FabSwingers.com forum: Shitty landlords

By *b couple OP Couple
over a year ago

southampton

Anyone else got a shit landlord?

Ours has completely refused to fix the boiler! No hot water or heating for four fucking months!!!!

Starting to think it would be better to be a council tenant!

Atleast the council fix there properties. Or so I believe they do lol.

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By *iamondjoeMan
over a year ago

Glastonbury

No, but oddly enough I was helping a neighbour write an email to her shitty landlord about various problems this morning.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Withhold the rent money. Inform the landlord you will be getting the boiler fixed yourself and deduct the cost from the rent money.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I'm sure I read somewhere that if your landlord refuses to fix your boiler or leaves you without heating you're exempt from paying rent. Don't quote me on that but they are supposed to fix your boiler. What have they said about it?

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By *iamondjoeMan
over a year ago

Glastonbury

"Anyone else got a shit landlord?

Ours has completely refused to fix the boiler! No hot water or heating for four fucking months!!!!

Starting to think it would be better to be a council tenant!

Atleast the council fix there properties. Or so I believe they do lol.

...and anyway, your landlord CANNOT leave you without basic utilities.

You must put your complaint in writing and preferably provide dates when you brought the matter up previously.

Keep a record of the repairs and your efforts to get the landlord to fix them.

This could include:

* photographs of what needs repairing

* copies of letters or emails you've sent to your landlord

* receipts for any items you've had to buy to replace damaged items, for example furniture or curtains

* doctors' notes, if the disrepair is bad for your health or the health of someone else in your household

* other professional reports or bills if you have them, for example if you've had to pay for pest control or get a surveyor to check for damp

Keeping records helps if you need to make a complaint to the Council.

You do not have the right to withhold your rent if your landlord refuses to do repairs. If you don't pay rent, the landlord could take steps to evict you.

If the landlord has failed to do repairs, you can arrange for the repairs to be done and then deduct the cost from your rent or ask for a reduction in your rent.

Ultimately you might want to take legal action.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Google thetenantsvoice.co.uk.

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By *iamondjoeMan
over a year ago

Glastonbury

"I'm sure I read somewhere that if your landlord refuses to fix your boiler or leaves you without heating you're exempt from paying rent. Don't quote me on that but they are supposed to fix your boiler. What have they said about it?"

You can't withhold rent

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By *iamondjoeMan
over a year ago

Glastonbury

"Withhold the rent money. Inform the landlord you will be getting the boiler fixed yourself and deduct the cost from the rent money."

You can't withhold rent

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

This is a serious breach of the Landlord and Tenancy Act and your landlord should have acted immediately. Citizens advice will tell you exactly how to proceed, but it may be worth you instructing an engineer to rectify the fault and withholding the cost of the repairs from your next months rent (keep a copy of your receipt).

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I've had some friends mention rent to their landlords and the repairs were done. Some need a little prompting. An ex teacher of mine was taken to court because his properties were in such bad repair.

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By *ezjez369Man
over a year ago

london

"Anyone else got a shit landlord?

Ours has completely refused to fix the boiler! No hot water or heating for four fucking months!!!!

Starting to think it would be better to be a council tenant!

Atleast the council fix there properties. Or so I believe they do lol.

You are fairly local to me and I know couple of heating engineers. The landlord legally must repair your heating as you by now must have found out. Let me know if you need a hand

Andy

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

My landlords brilliant, he's brought back happy hour

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By *illwill69uMan
over a year ago

moston

If you withhold rent you place yourself in the wrong and can be evicted. However you do have rights and if your landlord does not repair the property in a reasonable time you can ask your local authority to take action for you. Talk to your local rent officer.

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By *ce WingerMan
over a year ago

P.O. Box DE1 0NQ

I'm currently in a Salvation Army Housing Association flat (SAHA, and different to the current charity advertising campaign), but I got burgled within 3 weeks of moving in

It took them 3 weeks to come and secure ma door properly

I would have fixed it maself, but most of ma property was in storage at the time.

I also fell into rent arrears, which are now paid off, but they took me to court and whacked another £250 court costs on top

Anyway OP, as others have said, gather evidence and contact CAB, good luck

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By *uietlykinkymeWoman
over a year ago

kinky land

"Anyone else got a shit landlord?

Ours has completely refused to fix the boiler! No hot water or heating for four fucking months!!!!

Starting to think it would be better to be a council tenant!

Atleast the council fix there properties. Or so I believe they do lol.

Yes the council do. It's a legal requirement and a benefit of being a council tenant. Fair rent and repairs done

If you really have been without heating and hot water 4 months then ring the council

They will contact your landlord and explain his responsibilities as a landlord.

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By *ulwoodandbiMan
over a year ago

central lancs

As previously mentioned

The landlord has a duty of care for you as tenants

They are taking your rent and not maintaining the property to a suitable standard.

Document when you asked them to undertake the repair.

If they not done that within a suitable time scale.

Contact local authority housing department. It is they who

Will get the landlord to undertake the work

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By *b couple OP Couple
over a year ago

southampton

"Withhold the rent money. Inform the landlord you will be getting the boiler fixed yourself and deduct the cost from the rent money."

Withholding rent is the worst thing you can do. I still have a duty to pay. If I keep up on my payments I haven't broken any of my tenancy rules. And I'm entitled to compensation and possibly get back some of my rent money also. Bloody joke though.

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By *ezjez369Man
over a year ago

london

With the new recent rules for private landlords they have even less rights than before, the benefits are massively in the tenants favour. Your landlord is breaking the law if they do not have landlord insurance as well. Speak to the CAB and as others have said look up your rights on the websites mentioned.

You'll get it fixed don't worry

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By *b couple OP Couple
over a year ago

southampton

"This is a serious breach of the Landlord and Tenancy Act and your landlord should have acted immediately. Citizens advice will tell you exactly how to proceed, but it may be worth you instructing an engineer to rectify the fault and withholding the cost of the repairs from your next months rent (keep a copy of your receipt)."

We've had enough of it here. We're moving ASAP.

Landlord has broken so many laws it's a joke. Never had a gas safety certificate ever!

No hot water n heating for months!

Threatening behaviour!

Abusive emails!

The latest is a false allegation of assault lol. Even the police who came to my door laughed it off.

Just down right horrible!

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By *b couple OP Couple
over a year ago

southampton

"As previously mentioned

The landlord has a duty of care for you as tenants

They are taking your rent and not maintaining the property to a suitable standard.

Document when you asked them to undertake the repair.

If they not done that within a suitable time scale.

Contact local authority housing department. It is they who

Will get the landlord to undertake the work "

Lol we have done! Contacted local authority who have been the middle man in our case atm.

Kept and recorded every phone call, email and text.

Our tenancy ends in a few days, I we believe he's put the work of until we leave the property. Which again is illegal.

O how I miss the good old days of not having to worry about housing n crap.

I left home way to early lol been living independently since I was 15!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Anyone else got a shit landlord?

Ours has completely refused to fix the boiler! No hot water or heating for four fucking months!!!!

Starting to think it would be better to be a council tenant!

Atleast the council fix there properties. Or so I believe they do lol.

I believe it is a legal requirement, to have heating in a rental property.

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By *uietlykinkymeWoman
over a year ago

kinky land

Ahh see its complicated when assault/rent arrears and tenancy breaches are involved.

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By *b couple OP Couple
over a year ago

southampton

There wasn't an assault that's the funny thing. And I'm not in arrears. The opposite actually I like to be in advance on rent just in case work goes dead.

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By *isscheekychopsWoman
over a year ago

The land of grey peas and bacon

You can't withhold rent"

Do not withhold rent if you do go to the local authority for housing assistance they may find that you have made yourself intentionally homeless if your landlord evicts you. Contact your local private tenancy unit with your council they maybe able to assist and can take action against your landlord.

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By *isscheekychopsWoman
over a year ago

The land of grey peas and bacon

If you have dependants or a priority need you can place a homeless application

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Council can be just as bad, i had a coal fire and the radiators were supposed to come on from using it but they didn't, had council workers round a few times to show me how to turn on the switch (that didn't do anything)...

Having never owned my own house ever, have had a few slumlords, they weren't getting away with it the past 10 years though. Council can prosecute them, after firstly forcing them to do repairs, but they need to money to enforce these things first. Everything is very underfunded right now.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

You can withhold rent and use that money to pay for the boiler to be fixed. You need proof you got the boiler fixed with that money though.

Basically the law backs the council to do the same. They can force your landlord to fix something (within a reasonable time frame) and if it doesn't happen they will pay someone to come out and fix it and charge your landlord.

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By *entaur_UKMan
over a year ago

Cannock

"There wasn't an assault that's the funny thing. And I'm not in arrears. The opposite actually I like to be in advance on rent just in case work goes dead. "

I'd go to your nearest citizens advice bureau and get some free advice from them.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Yup my landlord is a complete and utter dick. He wants the property back and I was meant to be out in September, but have only just managed to get something in the area. I am going with the council now as I've had enough of private landlords.

My back door has been broken for a year and he's not repaired. Garage door broken for 8 months and not repaired. No gas check since I've been here either.

I had been polite with him the entire time, but lost it when he said the decent thing I could do is leave the house, as he has to spend thousands on repairs. There are no repairs that need doing that have been caused by myself or children, all that needs doing is a lick of paint; but I was debating doing that when he said I better not cause any further damage on purpose!

He didn't want to spend the money on taking me to court to get me out sooner, yet thinks he's done me a favour! I'll be glad when I move!

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By *ig1gaz1Man
over a year ago

bradford

We've had enough of it here. We're moving ASAP.

Landlord has broken so many laws it's a joke. Never had a gas safety certificate ever!

No hot water n heating for months!

Threatening behaviour!

Abusive emails!

The latest is a false allegation of assault lol. Even the police who came to my door laughed it off.

Just down right horrible!

my advice get in touch with enviromental health and explain to them what has been happening at the property

they will make them fix the problems if they dont they cant rent the property until they do

and if they cut up funny with them good luck to them they will go through your house with a fine tooth comb finding every fault that will be needing to be fixed

another note to remember even if you do move they will still have them on there back until they remedy the problems

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By *abel-30Woman
over a year ago

middle of no-where

Sounds as if they don't have landlord insurance or any sort of cover that would negate the cost of a brand new boiler.

It's illegal for him to leave you without heat and hot water. I was lucky with my last landlord when my boiler packed in her was round with space heaters within an hour and took 200 quid off that months rent to pay for the leccie they used. Was horrible having to go all the way to my mums for a shower tho, even if I did scrounge dinner most nights while it was broken

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Had a complete git of a landlord, told us to leave on Christmas eve before midday.

He sold the place without informing us, at the time we would have bought it at the asking price if we had known about.

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By *at69driveMan
over a year ago

Hertford

We've had enough of it here. We're moving ASAP.

Landlord has broken so many laws it's a joke. Never had a gas safety certificate ever!

No hot water n heating for months!

Threatening behaviour!

Abusive emails!

The latest is a false allegation of assault lol. Even the police who came to my door laughed it off.

Just down right horrible!

"
. If he does not have a gas safety certificate , he could be liable to a substantial fine . Any decent landlord would have the hot water and central heating covered by a British Gas Service contract and the maximum time anyone should be without water would be twenty four hours ..

I am a landlord and I always instuct a repair within an hour of being advised.

A washing machine broke down last week , I had a brand new one delivered within two days .

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