Neighbour Claiming and Using the Same Flat Address

simply_dd

My partner and I began renting a flat from a lettings agent over a year ago and noticed on the first day that the neighbour had a plaque on their door claiming that their flat number was what the landlord told us ours was, let's say it said 10b but the letting agent told us we were 10b.

Since that first day we have asked the landlord to look into and resolve the issue.

We had issues getting our Gas and Electricity supply sorted as both our neighbours and us were originally with the same supplier under the same address. Subsequently they moved to a new supplier and took the address with them. We had a 6 month fight on our hands to get the Gas and Electricity changed to us, linked to the correct meter number and our names under the supplier.

We've also had an issue each year with having our neighbours names listed against what is supposedly our address with the voter registration.

Each time we contact the lettings agent we are advised this has only ever been an issue since our neighbours moved in (bought the flat next doors a month or two before we moved in) and that our landlord is adamant that we are 10b and not them. Are we legally allowed to see proof of address from the landlord?

The lettings agent claims to be sending them letters to get them to explain why they think they are 10b but they are apparently ignoring them.

As a tenant I don't really want to be involved in this and have done more than I think I needed to in order to correct issues with the voting register and our gas and electricity supplier.

Is there anything that I can do to force the lettings agent to be more proactive? Are we or our neighbours potentially acting illegally as one of us is putting down an incorrect address for all of our legal documents?

My other main concern is that one year our neighbours receive the voter registration information and get our names removed from the address which then might negatively impact our credit scores as we would no longer be registered to vote anywhere. When saving for a deposit the last thing we need is a ding on our credit score.

I am not saying our neighbours are in the wrong here because we have seen neither our landlords proof nor theirs and our neighbours are lovely people. We just want it resolved.

epinjy

You've lived there for over a year and it hasn't been resolved. Find somewhere else and let someone else deal with the nonsense. Seems like more hassle than it's worth to stay there as a renter. That's the quickest solution you will find most likely.

pramsay13

Is it not obvious which is the correct number / letter given the layout of the properties?

Usually there is some sort of order.

simply_dd

@epinjy

Where we live we cannot find another place at present that we would enjoy staying in as much (area wise) as we do for the price we pay.

We can't afford a nicer place just now so it would be unfortunately need to be a step down in terms of location which we're reluctant to do.

We are keeping it open as an option though because it is becoming very frustrating.

bouicca21

Download the lease for “10b” and see if it is yours or theirs? Go to the local library and consult back copies of the electoral register to find out what address was listed for each of the former occupants? unilaterally rename your flat as “10c”?

simply_dd

@pramsay13

The local council have advised that although people use a's and b's for our upstairs flats, they actually use left and right so there is no consistency between council records and what's on people title deeds.

If you stand looking at the front of the property then they should be an 'a' and we a 'b' which is how I'm sure others are listed.

simply_dd

@bouicca21

I've previously found a sold listing for the property we rent which showed that the boundary for the flat number we've been given is indeed the flat we are in and the grounds we use at the back and forwarded this to the council last year to get them to remove the other neighbours names from being registered to vote at that address but since then they have added themselves back on.

I don't know the previous tenants details on order to search for anything in terms or leases or any other paperwork. Not something I've ever had to do and not sure how to go about it in all honesty.

I was hoping I could find a copy of the neighbours Title Deeds to see what flat number they actually bought but again not even sure where to start with it.

ethank

Contact your local council and speak to the Street Names & Numbering department - they keep a master record of every address and should be able to confirm.

simply_dd

@ethank

Thank you, I'm sure my partner done this before and was told that although we use a's and b's the council use lefts and rights so they couldn't be much help but I really should give them a call myself and see if I can get more information out of them.

MandM90

You can search for deeds on HM Land registry - £3 will get you the title registry (showing address and registered owner) or the title plan (showing boundary of address) of any registered address.

mattvolatile

Ask your landlord to get copies of the deeds from the land registry, or do it yourself. Those will explicitly show what legal address applies to which specific portion of the property.

There may well have been a mix up during your neighbours' flat purchase and they've been given the wrong paperwork somewhere along the line.