Advice needed, HMO drug issues-long post.

Fawkes90

I'm hoping I could ask for some advice, as I'm not sure how to go about dealing with it myself.
I live in a HMO, max capacity-5 households with no more than 5 people.
To begin with, my landlord was following those rules. Then we started to have issues. Someone called 'John' moved in to the room upstairs.
Our food started going missing, communal cooking equipment to- meaning we couldn't cook as much.

'John' started causing problems, picked a fight with my partner in the corridor and pushed him against the wall. He was a drug taker, smoked weed- to the point where every other day the corridors stunk of the stuff.
When he moved out, a series of people followed-all of them took drugs and 'John' was still a frequent visitor.

Right now, we have six people staying here-though we have suspicions it may even be seven. And it's been that way for a good while now.
The latest addition, is 'Edward'. 'John' is still a frequent visitor, often staying over during multiple nights (Which is where our suspicions come in).
Since 'Edward' moved in, we get 'visitors' calling up for them. When they enter, they leave only a few minutes later (many of whom look on edge, and ...'shifty', like they're clearly hiding something. One person when I was coming out of my room to go to the toilet-hid in the bathroom and peered out into the hallway until I'd gone). We've even had cars park up outside the flat and stay there, and people constantly knocking on our door and trying to come in-thinking it's the room above ours.
And with everything else going on we can pretty much say with certainty that something suspicious is going on.

At least every Friday night 'John' shows up, along with one or two others occasionally. They spend the night smoking drugs, to a silly amount, and often hear loud bangs and noises up there.

As for my landlord, he has increasingly put the rent up, so far it's gone up £80 more per month due to 'increasing bills'-which is per room.
Long and short of it, we have a max capacity of 5 people/5 household capacity. All six rooms are occupied at least with one person, and the landlord has been told and is aware that drugs are around the property and so far has done nothing about it.

Sorry about the long post... I'm just really not sure what to do about the situation I'm in. I don't want to get anyone in trouble really, 'Edward' seems nice enough. I'm just on edge in the corridors now with all the stuff that's happened and going on. I don't want to be the bad guy but I may end up having to be.

spadoosh

When you say be the bad guy, how do you envisage that going down?

I cant imagine a LL will kick someone out who is paying their bills. I cant imagine the police will be that interested, weed seems to be quite far down their list of priorities. I just dont see the threat of being the bad guy as having a good outcome for you.

What do you want to happen?

I think you can solve all your problems by looking at somewhere else to live. I think that would be the most practical solution too.

sal_III

TLDR: Op lives in HMO half full of drug fiends and owned by careless LL who keep rising the rent.

Move the F out...

shortcrust

spadoosh wrote: »

When you say be the bad guy, how do you envisage that going down?

I cant imagine a LL will kick someone out who is paying their bills. I cant imagine the police will be that interested, weed seems to be quite far down their list of priorities. I just dont see the threat of being the bad guy as having a good outcome for you.

What do you want to happen?

I think you can solve all your problems by looking at somewhere else to live. I think that would be the most practical solution too.

Might as well close the thread because there isn’t going to be any better advice than this.

m0bov

Its a criminal offence for a LL to knowingly allow drug abuse to occur. All you can do is keep calling 101. You could also point out the risk to yourself as normally where there are drugs there are weapons.

edgex

Is it a council licensed HMO? Have they set a maximum of 5? (Are there only 5 bedrooms?)
If yes, then you could all contact the council. (You may even be able to report it anonymously)

Short-term;
Food - keep in your room
Communal equipment - presumably this was supplied by the LL, & is on an inventory list (that you & others have signed?) Every week, someone on behalf of all of you, needs to email the agent/LL with a list of what has gone missing, & stating that you expect it all to be replaced within 6 days. If the items haven't been replaced, then you add that list, with a reminder, to the next weeks email.


(The reason i've emphasised all is so that if the LL thinks about evicting one of you, then it forces his hand & they have to think about whether they would have to evict all of you & would it land them in expensive legal doo-doo. It would also mean that the place was nearly empty, & the only tenant that potential new tenants come across would be the problem one)

ReadingTim

Long story, short answer: move

Cisco001

MOVE!

After moving out, contact the council and police about it.
Don't do it when you are there for your own safety.

Fawkes90

I say about being the bad guy because technically the house is overcrowded with six people, and if I kick off someone is going to be kicked out.

And, we would move out, but that isn't an option at the moment for us.
It's a private rented place, not council rented.

sal_III

Fawkes90 wrote: »

I say about being the bad guy because technically the house is overcrowded with six people, and if I kick off someone is going to be kicked out.

And, we would move out, but that isn't an option at the moment for us.
It's a private rented place, not council rented.

You can't kick out anyone.

Re overcrowding with 6 people, you mention

max capacity-5 households with no more than 5 people.

Yet you appear to be living with your partner are you renting separate rooms in the same HMO?

If you don't want to be the "bad guy" and report the other tenants for criminal activities, what is the point in your post?

Pot smell clings to clothes, if there is (by your account) heavy use and stink in the communal areas, chances are your clothes will catch it. This might have detrimental effect if your employer notices the smell.

I don't know your personal circumstances and why moving out isn't an option. But personally unless I was hooked to a medical equipment in that property I would be out of there at first signs of criminal activities by my housemates, yet alone enduring it for what looks like months.

Andysandy

From what you have said, the house is a large HMO (5 or more people in 2 or more households, sharing facilities). ALL private landlords running large HMOs in Engand need to have a license from the local council. These licenses coming with several obligations for the landlord including anti-social behaviour by tenants, minimum room sizes, minimum facilities, occupancy levels ,etc.

If you can't move out, then you can pressure the landlord to sort out the mess using the stick of the license. If the property isn't licensed (it's easy to check on the council website) then you can get a lot of the rent you paid back and then find another place using that money.

What council are you in?

Fawkes90 wrote: »

I say about being the bad guy because technically the house is overcrowded with six people, and if I kick off someone is going to be kicked out.

And, we would move out, but that isn't an option at the moment for us. It's a private rented place, not council rented.

Fawkes90 wrote: »

I say about being the bad guy because technically the house is overcrowded with six people, and if I kick off someone is going to be kicked out.

And, we would move out, but that isn't an option at the moment for us.
It's a private rented place, not council rented.