + 4g internet cost + some small amount due to lack of lift would be the way forward.

It's best if X is based upon hard facts as much as possible rather than pulled out of thin air.

In the letter state the tenants believe the LL to be in breach of contract due to not providing these services (I hope they are in the contract if these things are promised but not in writing anywhere you don't have much hope. Advertising material can count as promising in writing). Maybe talk about how if this cannot be solved to their satisifaction taking LL to court will be the next step.

As above your daughter is the tentant so she needs to take the lead on this. Getting more of her fellow tenants on board should also.

HouseBuyer77

Oh and don't go accepting and full and final settlement til they've actually develiered what they've promised. If the promised services turn up next week then £50, if a bit low isn't that far off the mark. If they don't turn up for another 6 months then that's a different story.

steampowered

The best thing to do might be to go back to the agent with a counter-offer which you consider to be more appropriate.

If you don't get anywhere, the next step would be for your daughter to continue paying full rent write a formal 'letter before action' and then issue a county court claim through the 'moneyclaimonline' service.

It is very likely the landlord could give in at that point. If they don't, the small claims judge can decide what level of rent reduction would be appropriate.