Landlord lied about the flat - how to get money back?!

MissMotivation

Debt_Free_Chick wrote: »

What does this have to do with any other landlord ... but more particularly, the ones on this site?

Didn't you know.....everyone is tarred with the same brush on here :rotfl:

macaque_2

D_e_n_i_s_e wrote: »

just because there are rats and bugs in a property doesnt mean its a get out clause! you have to try and see if you can do summut about the mice yourself and (traps and poison or even an ultrasonic repeller) to eradicate them. you must also give your landlord a chance to resolve the problem.

you are right the landlord should have fixed problems such as clean the carpets in the flat, exchange a broken window pane before you moved in and this is something you can hold against your landlord especially if its in writing.

personally I think you are being a bit too fussy and too sensitive and using the mice thing just for a quick bail out - if i was a landlord id try and fix the problem for particularly those promised but id definately hold your deposit back for loss of earnings.

This is a quick lesson i have a friend who had a simillar problem and yes she was in london and it was a council sort of flat (she in effect paid rent to the council who were twinned with some housing agency) anyway her phobia over mice and stuff made her complain they to the council they rehoused her and now she is living next to some druggies shes worse off saying she was better off with the mice!

one other thing as long as you pay your council tax, you do not need to tell your council you are a tennent etc as far as they are concerened you are the owner/occupier of the house, you pay tax and therefore they should help you.

It is posts like this that confirm to me that much stricter laws need to be imposed on renting. I regret this because the last thing decent landlords need is more red tape.

sooz

chillout_cat wrote: »

Thanks for all your opinions.
We are still waiting for a vermin guy or the landlord (I HAVE AGREED to bring the guy in, I just told her I couldn't imagine to live in constant fear). No news from her so far.

I have never raised my voice at her, she was the one trying to shout me down. And no, I'm not overreacting - try to write your posts with a big cockroach walking across you laptop screen or try to sleep with a bunch of mice having a party in your wardrobe. Guys - we have been eating bread for dinner for a week now because we cannot cook anything in the kitchen!!!

For a time being we have decided to give a month notice although I know I'm going to be completelly knackered and neurotic.

Do you realise that although you can give a month's notice, it cannot expire before the end of your fixed term?

You may find that the LL tries to charge you her 'reasonable' reletting costs, which may include another 6-12% annual rent as letting agency fees. Check the small print of your AST.

PROFESSIONAL_LANDLORD

coal9011 wrote: »

"Absolutely Outrageous!"

A true "scum bag" landlord!

Other landlords on this site - "bow your heads in shame!" :mad:

I'll reply to your outburst in a minute !


chillout_cat I reckon 'someone ' knew about the problems in that property ! might be an idea to ask neighbours if they know anything about previous infestation in the flat, most other good advice has been given .


coal9011

I recently had a property back, the tenant kept a cat ( broke the terms of her lease ) the property was totally infested with large blood suckin flees, thanks to this dirty CLAT( not the pu$$Y the tenant ) this flat has had to have all the carpets and underfelt removed and dumped ! thankfully the property was unfurnished, its been treated twice , empty for 4 weeks while I monitor it for any further activity yes me ! (why me ? they're not my Fekking flees) I can't market it until i'm sure the flat is ABSOLUTELY clean


Now drop to your knees coal9011 and ask for forgiveness for spouting a lot of S**T

coal9011

PROFESSIONAL(Blood Suckin)LANDLORD:

You will note that the nearest words to profanities that I used in my posting were "scum bag" unlike you who used "C***" , "F******" and "S**T".

I don't care if you disagree with me. But what I do care about is people - especially professional landlords - who don't "give a damn" about the plight of others in our society.

There is absolutely NO WAY that you would accept - or allow ANY member of your family - to live in such conditions!

Of course someone "knew" about the problems at the flat. The Letting Agent and Landlord knew! .... but they hoped to get some poor tenant signed up and in occupation by which time it is to late for 6 or 12 months to do anything about it!

olly300

chillout_cat wrote: »

For a time being we have decided to give a month notice although I know I'm going to be completelly knackered and neurotic.

Have you checked that you will not be liable for rent for the entire fix-term until the LL can rent out the property again? In other words you will be legally forced to pay another 6 or 12 months rent as it likely they can't rent the property out again. Alternatively the LA could get you credit blacklisted.

If you not sure I suggest you talk to the private renting officer of your local council, they are part of the envirnomental health department. (Google them.) I suggest you point out your phobia of mice when you talk to them.

Also maybe you should get your local newspaper involved to advertise how "good" the letting agent's service is. Letting agents normally get of scott free from this kind of thing, and as you have a relationship with the LL it's best not to anatagonise them. (To put it plainly if the LL did chase you up for money through the courts publicising your problems yourself with the LL will not be looked on favourably.)

PROFESSIONAL_LANDLORD

PROFESSIONAL(Blood Suckin)LANDLORD:

You will note that the nearest words to profanities that I used in my posting were "scum bag" unlike you who used "CLAT , "Fekking and "S**T".

I don't care if you disagree with me. But what I do care about is people - especially professional landlords - who don't "give a damn" about the plight of others in our society.

There is absolutely NO WAY that you would accept - or allow ANY member of your family - to live in such conditions!

What I said earlier =
PROFESSIONAL(Blood Suckin)LANDLORD:

You will note that the nearest words to profanities that I used in my posting were "scum bag" unlike you who used "CLAT" , "Fekking" and "S**T".

I don't care if you disagree with me. But what I do care about is people - especially professional landlords - who don't "give a damn" about the plight of others in our society.

There is absolutely NO WAY that you would accept - or allow ANY member of your family - to live in such conditions!

what I said earlier = I can't market it until i'm sure the flat is ABSOLUTELY clean




Of course someone "knew" about the problems at the flat. The Letting Agent and Landlord knew! .... but they hoped to get some poor tenant signed up and in occupation

" by which time it is to late for 6 or 12 months to do anything about it! "

VERY POOR GRAMMA !!;)

real1314

coal9011 wrote: »

"Absolutely Outrageous!"

A true "scum bag" landlord!

Other landlords on this site - "bow your heads in shame!" :mad:

Erm, so was that supposed to help the OP? Or were you just exploiting their situation to vent your own (obvioulsy biased) "opinion"?

Perhaps anyone (although how will we know) that is a Landlord should have to make a declaration in each posting? "As a LL I do not agree with the unaccounted withholding of deposits, letting unfit properties, evicting without the proper procedures...."and on and on and on as "you" see fit?

But then again, perhaps tenants would all have to follow the same route: "As a tenant I do not agree with non-payment of rent without good reason, abusing and damaging property, crapping on carpets, expecting the landlord to come out at 2 am when the lights fuse...." and on and on.

And then, when the site is 99% full of statutory declarations, and only 1% of each posting is actually about the issue, you would presumably be happy?

Or would you like to edit your post as it doesn't achieve anything at all.

Feel free to respond with a sorry tale of how you've been treated, but don't expect me to bother reading it.

As for the OP, you can't expect to get out of the tenancy automatically, however if you can show that it was reasonable for the LL or the LA to have known about the problem, you might have a chance - see the neighbours.
If you can't establish that, you have to let the LL attempt to deal with it, by the reasonable route, which will include poison and traps.

lil_me

I can't offer advice on how to get the money back but I know the contract we have just signed with an agent they put the deposit in the tenants deposit scheme and the advance rent went to them as fees, so the landlady may not have any of 'your' money. Our landlady has none of ours.

Would also agree that you need to check that you will not be liable for 6 months rent even if you leave, I know we would be if we did that

Hope you get the problem sorted.

carolt

Can't offer any helpful information but just wanted to offer you lots of sympathy - surprised that so many people have been down on you and supported the landlord as at the end of the day you're the one having to live with the infestation, which must be really horrible. Hope you get it sorted, either in the flat or by moving. I know there's no way I could live with an infestation.

Good luck!