Can I get a DISCOUNT from my landlords

martymcfarty

Errrrrgh! I just moved into my lovely new flat to find out the fridge doesnt work. SPoke to the landlords and apparently they knew about this before I signed the contract but they didn't do anything about it as someone had to be in the property for the fridge fixers to come round. Rather than going round personally they waited till I had moved in, AND STILL DIDNT TELL ME ABOUT IT UNTILL I CONTACTED THEM!!!

It took a week for someone to come round for which I had to take a day off work, and they say I need a completely new fridge fitting. I rang the landlords and he is on holiday till god knows when so I have no fridge untill who knows.

Does anybody think I have a case to ask for a discount on my rent? Do i have a leg to stand on if I say I wont pay any rent till its fixed and that I refuse to take time off work? Fair do's if it broke during my tennancy but it was broke before we even moved in!!!

Thanks in advanmce for all your help!

carpetbelly

always pay your rent on time... all advice I've ever read on here all say the same thing. But ask for some sort of discount, why not. You've taken time off to fix something that should have been sorted before you were there.

I'd be tempted to just go out and buy one and bill the landlord.

pinkshoes

Given that your landlord knew about this problem, probably knew that a new one was needed, and has now gone on holiday, I would buy yourself a new fridge, then deduct the money from the rent.

Make sure you get a receipt for the fridge!! (so buy it from a shop, not a 2nd hand one!)

Also make sure the people who bring the new fridge take the old one away, otherwise you'll have to pay for this! (or keep it maybe, so the landlord can take it away!)

martymcfarty

Thanks for your help, I have written to them to ask for money and will see what happens

PROFESSIONAL_LANDLORD

pinkshoes wrote: »

Given that your landlord knew about this problem, probably knew that a new one was needed, and has now gone on holiday, I would buy yourself a new fridge, then deduct the money from the rent.

Make sure you get a receipt for the fridge!! (so buy it from a shop, not a 2nd hand one!)

Also make sure the people who bring the new fridge take the old one away, otherwise you'll have to pay for this! (or keep it maybe, so the landlord can take it away!)

The LL is an IDIOT ( sorry an amateur )

Follow the advice you've been given and go out and buy the biggest american style freezer, you can lay your hands on, take it off the rent, few months should cover it ! then check out , www.rightmove.co.uk , guess who's moving shortly.

Bad advice given, what if the boiler breaks down ? and the LL takes off on holiday ! £1000 - £4000

Slowly,{very} we are moving towards legislation, like Rent Deposit Schemes, and LL registration in Scotland, which will rid tenants of these types of LLs .

martymcfarty

I know that they have been out of order but i do feel a little cheeky buying a fridge and asking them for money. Legally do I have a right to claim this from rent, or will they tell me to get stuffed? Still no word from them. A slightly more worrying this for me is that the estate agents who got us the flat originally are now ignoring my emails too!!! I have found out that they managed the letting last year but the landlords obviously decided to save money and do it them selves this time around, despite being completely useless.

Gorgeous_George

Such a lot of bad advice it is shocking.

You must pay your rent or risk eviction by court order.

You can claim for reasonbable out-of-pocket expenses. Ask your LA or LL in the first instance and follow up with a claim in the Small Claims Court if necessary.

Not having a fridge in November may not be seen as reasonable grounds for buying one yourself but that is your call.

GG

martymcfarty

They are back from hols now and sounded reasonalby appologetic. They are coming round on friday so I dont have to take any time off work to get the fridge fixed and they said they would compensate us for the time we had already missed off work (plus im gonna ask for general compensation too). I think £200 from our £600 rent sounds okay for three weeks without a fridge don't you?

Thanks for all your help guys, I love this website!!! I am in the process of opening my own bar in manchester and when its ready to go im gonna hold some sort of MSE event with cheap drinks for debt free wannabies etc etc

carpetbelly

1/3 of the rent off for 3weeks inconvenience. Tbh, I'd take that jesture as long as on friday you have a spanking new fridge

Gorgeous_George

martymcfarty wrote: »

I think £200 from our £600 rent sounds okay for three weeks without a fridge don't you?

I think if you were my tenant I'd let you go at the first opportunity. You are greedy and unreasonable.

GG

martymcfarty

easy mate!!! im just trying to get an idea. As it stands we are going for £150.

if the fridge broke mid tennancy we wouldnt ask for anything but it was broke before we moved in and they knew about it and didnt do anything to resolve the situation, or even tell us about it. isnt that a little unreasonable???

Do you think we would want to be continuing our tennancy with you after such treatment???

I did also have to book a day off work on a days notice to get the fridge looked at which is worth £80 of my wages, or more importantly a days holiday which is more valuable than the pay for me as I have rubbish holiday entitlement at work to begin with. Plus there is the fact that we aint been able to keep things stored like milk etc which is a proper annoying inconvenience