hi
I wonder if you will please be able to offer us some much needed advice re our housing situation at the present time.
We moved into a property we are renting through an estate agent from beggining of march 2010. When we viewed the property the guy that showed us round noted the garage door needed fixing and said this would be done asap if not not before we moved in.
The day we moved in we reported to the estate agent the dishwasher in the property would not work and the seal around the bath had gone and the bath dropped a good 2inches when filled with water. It took a few weeks for a joiner to come out and price up the repairs. He said he would return in a few weeks to do the jobs. When he did return and removed the bath panel he discovered the bathroom floor to be rotten due to a leak and that the bath was propped up on beer mats! he advised the landlord it needed replacing, the landlord said he could not afford the repairs and to just make the bath safe, a frame was made and it was resealed leaving the floor beneath rotten. The joiner told us at that time he had been told by the landlord he was not able to repair the garage door at this time due to the cost and it would be done at a later date.
about the same time we reported a warning light flashing on the boiler, a plumber was sent out and the job was priced up and reported to the landlord but we heard nothing, my husband called the estate agents in the first week of may to chase up the repairs but the boiler stopped working altogether a few days later on the 8th of may 8 days ago. The original plumber came back to assess the situation on Monday and ordered parts but couldn’t start the job till he had been given to go ahead, but the landlord started avoiding both the plumber and the estate agent. The plumber told us he gave the landlord his original quote and never heard back from him so presumed he had got another plumber in to do the work as he'd said it was urgent. The landlord eventually admitted he could not afford the work, the estate agent arranged to pay for the work out off next months rent I think, sort of lending him the money? I am not to sure on what they have agreed with the landlord but the plumber came Wednesday this week to do the repairs. Unfortunately the boiler is old and after replacing many parts and 3 days solid work on the boiler it is still not working, the plumber has just left and told me he is going to recommend to the estate agent a new boiler is fitted as the costs and time are spiraling up and up. Every time he replace something, something else stops working or leaking.
I have been advised we are able to claim compensation for having to run electric heaters all week but I am unsure on what else we can be compensated on and how much. we have been without hot water and heating for a 8 days now and looks like we will be without all weekend again till the plumber contacts the estate agent on Monday and then if a new boiler is needed I am not sure if anyone has the money to pay for it. Are we within our rights to not pay rent for the days we have been without hot water and heating?
If the boiler is not repaired how do we stand with cancelling our contract with them and what money can we be refunded, we have just paid the rent for this month on the 8th. if we have no heating or hot water we will have to leave asap as we have 3 children two of which are 3 and 4 years old and poorly at the moment.
I am not happy with the way we have been dealt with by the estate agent and would not like them to find us alternative housing and if the boiler is repaired will not be renewing the contract in 3 months as it looks like the rest of the repairs will not be done.
also If the boiler is repaired are we able to negotiate a reduction in our rent until the other repairs have been done as we are paying for a garage we cant use and as a consequence a playroom, as it is full of dangerous items such as the lawn mower and tools that we cant keep in the garage and also the dishwasher.
My son opened a letter addressed to the landlord just after we moved in by accident, he is only 3, and it was from a debt collection agency demanding immediate payment of over £7500 and that a bailiff was coming round and court action etc
the estate agent just advised us to keep our tenancy agreement close at hand to prove we are not the landlord.
The next door neighbor told us to his knowledge that at some previous time the landlord was in arrears with the mortgage so I am convinced if this is the case the repairs can not afford to be done as if he uses the rent to do the repairs the mortgage will not get paid any more and the house may be repossessed???
any advice would be very gratefully appreciated
x
