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Internet - Breach of contract

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Hello,
I am renting a property that includes bills, please see the extracts below:
"The landlord is responsible for paying all reasonable charges for the following: Gas,
Electricity, Water, Internet, Phone, TV Licence bills included"


"The Landlord agrees in the Tenancy Agreement to provide the Tenants with a
sufficient amount of gas, electricity and water, a telephone line, broadband and TV
licence."

In short, the property has no phone or internet, despite what was initially advertised and laid out in the contract. I have notified the agent several times, and we are now moving into the fourth week of paying for a service that I simply am not receiving.

Is there a regulating body that I should contract about this?
I still want to remain in the property, but am very unhappy about the whole situation. As at present I'm having to use BT fon,
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Comments

  • Guest101
    Guest101 Posts: 15,764 Forumite
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    From what I can tell the LL doesn't have to divide an actual phone.

    However given its 4 weeks, I would write (pen and paper) advising the LL you intend to source your own broadband and the cost will be deducted from the rent ( as this would mitigate the cost- instead of court)

    I suspect they'll reply then
  • danslenoir
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    Guest101 wrote: »
    From what I can tell the LL doesn't have to divide an actual phone.

    However given its 4 weeks, I would write (pen and paper) advising the LL you intend to source your own broadband and the cost will be deducted from the rent ( as this would mitigate the cost- instead of court)

    I suspect they'll reply then

    Withholding rent is not a good idea, even if OP's landlord is failing to meet his contractual obligations.
  • HouseBuyer77
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    danslenoir wrote: »
    Withholding rent is not a good idea, even if OP's landlord is failing to meet his contractual obligations.

    There's a difference between threating to do so and actually doing it. If the LL doesn't seem to want to pay attention perhaps it might help.

    You say you have contacted the agent several times over the issue. What did they say?
  • Guest101
    Guest101 Posts: 15,764 Forumite
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    danslenoir wrote: »
    Withholding rent is not a good idea, even if OP's landlord is failing to meet his contractual obligations.

    Agreed but that not what I said:

    Write to the LL and tell them that's what you intend. Bet they get in touch double wuick
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
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    Letter to landlord at address "for serving notices", with copy to agent.

    Refer to previous converstaions/emails whatever on the subject pointing out no action has resulted.

    Enclose copy of tenancy agreement highlighting the relevant clause.

    Enclose a copy of your phone/internet bill.

    See hat the response is and take it from there.
  • teddysmum
    teddysmum Posts: 9,471 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
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    Does the actual tenancy agreement say that specific services are to be provided ?


    The statement quoted could be a general list of T&Cs declaring what the landlord agrees to pay for, if that service is actually available.


    I compare this to Santander's list of conditions for cashback on utility bills. It lists what they will pay out on, but doesn't mean that a customer has to have all of gas, electricity, phone, broadband, water etc. to qualify.


    Likewise the landlord could have some all electricity premises, some with internet, some with gas and electricity, the inclusive rent price reflecting the level of services. (Identical flats, where one has internet would have different rents to pay)
  • Miss_Samantha
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    teddysmum wrote: »
    Does the actual tenancy agreement say that specific services are to be provided ?

    As per original post:
    "The Landlord agrees in the Tenancy Agreement to provide the Tenants with a
    sufficient amount of gas, electricity and water, a telephone line, broadband and TV
    licence."
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
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    Whilst I too initially assumed the quotes were from the TA, the wording is strange:
    dreid8966 wrote: »

    "The Landlord agrees in the Tenancy Agreement to provide the Tenants with a sufficient amount of gas, electricity and water, a telephone line, broadband and TV licence."
    It would be unusual for a clause within a TA to need to say that the clause is part of the TA ("agrees in the Tenancy Agreement to..)

    On the other hand, an advertisement or other document might well refer to the TA using such words. In that case the question would be whether that advert/document constituted part of the contract.

    Perhaps the OP could clarify exactly where the quoted words originated?
  • dreid8966
    dreid8966 Posts: 3 Newbie
    edited 11 October 2016 at 11:47AM
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    I wouldn't want to withhold the rent, as I will be paying through Credit Ladder, instead, the agent / landlord would have to repay me a certain amount. So that it is clear at a later date that I was not simply withholding rent.

    Both extracts are from the"Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement".[/B]

    When I contact the Agent, which I have done so multiple times, they always say that the internet will be installed in a couple of days. But we are coming up to a month now...
    I've had emails, as well as physically calling into the branch to see the person in charge of the property.

    I'd argue that no broadband or telephone line goes against "sufficient amount"
    It does expand upon what it means at one stage by sufficient:
    "The Landlord has calculated a fair and reasonable usage of utilities per Tenant in the
    Property based on Ofgem calculations of the average person's usage of gas, electricity
    and water. The Landlord has deemed as fair the maximum usage of these utilities to
    be 1.5 times the average person's usage. In the event that the Tenants exceed the
    maximum as set out in the Policy the Landlord reserves the right to charge the Tenants
    for such excess payment to be received within 14 days of invoicing."
  • Yorkie1
    Yorkie1 Posts: 11,555 Forumite
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    Looking at the construction of the sentence, I do not think that "a sufficient amount" refers to the landline / BB; the use of "and" before "water" implies that the sufficient amount refers to just those three first items.



    The LL then agrees to provide a LL, BB etc.
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