Terminate rent contract early because of unexpected noisy renovation

an0nym

Cakeguts wrote: »

Are you saying that the works are going on in the house that you are living in now? Or are they in a different property somewhere that isn't part of your living space?

It's a house with 6 flats with some shop area on ground floor. I understand the works are in the basement and on the ground floor in shop area (shops have left recently and showcase is closed with plywood). The whole property is owned by one company, they're doing renovation. I'm renting one of the flats. There are no works inside at least that flat. Maybe some other flats are being renovated as well (I haven't met all the neighbors yet, I'm not sure which flats are rented besides mine but some if not all clearly are).

elsien

If you're out at work, surely most of the noise happens when you're not there?

an0nym

elsien wrote: »

If you're out at work, surely most of the noise happens when you're not there?

Of course! However the problem is my work starts at 10 and I wake up at 7:59 from the timer or at 8:00 from the jackhammer or floor scraper. In 1.5 hour when I leave for work I have a headache. Worse productivity and all...
Of course there is this advice to leave earlier but I mean it's quite not comfortable, I was not agreeing on this expensive rent to leave at 8 and not come earlier than 19. I can't even take a sick day because you might assume how you'd feel if you're sick already and also will have to listen to this repair not for 1.5 hours but the whole day.

I thought maybe it's illegal not to give such information while negotiating the rent agreement. According to this thread it seems it's not.

Doozergirl

Whatever happens, that type of noise is not going to continue for the full 12 weeks. At some point, they have to start putting together that which they are removing.

A trades working day is usually 8-4. It's unusual for them to work to 7pm! If they are, then there should be room for negotiation.

AdrianC

an0nym wrote: »

The whole property is owned by one company, they're doing renovation. I'm renting one of the flats.

Your landlord is the freeholder of the entire property, and the leaseholder of the flat you are renting?

an0nym

AdrianC wrote: »

Your landlord is the freeholder of the entire property, and the leaseholder of the flat you are renting?

I'm not sure what these terms exactly mean, I'm new to Britain, and I don't know how to check. It (the owning company) rents the whole building - both flats and shopping area - and it has notified me that it scheduled the works to renovate the whole property so I think yes it is.

AdrianC

an0nym wrote: »

I'm not sure what these terms exactly mean, I'm new to Britain, and I don't know how to check. It (the owning company) rents the whole building - both flats and shopping area - and it has notified me that it scheduled the works to renovate the whole property so I think yes it is.

A owns the building itself, and the ground it sits on - called the freehold.

A then rents each of the flats on a very long (99+yr) rental contract - called a lease - to other people. Those long leases can be bought and sold - which is what we think of by "buying/selling a flat". There may be a managing agent, X, involved in that lease.

B owns one of those leased flats, and rents it to you on a short (6mo+) rental contract - called a tenancy - which is what we think of as "renting a flat". There may be a lettings agent, Y, involved in that tenancy.

You have no contract with A at all. You have a contract with B. B may have only had short notice, via X, that A was about to start the work, and Y may have failed to pass that information on to you.

A might be the same person or company as B - but it's definitely not the normal situation.
X and Y might be the same company, but different departments within it.

an0nym

AdrianC wrote: »

A owns the building itself, and the ground it sits on - called the freehold.

A then rents each of the flats on a very long (99+yr) rental contract - called a lease - to other people. Those long leases can be bought and sold - which is what we think of by "buying/selling a flat". There may be a managing agent, X, involved in that lease.

B owns one of those leased flats, and rents it to you on a short (6mo+) rental contract - called a tenancy - which is what we think of as "renting a flat". There may be a lettings agent, Y, involved in that tenancy.

You have no contract with A at all. You have a contract with B. B may have only had short notice, via X, that A was about to start the work, and Y may have failed to pass that information on to you.

A might be the same person or company as B - but it's definitely not the normal situation.
X and Y might be the same company, but different departments within it.

I'd say as per my information either A=B or the one whom A leased long-term=B. B owns or long-term rents the whole building (or all of its flats and shop areas if there is any difference). There is X involved, it notified me. X 100% manages the whole building (there is the note on the wall right beside entrance door saying this). There was Y involved, Y!=X, they're not different departments of same company.

Is there a site one can check who owns what by address or postcode?

Your description is extremely helpful, full and easy to understand. Separate thanks for that.