Leak, but no contact info for landlord.

JuanBallOfWimbledon

I’ll try to keep this short.

We rent privately, no agent or anything. A few days ago my wife noticed that the wood panelled ceiling in the kitchen had developed a few small cracks (actually through one of the wooden slats). When I got home and saw it I suspected it was water related as the wood around said cracks looked quite soft. I got out the stepladder and upon getting closer could hear a definite dripping. Tonight this dripping sound above the panelling has become a constant, fairly heavy drip *through* the wood panelling, onto the top of the kitchen cabinets. The cabinets are too close to the ceiling to fit anything more than a Tupperware container and towel to catch the water, the biggest container we can squeeze in is spilling over within a couple of hours.

The real problem is this... we have zero contact info for the landlord. The address on our tenancy agreement and all other correspondence is an office at pretty much the other end of the country, that has been closed due to covid, since March last year. The only phone number we have ever had is for a relative of the landlord, who must be abroad as when we call it’s the ‘foreign’ dial tone and no one is answering. We tried to call when we first noticed the leak, and several times since, we’ve left messages and sent texts, but nothing. This isn’t the first time this has happened, a few years ago we had bailiffs at the door for the landlord and the ‘man in the middle’ was in the south of France. 

What do we do?? The landlord is not a reasonable man. He regularly threatens us if we ask for repairs by saying he has no money left for the house and will sell if he has to repair anything, and once had a full screaming go at me which involved eviction threats because I refused to pay for a £24.70 repair that I knew was his responsibility. Should I just call someone out? Can he insist we foot the bill if we do that? I can’t even check where the leak is coming from as the bathroom above is more of a wet room, with everything tiled in. I can’t turn off the water as the stop tap hasn’t worked since we moved in and is one of the repairs he’s refused to deal with. 

I can’t wait until we’ve bought a house and hope we never have to rent again!

[Deleted User]

JuanBallOfWimbledon said:

I’ll try to keep this short.

We rent privately, no agent or anything. A few days ago my wife noticed that the wood panelled ceiling in the kitchen had developed a few small cracks (actually through one of the wooden slats). When I got home and saw it I suspected it was water related as the wood around said cracks looked quite soft. I got out the stepladder and upon getting closer could hear a definite dripping. Tonight this dripping sound above the panelling has become a constant, fairly heavy drip *through* the wood panelling, onto the top of the kitchen cabinets. The cabinets are too close to the ceiling to fit anything more than a Tupperware container and towel to catch the water, the biggest container we can squeeze in is spilling over within a couple of hours.

The real problem is this... we have zero contact info for the landlord. The address on our tenancy agreement and all other correspondence is an office at pretty much the other end of the country, that has been closed due to covid, since March last year. The only phone number we have ever had is for a relative of the landlord, who must be abroad as when we call it’s the ‘foreign’ dial tone and no one is answering. We tried to call when we first noticed the leak, and several times since, we’ve left messages and sent texts, but nothing. This isn’t the first time this has happened, a few years ago we had bailiffs at the door for the landlord and the ‘man in the middle’ was in the south of France. 

What do we do?? The landlord is not a reasonable man. He regularly threatens us if we ask for repairs by saying he has no money left for the house and will sell if he has to repair anything, and once had a full screaming go at me which involved eviction threats because I refused to pay for a £24.70 repair that I knew was his responsibility. Should I just call someone out? Can he insist we foot the bill if we do that? I can’t even check where the leak is coming from as the bathroom above is more of a wet room, with everything tiled in. I can’t turn off the water as the stop tap hasn’t worked since we moved in and is one of the repairs he’s refused to deal with. 

I can’t wait until we’ve bought a house and hope we never have to rent again!

You do have contact information for the landlord as you have the address for the serving of notices given in your tenancy agreement. That address might be for an office that’s closed but a) it’s still the address for the serving of notices you must use and b) you don’t know that the mail isn’t being collected or redirected whilst the office is shut. 

If you call someone out (s)he will want paying for the work done. You can’t engage someone and then force your landlord to pay nor can you deduct the money from your rent unless you’ve followed a specific series of actions, step 1 being writing to the address for the serving of notices given in your tenancy agreement. 

In your situation I would send the letter to the address for the serving of notices give in your tenancy agreement even if I thought it was going to be fruitless and then I’d escalate the leak to the council. 

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/what_to_do_if_your_private_landlord_wont_do_repairs

JuanBallOfWimbledon

Lover_of_Lycra said:

You do have contact information for the landlord as you have the address for the serving of notices given in your tenancy agreement. That address might be for an office that’s closed but a) it’s still the address for the serving of notices you must use and b) you don’t know that the mail isn’t being collected or redirected whilst the office is shut. 

If you call someone out (s)he will want paying for the work done. You can’t engage someone and then force your landlord to pay nor can you deduct the money from your rent unless you’ve followed a specific series of actions, step 2 being writing to the address for the serving of notices given in your tenancy agreement. 

In your situation I would send the letter to the address for the serving of notices give in your tenancy agreement even if I thought it was going to be fruitless and then I’d escalate the leak to the council. 

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/what_to_do_if_your_private_landlord_wont_do_repairs

This is great advice, thank you. I just feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. We know he’ll be furious if there’s lasting and/or expensive damage from the leak, but he’ll also be furious if we do something about it. I know that up until March at least, post wasn’t being collected. We posted the new gas safety cert early dec and had a call early March asking me to send a photo of it as they’d not been to the offices. 

Regardless, I’ll do what you suggest and hope it doesn’t worsen the damp problems. It’s already like a sauna with this heat (a sauna where my wife has to take a daily antihistamine due to the mould spores 😬).

Really appreciate the advice, cheers. 

Marvel1

Take a photo of the letter and also take it to the post office for a proof of postage receipt.

74jax

I'd move. 

[Deleted User]

JuanBallOfWimbledon said:

Lover_of_Lycra said:

You do have contact information for the landlord as you have the address for the serving of notices given in your tenancy agreement. That address might be for an office that’s closed but a) it’s still the address for the serving of notices you must use and b) you don’t know that the mail isn’t being collected or redirected whilst the office is shut. 

If you call someone out (s)he will want paying for the work done. You can’t engage someone and then force your landlord to pay nor can you deduct the money from your rent unless you’ve followed a specific series of actions, step 2 being writing to the address for the serving of notices given in your tenancy agreement. 

In your situation I would send the letter to the address for the serving of notices give in your tenancy agreement even if I thought it was going to be fruitless and then I’d escalate the leak to the council. 

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/what_to_do_if_your_private_landlord_wont_do_repairs

This is great advice, thank you. I just feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. We know he’ll be furious if there’s lasting and/or expensive damage from the leak, but he’ll also be furious if we do something about it. I know that up until March at least, post wasn’t being collected. We posted the new gas safety cert early dec and had a call early March asking me to send a photo of it as they’d not been to the offices. 

Regardless, I’ll do what you suggest and hope it doesn’t worsen the damp problems. It’s already like a sauna with this heat (a sauna where my wife has to take a daily antihistamine due to the mould spores 😬).

Really appreciate the advice, cheers. 

Assuming your user name includes where you live then Merton Council does have a history of taking rogue landlords to task. 

https://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/19359606.rogue-landlord-fined-failings-mitcham/

If you signed a tenancy agreement from 20th March 2019 you can also use the ‘Fit for Habitation’ legislation to take your landlord to court. 

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/is_your_home_fit_for_habitation

[Deleted User]

74jax said:

I'd move. 

Moving costs money and there is legislation in place to help tenants like @JuanBallOfWimbledon. I know that sometimes it’s just easier to take the path of least resistance but if tenants keep letting !!!!!! like this away with shoddy behaviour then they will keep doing it. Hit them where it hurts….in the pocket. 

SDLT_Geek

If the landlord lives abroad then OP should be deducting tax from the rent at source.  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/paying-tax-on-rent-to-landlords-abroad 

theartfullodger

If really no address for landlord then no rent is due.  !

UnderOffer

theartfullodger said:

If really no address for landlord then no rent is due.  !

I guess if they withhold rent the Landlord will soon make contact pronto! 

user1977

JuanBallOfWimbledon said:

He regularly threatens us if we ask for repairs by saying he has no money left for the house and will sell if he has to repair anything, and once had a full screaming go at me 

What method did you use to get hold of him previously?