Right for landlord to not get involved?

binsno

I stay in student accomodation though by my own admission I haven't stayed there much over last few months as injured myself, I told flatmates and landlord but made it clear I haven't moved out.

So far lost towel and bedding a few months ago and asked LL in case he thought they were dumped as left them to dry on the bathroom heated towel rail, he said no and just speak to tenants.

I am only tenant left in house and was away last weekend and came back to find my cupboard empty and everything removed from fridge and freezer, what is the worst thing there is I had about £15-£20 of food in freezer and another £10-£15 in cupboards, I asked LL in case he thought everyone had moved out and he said everyone is still living there so just speak to them, I messaged back saying the property is empty except me, every door is left open and rooms emptied, cupboards are emptied and I don't have other tenants contact details, did he have them.

He isn't bothering to respond.

Not sure if theres anything I have power to do but the LL's lack of care seems a little annoying at the least even more so when I begged him multiple times over last few months about moving into one of the empty rooms due to my injand he informed me tenants were staying until last day of contract.

This isn't a rant as such just wanted some opinion on landlords attitude and if theres anything I can do about situation (outside of somehow getting other tenants contact details)

LandyAndy

When does the contract end? 30 June wouldn't be unusual for a student let.


Just because the university has gone down for the summer and the tenants have taken their belongings and left it doesn't mean the LL has any right of access.


The other tenants OTOH do have right of access even if they have no property there. Are you sure none of them have been back?

gettingtheresometime

Are you staying on?


Could the other tenants have had a cleaner in and the food has simply been cleared up ?


The point about the empty rooms is that even though they are empty, the tenant would still have been responsible for the room until the end of their contract so had you damaged the room in any way they would have been responsible.


tbh if I was the landlord I wouldn't want to get involved in what sounds like a potential dispute between tenants.


Time to put this one down to experience

Guest101

How are you renting? Joint contracts or each with their own?

G_M

What is your contract?

A tenancy in your name only, with exclusive use of your room?
A joint tenancy in the names of all the occupants?
What is the start/end date of your tenancy?
Do the other occupants have different start/end dates?
Is this an HMO?

AnotherJoe

binsno wrote: »

I stay in student accomodation though by my own admission I haven't stayed there much over last few months as injured myself, I told flatmates and landlord but made it clear I haven't moved out.

So far lost towel and bedding a few months ago and asked LL in case he thought they were dumped as left them to dry on the bathroom heated towel rail, he said no and just speak to tenants.

I am only tenant left in house and was away last weekend and came back to find my cupboard empty and everything removed from fridge and freezer, what is the worst thing there is I had about £15-£20 of food in freezer and another £10-£15 in cupboards, I asked LL in case he thought everyone had moved out and he said everyone is still living there so just speak to them, I messaged back saying the property is empty except me, every door is left open and rooms emptied, cupboards are emptied and I don't have other tenants contact details, did he have them.

He isn't bothering to respond. I dont blame him

Not sure if theres anything I have power to do but the LL's lack of care seems a little annoying at the least even more so when I begged him multiple times over last few months about moving into one of the empty rooms due to my injand he informed me tenants were staying until last day of contract.

This isn't a rant as such just wanted some opinion on landlords attitude and if theres anything I can do about situation (outside of somehow getting other tenants contact details)

Its not at all clear to me what you expect the Ll to do. Chase up the other tenants and ask them who took the towel and food?

Most likely the tenants decided they should get the place cleaned so as not to incur charges, you havent been there for weeks so it seemed a reasonable assumption on their part that you'd left so they dumped the food you'd left in the fridge for weeks plus a towel left for weeks as well.

binsno

Strange rewording of title, anyway yes I know about right of access and all that but LL claimed tenants told him they planned to stay on till end of contract which is 14th July, many live over 100 miles away so little chance of them coming back, even during term time they went away for weekends as preferred being at parents.

But its not just that, I can't get into a potential dispute with other tenants since I have no contact details for them I don't even know their surnames!

I doubt they had cleaners in, nothing saying they didn't have parents round though who emptied everything without asking.

My other though is a few months ago I left a bottle of sauce in the fridge and it just passed sell by date even though it was sealed, found it binned along with a sealed yogurt pot which had just passed sell by date, the 2 tenants that did it claimed there was a smell from fridge and they assumed since the (sealed) items were out of date it was them, did annoy me as they had butter in fridge for months, and veg in there for weeks untouched yet assumed it was my sealed food that did it.

I can't afford to replace the food, due to the injury I am out of work and may have to drop out so may have to go on disability benefits but unable to until September, even as is I spent about £10 a week on food.

G_M

You've not answered the questions asked, however your options seem to be:

* discus the missing items with other occupants if you can find them - they will deny all knowledge
* discus the missing items with landlord - he has denied all knowledge
* report theft of missing items to police - I doubt they'll take much action, but even if they interviewed the LL and/or other occupants, they'd all deny all knowledge
* claim on your contents insurance
* sue either the other occupants and/or LL via the civil courts. You'll need evidence of who took the items

Guest101

binsno wrote: »

Strange rewording of title, anyway yes I know about right of access - that isn't an issue. not sure why you brought it up, almost a template reply. and all that but LL claimed tenants told him they planned to stay on till end of contract which is 14th July - They may well do, its none of your business where they physically are. , many live over 100 miles away so little chance of them coming back, even during term time they went away for weekends as preferred being at parents. - 1: what kind of students are these? and 2: irrelevant

But its not just that, I can't get into a potential dispute with other tenants since I have no contact details for them I don't even know their surnames! - Well if you bother to answer either mine or G_Ms question that might help!

I doubt they had cleaners in, nothing saying they didn't have parents round though who emptied everything without asking. - It's £40, get over it

My other though is a few months ago I left a bottle of sauce in the fridge and it just passed sell by date even though it was sealed, found it binned along with a sealed yogurt pot which had just passed sell by date, the 2 tenants that did it claimed there was a smell from fridge and they assumed since the (sealed) items were out of date it was them, did annoy me as they had butter in fridge for months, and veg in there for weeks untouched yet assumed it was my sealed food that did it. - Right....

I can't afford to replace the food - well better start dieting, because any court claim would take you several months , due to the injury I am out of work and may have to drop out so may have to go on disability benefits but unable to until September, even as is I spent about £10 a week on food.

Google a local foodbank if you're actually without any money

binsno

G_M wrote: »

What is your contract?

A tenancy in your name only, with exclusive use of your room?
A joint tenancy in the names of all the occupants?
What is the start/end date of your tenancy?
Do the other occupants have different start/end dates?
Is this an HMO?

Regular AST or whatever its called, started I think 15th September exclusive for my room, ends the 14th July single contract per tenant and everyone has same dates and it must be HMO as 5 rooms.

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Its not at all clear to me what you expect the Ll to do. Chase up the other tenants and ask them who took the towel and food?

Most likely the tenants decided they should get the place cleaned so as not to incur charges, you havent been there for weeks so it seemed a reasonable assumption on their part that you'd left so they dumped the food you'd left in the fridge for weeks plus a towel left for weeks as well.

Where did I say I haven't been there for weeks? Where did I say I left the towel on the rail for weeks? Where did I say the food was in the fridge, I said freezer. I don't want or mean that to sound harsh just saying I never said that.

Why don't you "blame" him, all I expected was a message like "I don't have contact details" or "I will send a quick message to ask them to contact you" rather than radio silence.

The property hasn't been cleaned that well so it rules out cleaners, burn mark on cooker that has been there weeks, fridge and freezer needs wiped down as crumbs in in, floor brushed but shoved dirt into 2 corners of room, sticky marks on microwave and their bedrooms have rubbish on their tables, sure that can mean they come back but unlikely.

I spent about 2 nights a week there when I was injured but it involved me coming to house, chucking clothes in washing machine, going up to room and quietly being on laptop, even when I was there full time tenants rarely saw me as I just came back from class and sat in room and often just lived off pasta or rice done in microwave.

Guest101

binsno wrote: »

Regular AST or whatever its called, started I think 15th September exclusive for my room, ends the 14th July single contract per tenant and everyone has same dates and it must be HMO as 5 rooms.



Where did I say I haven't been there for weeks? In you're opening paragraph, sentence 1: I haven't stayed there much over last few months as injured myself Where did I say I left the towel on the rail for weeks? paragraph 2: as left them to dry on the bathroom heated towel rail Where did I say the food was in the fridge, I said freezer. I don't want or mean that to sound harsh just saying I never said that. - does that make a difference, anyway in your later post you said you had stuff in the fridge

Why don't you "blame" him, all I expected was a message like "I don't have contact details" or "I will send a quick message to ask them to contact you" rather than radio silence. - Because he doesn't want to?

The property hasn't been cleaned that well so it rules out cleaners, burn mark on cooker that has been there weeks, fridge and freezer needs wiped down as crumbs in in, floor brushed but shoved dirt into 2 corners of room, sticky marks on microwave and their bedrooms have rubbish on their tables, sure that can mean they come back but unlikely. - It doesn't matter, you cant go into their rooms, You'd be trespassing, and they could legitimately sue you for any loss.

I spent about 2 nights a week there when I was injured but it involved me coming to house, chucking clothes in washing machine, going up to room and quietly being on laptop, even when I was there full time tenants rarely saw me as I just came back from class and sat in room and often just lived off pasta or rice done in microwave.

What do you actually want from this? End of the day, your options are outlined by G_M above