Hi all. I am in the 10th month of my 6th 12-month assured shorthold tenancy agreement. For years I've been trying to get the estate agents to deal with some serious problems such as bad damp and mould in the bedroom, a boiler that constantly breaks down and a ceiling that leaks every time the people upstairs take a shower. It's always seemed like so much of a hassle and so cost-prohibitive with all the fees associated to move so I've just been lying to myself that one day they'll fix this stuff but I've really had enough. I can't imagine what the landlord would think if he knew how just how well these people were taking care of his property considering the fees they must be charging him. The only times the landlord upstairs has gotten the leak fixed (temporarily until the shoddy work breaks down and it starts leaking again) is because I personally chased down the upstairs landlord, the tenants and/or the contractor. The estate agents have done nothing apart from send an email or two. This has been an issue off and on for five years now (this time it has been leaking since August).
They are already asking me about renewing my agreement. I have put them off saying I don't know, but how's that discussion with the landlord upstairs about making my lounge not be a rainforest anymore coming along? I'm getting the usual routine -- we'll send out emails, feel free to contact us in a week if nothing's happened. There's a break clause that means I have to give two months' notice if I want to vacate. That time has just passed for two months from the end of the current agreement (late April). If I determine shortly (come on, bonus!) that I can swing the cost to move, what are my options about giving notice for a period just beyond the end of the agreement? For instance if my agreement ended April 25 and I told them on March 25, I want to move out on May 25 and would like our agreement to just default to a periodic one for that last month is that doable? I really don't want to sign any more long-term contracts with these people because it's not right that I'm paying all this rent and they are not keeping the flat liveable. I'm sure they're going to push back on anything other than a 12-month agreement because that might cause some uncomfortable conversations with the landlord about just what they've been doing with his money all this time. This is not a backalley "Joe's A1 Flats" agency but a big, well-respected firm. Baffling. Any help with what language I can use to negotiate this would be greatly appreciated, thank you.