Energy Fraud & no one seems to care

AfriendInNeed

Hi Everyone, I did not know where to post this, ive tried so many places for help, council, police, local mp, and many others to find you basically get fobbed off.

In April I moved into a shared accomodation, 1 of 2 tower blocks of student rooms,

Cheap rent but filthy dirty & badly maintained for years...

On 8th May 2019 the heating boiler broke down, so over 300 people, students, workers & people on benefits was freezing.

It came back on a few weeks in June, off again on again July, August 5th broke again and as of 26 Sept 2019...

It is still broke, We are in the north of England, it is freezing, no heating no hot water for hundreds of people, children, adults & elderly people.

Many people contacted the council & local MP, to be fobbed off, The council have sent over 100 people here who are on benefits knowing there is no heating & hot water, telling people, its this or nothing...

We tried to search the internet for help...

Can a landlord refuse to not fix heating?

Help for no heating etc?

Basic terms...

Then we searched for complaints about the landlords company...

To be hit with a bombshell of corruption, fraud & millions of pounds stolen...

The owner of my room & his family have been featured in the national press for years for doing international fraud..

Over £70 million pounds 2007 to 2010 approx and more frauds still on going in the UK in 2018 / 2019

We then tried to search the staffs names...

To find they had over 50 companies for fraud

They still have over 25 new companies now..

A website called the gazette came up, for companies going to court to be liquidated...

In 2017 the owners was taken to court for not paying their energy bills to gazprom energy for 2 years+

On 26th Sept 2019 Total Gas & Power are taking the owners to court for liquidation, at the same housing site, same addess, just the company name is slightly different... Same owners names etc

So we are all paying rent, gas & electricity to the owners / landlords

They have done fraud for over £70 million pounds

And they havent paid for energy in about 4 years +

This site has approx 1,000 people staying, as there are 8 buildings, only the 2 towers have no heating, the rest do, all are filthy dirty, bugs, mice, rats, carpets not been washed in 6 years, the council have sent thieves, drug dealers, drug users, child abusers, all sorts of criminals, as the owners accepts EVERYONE, no deposits, no references etc they just want your money...

They also own millionaire properties in London, India, Dubai etc & have a super posh British office in London bridge...

If no council, police or mp cares at all...

Then who will?

If my landlord can rob millions of pounds, doesnt that mean every business & home user then gets higher energy bills?

People are getting housing benefits & universal credit, and no heating... No services... Doesnt that mean the Government are being defrauded too?

We had a fire on 9th, arson, by the one arsonist staying, hes very violent to other residents, yet is still staying...

If your children are staying here going to Bradford university, would you want them to be safe or be around these people the council are sending?

I dont know what to do, but im freezing cold & tired of living in fear, im trapped, simply cant afford anywhere else at this time, i dont get benefits, my budget is limited

Does anyone know what to do? We have all the proof, even found the proof that daily mirror did not find...

Can someone please send this on to any authorities that might be able to help? Before someone else dies on this site... It might be one of your children staying here! 100+ drug deals every week, no one is safe.

Thank you.

boo_star

AfriendInNeed wrote: »

Can someone please send this on to any authorities that might be able to help? Before someone else dies on this site... It might be one of your children staying here! 100+ drug deals every week, no one is safe.

Thank you.

Of course we can't. Aside from the fact that you haven't said where you live, we don't have a horse in this race, so to speak.

I find it very hard to believe that the Police don't care about drug dealing, or Environmental Health about the lack of heating.

Also, it's not "freezing" right now, even in West Yorkshire.

Neil_Jones

This reads like a synopsis for a crime novel set in a dystopian society.

Something's not right, this entire post is full of things that if they are true the police are definitely interested in, especially if people die on the site. To claim otherwise that somebody dies from a drug overdose and all the police do is come along, remove the body and do nothing else (investigation? Seal the area off?) with regards to the site is something that might have happened in the 19th Century, but in the 21st?

Jakubk

AfriendInNeed wrote: »

Hi Everyone, I did not know where to post this, ive tried so many places for help, council, police, local mp, and many others to find you basically get fobbed off....

Thank you.

S10 of the Landlord and Tenants Act requires that Landlords provide the basics of Heat and running water etc.

In 2018 the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 became law, it extends S10 to include

In determining for the purposes of this Act whether a house or dwelling is unfit for human habitation, regard shall be had to its condition in respect of the following matters—

• repair,
• stability,
• freedom from damp,
• internal arrangement,
• natural lighting,
• ventilation,
• water supply,
• drainage and sanitary conveniences,
• facilities for preparation and cooking of food and for the disposal of waste water;
• in relation to a dwelling in England, any prescribed hazard;

and the house or dwelling shall be regarded as unfit for human habitation if, and only if, it is so far defective in one or more of those matters that it is not reasonably suitable for occupation in that condition.
(2) In subsection (1) “prescribed hazard” means any matter or circumstance amounting to a hazard for the time being prescribed in regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 2 of the Housing Act 2004.
(3) The definition of “hazard” in section 2(1) of the Housing Act 2004 applies for the purposes of subsection (2) as though the reference to a potential occupier were omitted

https://nearlylegal.co.uk/2018/12/fitness-for-habitation-a-thumbnail-guide/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/wales/housing/repairs-in-rented-housing/repairs-what-are-your-options-if-you-are-a-social-housing-tenant/disrepair-what-are-the-landlords-responsibilities-ew/

You could ask the Council to require that the estate area to require a Landlords to be licenced, if the Landlord fails to licence then rent can be recovered.

Coucil have the ability to ban Landlords, the first such case was reported here:

https://nearlylegal.co.uk/2019/09/banned-leader/

If you think the Landlord is not paying tax on the rent you can contact HMRC, they are currently proposing having Tenants deduct tax.

https://nearlylegal.co.uk/2019/09/hmrc-propose-to-fine-tenants-for-not-paying-their-landlords-tax/

You need the services of a specialist Housing Solicitor, if I were you I would seek some fellow tenants so that the case may be brought for all of them at once.

http://anthonygold.co.uk/

I would also be contacting the CEO of the Council and MP and keep on at them, suggesting that Council is actually complicit because it sends tenants there.

Usually your Local Council will have an approved Landlord scheme, from what you said in OP it is hard to imagine how this Landlord could be approved.

So that is the way to sort this, to go after what brings in new tenants and to sue them for breaches of L&T act.

[Deleted User]

From my own experiences I can say that a landlord would not have to provide a working central heating system unless it was in the T and C s.. So long as you had working electric sockets then you can use a 2 or 3 bar electric heater.
I personally have only had gas central heating when I moved into my bungalow in 2016.Before that I lived in a two up two down terraced house in unheated rooms apart from my main lounge where I used a small electric fire. I did nt find it a problem and certainly had super low energy bills to compensate.
Now I am used to the luxury of GCH I admit I would nt like to return to the old days.

Jakubk

It does not have to be a central heating system but there needs to be heating and hot water.

It must be kept in working order, most landlord jump quickly on this as fines can be huge.

S11 Landlords & Tenants Act

(c) to keep in repair and proper working order the installations in the dwelling-house for space heating and heating water.


Shelter is a another good point of contact

http://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/landlord_and_tenant_responsibilities_for_repairs

Landlord's repair responsibilities

Your landlord is responsible for most repairs in your home. This applies to private landlords, councils and housing associations.
They must carry out repairs within a reasonable period of time. How long your landlord has to do the work depends on how serious the problem is.
Your landlord only has to deal with repairs in your home once they know about the problem.
Their responsibilities include repairs to:

• electrical wiring
• gas pipes and boilers
• heating and hot water
• chimneys and ventilation
• sinks, baths, toilets, pipes and drains
• common areas including entrance halls and stairways
• the structure and exterior of the building, including walls, stairs and bannisters, roof, external doors and windows

Your landlord should also redecorate if needed once the problem is fixed.
Your landlord is always responsible for these repairs even if your tenancy agreement says something different.
Check your contract for extra responsibilities

Your tenancy agreement might give your landlord additional responsibilities for repairs.
For example, there could be a term stating that the landlord is responsible for repairing faulty appliances such as a fridge or washing machine.
If your landlord won't do repairs they're responsible for you can take further action
Landlord’s responsibility for health and safety

Your landlord should make sure that your home is safe and free from any hazards.
If you sign or renew a tenancy from 20 March 2019, your landlord must make sure your home is fit to live in throughout the tenancy.
Damp and mould

Your landlord must deal with damp and mould problems that are caused by disrepair or make the property unfit to live in.

Rats, mice and other pests

Your landlord must carry out any repairs needed to stop pests getting in to your home.
Gas safety

Your landlord must arrange gas safety checks every year.
Electrical installations and appliances

Your landlord must make sure that wiring, plug sockets and any electrical appliances they provide are safe.
Fire safety

Your landlord must install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms where needed.
Tenant's responsibilities

You have certain responsibilities regarding repairs and conditions in your home.
Looking after your home

You must use your home in a ‘tenant like manner’.
This means:

• keeping your home reasonably clean
• safety checks on electrical appliances you own
• keeping gardens or outside areas in a reasonable state
• minor maintenance such as changing light bulbs or smoke alarm batteries

You only need to maintain your home to a reasonable level. You don't have to leave it in a better condition than when you moved in.
Reporting problems

Report any repairs to your landlord as soon as possible.
Find out how to report a problem to a:

• private landlord
• council or housing association

Access to your home

You must allow access to your home at reasonable times if the landlord or someone acting for them wants to inspect the condition of the property.
You're entitled to at least 24 hours' written notice of an inspection.
If the time isn't convenient you can suggest a better time.
Repairs you are responsible for

You're responsible for:

• fixing appliances or furniture you own
• damage caused by you, your family or your guests
• any minor repairs set out in your tenancy agreement

You might have to pay for a repair problem you caused, even if your landlord would normally be responsible.



Your landlord could ask you to pay repair costs for things like blocked drains, pipes or toilets if you didn't take reasonable care to keep them free of blockages.


Your landlord might fix things that you've damaged but they can charge for this.