Flatmate flooded our room!

[Bankstain]

Hi,

 

Basically this idiot my partner and I were sharing with left the bath running (above our room) and completely destroyed it. This happened around the end of July 2010.

 

When he moved out in August, the landlord gave all of his deposit back despite the fact that he caused £1000's worth of damage to his house because he had a soft spot for him and he reminded him of one of his sons or something.

 

My partner and I moved all of our stuff to the tiny spare room upstairs for a couple of nights before telling the flatmate that it would be only fair if we swapped rooms with him as two of us just couldn't cope in such a tiny space, to which he agreed.

 

Up to the time we moved out the flat had exposed mouldy floorboards and big noisy blowing and dehumidifying machines constantly on, including one we had to step over and switch off whenever we needed a shower.

 

We wanted to cover ourselves by agreeing with the landlord that we would pay the rent as usual until we moved out which we managed to do at the beginning of October. The landlord told us that he was claiming it off his insurance and promised that when insurance were to pay him we would compensate us for our inconvenience out of that. He also told us to put our damaged contents into the room that got destroyed (duvet and computer) and that they would take those away and compensate us for those too.

 

After lots of patience from our side the insurance company are offering a voucher to buy the lowest spec computer from Argos, and apart from that the landlord now says it is none of his responsibility to compensate us with anything else. We are pretty much certain that he didn't tell his insurance that he was renting the place out, nor Inland Revenue for that matter, as he'd instructed us to pay him rent via his daughter's account.

 

We have evidence i.e. photographic evidence of the conditions we were living in, tenancy agreement.

 

Is finding a solicitor the best thing to do?

 

What we are entitled to?

 

Thank you for reading, and would be thankful for any advice anyone could give me.

[rebel11]

Hi Bank

 

Welcome to CAG

 

The guys will advise as soon as they are available.

[stu007]

Hi Banl

 

I would contact your Local Council (Ask who deals with Private Landlords) and tell them the issue as councils keep a register and as the property was muliple occupany they would have to be issued with a HSMO by the council any.

 

Not really much else you can do except seek legal advice from Citizens Advice Beauru, Shelter or Solicitor