Can a Landlord do this

sealady

Just a bit of background first. We currently live in a converted flat. We have been living here for the last 4.5 years. The outside of the house and inside of the property is not very well maintained by the owner. Private landlord no agents involved. As an example there is no central heating only gas fire in all the rooms. No double glazing. Very bad damp problem in the whole house during the winter to the extreme that we had to purchase a dehumidifier in order to dry out the flat. He does not look after the property at all. Until a month ago we have been unable to use the garden due to a garage that was demolished and all the building rubble still lying around. He has recently revamped the downstairs flat and new tenants have moved in - they are going through a letting agent. He has installed central heating downstairs.

In the bathroom we have a shower over the bath arrangement. The shower is attached to tiled wall which is in against a cupboard. (Hope that makes sense) basically the wall is not a proper wall just a piece of wood that has been tiled. Over a year ago he came did the annual gas check and we asked him to fix the shower head as it's been leaking and continuously drips. He did not do anything about it. Recently there has been water leaking through to the flat below. He owns both flats. On our side there is no obvious water leaks from the underneath the bath, the cupboard etc. He now says that we are not allowed to use the shower until he has come and fixed the problem that was a week ago. I used the shower as a hand shower to wash my son's hair on Friday. He came around un announced to see where the water was coming from and basically said that if we use the shower even as a hand shower he will be turning the water off! Surely he cannot do this. The bath is extremely small and it's impossible to wash hair just using the bath.

Just to make things a little more difficult is that he gave a notice and we are currently have about 4 weeks until we have to move out. The reason he gave us notice was he want to refurbish this flat.

Sorry about the long post hope you got this far

BobProperty

sealady wrote: »

In the bathroom we have a shower over the bath arrangement. The shower is attached to tiled wall which is in against a cupboard. (Hope that makes sense) basically the wall is not a proper wall just a piece of wood that has been tiled.

There's nothing improper about that, lots of places are like that.

sealady wrote: »

He now says that we are not allowed to use the shower until he has come and fixed the problem that was a week ago. I used the shower as a hand shower to wash my son's hair on Friday. He came around un announced to see where the water was coming from and basically said that if we use the shower even as a hand shower he will be turning the water off! Surely he cannot do this. The bath is extremely small and it's impossible to wash hair just using the bath.

I have some small sympathy with him if he is actually trying to get a plumber to fix the shower and can't get one quickly. I have no sympathy with him if he just can't be bothered to get round to it. There is no way he can turn the water supply off to the property without it being harassment of highest order. If he is talking of isolating the shower that's another matter (but given the implied state of the place, the chances of having an isolating valve for the shower are slim).

sealady wrote: »

Just to make things a little more difficult is that he gave a notice and we are currently have about 4 weeks until we have to move out. The reason he gave us notice was he want to refurbish this flat.

I doubt he's got that bit right then. He needs to give 2 month's notice in the correct format and with the correct dates. Have a look at the Shelter website, http://england.shelter.org.uk/advice/advice-4007.cfm

clutton_2

what does your written notice say ?

zebulon

sealady wrote: »

Over a year ago he came did the annual gas check

What? you mean he came with someone for doing the gas check...???
Did you get a certificate?
and if it's over a year ago - then it should have been done again already...

sealady wrote: »

He came around un announced

:mad:
well in your letter asking about the gas certifacte thingy - you can mention that he has to give you 24hrs notice before coming

And of course as mentionned above check about the dates for the notice.

clutton_2

i suspect that the OP will be better off going to their local council private lettings officer and get them to write to the LL on their behalf.

Bungarm2001

Gas check should have been done by a CORGI registered person, not the LL unless he is of course registered. (I doubt it)

He has to give you at least 2 month's written notice as is required in the AST contract (assuming you have/had an AST or contract of some kind??)

Even if your original AST has run out and you are now on a periodic let, he MUST give you 2 months notice BY LAW. Take some advice about this..the website mentioned above is very good, or go to your local CAB if you prefer to speak to someone face to face.

I personally think he has treated you very badly and you should report him to the local environmental health officer at your local council.

I seriuosly doubt you want to continue living there with things the way they are, but he really shouldn't get away with this. LL's like him give the rest of us a really bad name....:mad: :mad:

Good luck...let us know how you get on.

PS I have no sympathy with him at all re the plumbing. It doesn't take that long to get a plumber out...you can get an emergency plumber out within 24 hrs anywhere in the UK pretty much. He just doesn't want to pay.

sealady

Thanks for the replies. He has actually given us the required 2 months notice.
What I think he is really trying to do is make life as difficult as possible for us until we move, luckily we are in a position and if all things goes well we will be homeowners at long last.

The gas checks have been done by a registered Engineer and he was in the flat to do some running repairs at the same time. That's why I asked him to fix the shower.

He will not pay for a plumber but tries to do some himself. No harm there but he is forever cutting corners and this leak is a continuous problem we've had for over a year. He will not admit that it's has been an ongoing problem. He will not try and find out where the leak is coming from he prefers to try and reseal the tiles which is pointless as the water is building up from inside the wall from what I can gather. If there is a short cut/ or cheap skate for doing something he will find a way. I have no issue with trying to save money but there is always a certain point between paying a little extra and getting the job properly
.

sealady

Bungarm2001 wrote: »

Gas check should have been done by a CORGI registered person, not the LL unless he is of course registered. (I doubt it)

He has to give you at least 2 month's written notice as is required in the AST contract (assuming you have/had an AST or contract of some kind??)

Even if your original AST has run out and you are now on a periodic let, he MUST give you 2 months notice BY LAW. Take some advice about this..the website mentioned above is very good, or go to your local CAB if you prefer to speak to someone face to face.

I personally think he has treated you very badly and you should report him to the local environmental health officer at your local council.

I seriuosly doubt you want to continue living there with things the way they are, but he really shouldn't get away with this. LL's like him give the rest of us a really bad name....:mad: :mad:

Good luck...let us know how you get on.

PS I have no sympathy with him at all re the plumbing. It doesn't take that long to get a plumber out...you can get an emergency plumber out within 24 hrs anywhere in the UK pretty much. He just doesn't want to pay.

You've hit the nail on the head. He does not pay for anything at all. I will not be holding my breath about getting our deposit back even though after 4 years a little wear and tear is expected he will probably not see it that way. In the time we have been here we've have had to sort out the damp/mold in the bathroom with his permission as he was not bothered about getting it sorted out. We've have repainted one of the bedrooms (also with his permission) as we were having family to stay and were embarressed by the state of the room they were going to be sleeping in. He has made numerous empty promises none of them have come to anything, I wish I had written proof of all of this.

southernscouser

sealady wrote: »

We have been living here for the last 4.5 years. The outside of the house and inside of the property is not very well maintained by the owner. Private landlord no agents involved. As an example there is no central heating only gas fire in all the rooms. No double glazing. Very bad damp problem in the whole house during the winter to the extreme that we had to purchase a dehumidifier in order to dry out the flat. He does not look after the property at all. Until a month ago we have been unable to use the garden due to a garage that was demolished and all the building rubble still lying around.

Why on earth are you still living there for? :undecided

Sorry, I don't mean to sound harsh but if it's that much of a dump then move. If you are willing to live in those conditions and pay the rent on time then as crap a landlord as he maybe, he has no incentive to upgrade the place!

Generali

sealady wrote: »

Just a bit of background first. We currently live in a converted flat. We have been living here for the last 4.5 years. The outside of the house and inside of the property is not very well maintained by the owner. Private landlord no agents involved. As an example there is no central heating only gas fire in all the rooms. No double glazing. Very bad damp problem in the whole house during the winter to the extreme that we had to purchase a dehumidifier in order to dry out the flat. He does not look after the property at all. Until a month ago we have been unable to use the garden due to a garage that was demolished and all the building rubble still lying around. He has recently revamped the downstairs flat and new tenants have moved in - they are going through a letting agent. He has installed central heating downstairs.

In the bathroom we have a shower over the bath arrangement. The shower is attached to tiled wall which is in against a cupboard. (Hope that makes sense) basically the wall is not a proper wall just a piece of wood that has been tiled. Over a year ago he came did the annual gas check and we asked him to fix the shower head as it's been leaking and continuously drips. He did not do anything about it. Recently there has been water leaking through to the flat below. He owns both flats. On our side there is no obvious water leaks from the underneath the bath, the cupboard etc. He now says that we are not allowed to use the shower until he has come and fixed the problem that was a week ago. I used the shower as a hand shower to wash my son's hair on Friday. He came around un announced to see where the water was coming from and basically said that if we use the shower even as a hand shower he will be turning the water off! Surely he cannot do this. The bath is extremely small and it's impossible to wash hair just using the bath.

Just to make things a little more difficult is that he gave a notice and we are currently have about 4 weeks until we have to move out. The reason he gave us notice was he want to refurbish this flat.

Sorry about the long post hope you got this far

Turning off the water would be harassment which is a criminal act. Even threatening to do so might be.

If you've signed a new tenancy agreement since April of last year then your deposit should be protected. Personally, I prefer not to pay my last month's rent (although this is breach of contract) but unfortunately Mrs Generali makes me these days. I was advised to do that by a very professional LL that owns a biggish block in Bayswater.

RMP_2

You could always have a major leak the day before you leave...if you know what I mean, ... that would teach him a lesson!