Please can I have your help..

pnq06

Firstly I am not sure if this is the right section so apologies in advance if it isn't

I would like to make a compensation claim against a company that the previous letting agents used to clean the carpets of the property I am currently renting (confusing hey!!!).

Basically they left the carpets soaking wet in the main bedroom which resulted in a mould fest and after having george wimpy, my letting agent and environmental health around we all came to the conclusion that running a dehumidifier will be the best way to go until the carpets dry...

Thing is, it has now been running solid for 10 days and is still making great progress so we can't reduce usage of it just yet, but whilst we are using it constantly it is costing US around 10p an hour which is adding up to be a massive electricity bill which in my opinion we should not be responsible for as we have only been here 8 weeks....

How would I go about claiming? And who would I go to?

Many Thanks as always for listening to my ramblings on

Loretta

You are making this too complicated. You would make a claim against your Landlord or current letting Agent because of this.

They in turn would have a claim against the cleaning company or any one else they think may be respoinsible. You have not had dealings with the cleaning company and you did not have a contract with them

Perhaps the owner should claim from his insurance company and let them decide what they are going to do about it and who is responsible.

You have a contract with either your Landlord or Letting Agent, no one else

pnq06

Hi there,

Thanks for the reply...

My letting agents (who are right twants at the best of times!!!) seem to think that it will have nothing to do with them as they were not responsible for having the cleaning company come in.. They have even provided me with the address of the last letting agents so I assumed that they are extremely confident that it has nothing to do with them!!!

Do you have any ideas of how I should go about it?

So sorry but I am rubbish at stuff like this!!!!

geordie_joe

I would have thought that if you originally rented the property from the previous letting agent then it them you should deal with.

If you rented from the present letting agent then it's them you deal with, as they let it to you in that condition.

pnq06

But what if their reply is- "We was unaware"

Which they were aware as they knew it had been cleaned and painted over but I can't prove that and now their reply is "We were unaware".

Is there anywhere I can get legal help and advice without spending a fortune on a solicitor?

Thanks..

paintpot

You could get free advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau. Another avenue if there is damp and mould is to contact the environmental health dept of your local council. However, this will not endear you to your landlord. If the LA is not playing ball then i would contact your landlord directly. If you do not have your landlord's details then you can request them from your agent and they are legally required to supply them (I think with 21 or 28 days). What compensation are you after exactly, inconvenience or just the cost of the electricity for running the dehumifier. If your demands are reasonable then I would put them in writing to the existing LA (I agree that the old LA is not your concern and it would be up to the landlord to pursue them or the new LA for any error on their part) State clearly and conscisely what compensation you are asking for and why and that if you do not receive a satisfactory reply within 7 days then you will be contacting the landlord directly (or you could send a copy of your letter to the agent to your landlord as well informing the LA that is what you are doing) and will be seeking further legal advice in order to pursue this matter further (which of course you can do in the meantime) if you feel that strongly about it.

I would expect, from what you describe, that you should receive compensation for the electricity you have used and as a landlord would pay you without question as the problem was not caused by you. However, your landlord may be less reasonable.

geordie_joe

pnq06 wrote: »

But what if their reply is- "We was unaware"

Then you say "But you're aware now"

Not being aware is no excuse, what if it had been a gas leak, or a dodgy boiler? What if you had slipped on the wet carpet and broke your neck?

It's their job to be aware.

Loretta

geordie_joe wrote: »

I would have thought that if you originally rented the property from the previous letting agent then it them you should deal with.

If you rented from the present letting agent then it's them you deal with, as they let it to you in that condition.

That is correct

Loretta

pnq06 wrote: »

But what if their reply is- "We was unaware"

Which they were aware as they knew it had been cleaned and painted over but I can't prove that and now their reply is "We were unaware".

Is there anywhere I can get legal help and advice without spending a fortune on a solicitor?

Thanks..

It is not your problem that they were not aware. You are not interested in them saying they were not aware!

You are renting this place through them and there is a ,problem, end of.

They ma be able to use their 'not aware' argument with the Landlord but not you

When you moved in did they do an inventory? if they din't notice this very wet carpet in the inventory it was not a very good inventroy but that is their problem! They have a responsibility to you. If they then think someone else is to blame they must pursue them.

Tell them in writing that you have taken legal advice and that you expect them to resolve the problem without any delay. Do not get involved in complicated conversations involving people who are nothing to do with you.

Tell them in the letter that when the problem is resolved and that you have a final figure for your claim for colsts and compensation you will contact them again. Your costs are the cost of the additional electricity. Your compensation would include maybe the inconvenience of having a big dehumidifier and the noise it makes. The additional phones calls, including your time, trying to get them to do what they should have done without you having to nag, the inconvenience of losing use of the room maybe, the horrible smell of the mould, any damage to your clothes and belongings from the mould all those sort of things.

If carpets are dired out too quickly they shrink so watch for that you don't want to get the blame.

After the carpet has dried out that may not be the end of it. The carpets hould be lifted to see what is going on underneath. If the carpet was left very wet, the underlay could also be wet aqnd the floor underneath could be wet. With wet and damp and the warmth there could mould growth on the floor underneath, great conditions for growing mushrooms! When the carpet is lifted it may be best to have new underlay and the dehumidifier should then run for a few more days to dry the floor out, whether it is wood or concrete and then it should be washed with Jeyes Fluid to make sure all mould grown is killed and then the floor left for a few more days to dry in the air.

Just drying the carpet is only half the problem. You don't want to find mould growing through the carpet and a horrible smell in 6 months time when this wet carpet has been forgotten about.

I am sure someone could claim on their insurance and get this job done properly.

I do this for a living so I know!

pnq06

Thank you so much for your replies...

I am going to be brave and email (she never seems to answer her calls!!!) my LA in a bit to ask if they will consider paying part of my bill and for any damages..

If not then I will go to my local CAB.

Wish me luck!!!