Advice needed about rental situation

Houseplant26

Hi all,

I am hoping that someone may be able to offer me some advice as a tenant. Apologies if this is stuff some of you have all heard before.

There's various things not ideal about my housing situation but I will try to stick to two that I am more concerned about!

1. I live in a flat in a block on a terraced row. The fire alarm system is thus understandably set up so that if one flat sets off an alarm he whole buildings alarms are set off. We have a recurring issue whereby the basement tenants alarms are set off repeatedly and regularly, and then all are. In additon this tenant has not been given access (she would need a key to or stairwell) to the point at which alarms can be turned off. This means when one goes off I, as it is me usually, has to go down check she is ok and then reset the alarms myself (I've also never been shown how!). I was talking to her tonight after an alarm and she explained that she is not burning things more they are over sensitive and she is repeatedly complaining herself to our buildings manager (I think she may own her flat). She was told to speak to fire service but isn't getting anywhere. She was very upset so I do believe this story. I offered to email the buildings manager too. I am worried that nothing is being done and whilst the alarms going off and the trip downstairs is a big inconvenience I am more worried everyone in the building is becoming complacent and if there is a real fire will not know if I am not in. Not everyone checks first!
Does anyone know of any legal documents or terms I could refer to if I need to? Or where this could be escalated to?
2. I have been living with a leak, the second we have had, for some time. I believe the landlord and buildings manager know the cause now but that it is costly to fix due to by law requiring scaffolding. The lady downstairs casually mentioned that no one will help her yet they are asking for money for the roof. I have deduced that landlord and buildings
manager do not have the money for repair and are asking all flat owners to contribute.
Again this is being dragged out a bit. Any advice?

Thanks to all in advance.

Rosemary7391

I think you need to complain to your LL about the first one. If the building has a joint fire alarm system then it'll be up to the building manager to fix, who will do so on the request of your LL. Just out of interest, how does the basement flat test their fire alarm, as they don't have access to the controls? Does someone else test them regularly?

With the leak, it's likely that everyone in the building has to contribute whether or not it affects them. It'll depend on the terms of whatever agreement they have between them. It isn't your problem how they pay for it, just ask your LL to keep you updated. Joint things can take a frustratingly long time to arrange...

G_M

Since you are a tenant, I'm afraid all your issues must go through your landlord.

He, presumably, is a leaseholder and can deal with the freeholder or building management company.

Put all your issues in writing (a letter) and send it to the amed landlord, at the address provided "for serving notices". Ask for a reply within a week advising you what action the LL intends to take and when.

For repairing issues also read:

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

Since you say the occupants of the basement are also tenants (though you later contradict this!), the same applies, so they, too, should be writing to their landlord.

As a short term solution, could you not get your key copied and hive it to the tenant downsatirs? She could then at least switch off the alarm herself.

[Deleted User]

If its any comfort to your neighbour downstairs, I have a fire alarm that goes off quite often even when I am boiling vegetables, god help us if I cook bacon (dry fry it)! If kitchens don't have doors, you might need to consult the LL to get doors put on because of the risk of a real fire being ignored as you suggest.

I cook with the kitchen door closed, if I don't, the fire alarm goes off. I assume there is a sensor outside the kitchen, this seems to reduce the amount of false alarms. The same could be true of the bathroom.

It might be worth finding out what system is in the building and finding out what is a cause of the false alarms and how to prevent them (like with me, keeping the kitchen door closed - maybe have a meeting with the other tenants). I'm not sure the sensitivity of the sensors can be decreased, but maybe they can (you might have to contact the LL to take this forward).

knightstyle

Often fire detectors are badly placed and cause a nuisance. If this one is going off so often write to the building manager and ask for it to be replaced with a ROR, rate of rise detector. This will not go off due to steam, smoke etc.

AdrianC

The downstairs neighbour hasn't been shown how to reset the alarm - but you know how to, although you've never been shown either.

I might be spotting a simple way to reduce the hassle...

martindow

Rosemary7391 wrote: »

. Just out of interest, how does the basement flat test their fire alarm, as they don't have access to the controls? Does someone else test them regularly?

Tius doesn't seem to be a problem as the alarm seems to be tested far more frequently than wished!

Does the alarm go off spontaneously or it the tenant doing odd things to set it off?

Houseplant26

AdrianC wrote: »

The downstairs neighbour hasn't been shown how to reset the alarm - but you know how to, although you've never been shown either.

I might be spotting a simple way to reduce the hassle...

It's not that they don't know how, it's that they hadn't been granted access to where the box that needs resetting lives, as it is in a communal space that they don't have access too as they have their own separate entrance.

Houseplant26

martindow wrote: »

Tius doesn't seem to be a problem as the alarm seems to be tested far more frequently than wished!

Does the alarm go off spontaneously or it the tenant doing odd things to set it off?

She claims it goes off at the slightest thing/spontaneously. My hunch is if she does any cooking at all it easily goes off. However I can only go on her side of the story!

Houseplant26

knightstyle wrote: »

Often fire detectors are badly placed and cause a nuisance. If this one is going off so often write to the building manager and ask for it to be replaced with a ROR, rate of rise detector. This will not go off due to steam, smoke etc.

This is really helpful thank you!!

I emailed the buildings manager ccing in Landlord and she has replied asking a third party to pay the flat a visit, I assume this is a handyman. I will await an update for now!

For those who suggested getting her a key cut - I would have but I feel like that probably isn't something I should just do of my own accord without telling buildings manager and other tenants in block.

Apologies, I did call her a tenant and then an owner. I think judging by the inside of her flat she owns it, it was incredible and she looked well established there. I'm used to calling myself a tenant and often confuse the term a bit.

pimento

Let the fire brigade come out a few times. They'll soon have a word with the freeholder..