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Rats. Oh rats!
Not quite London but... Advice welcome. We have been renting a place since October 2020. Generally it's a really lovely and we like it. In May it became apparent the house has a rat problem and has done for years - lots of evidence of gaps in kitchen units foamed up to prevent critters running amok.
Rat guy is now our friend as he's been over to visit so much. Hey Chris 👋. His diagnosis was rats entering the property through the drainage and finding their way behind the kitchen units from there. He wanted to get at the drain cover to get a camera into the drains to prove that's the point of entry - queue lots of back and forth with estate agents contacting landlords contacting estate agents contacting us 'where even is the drain cover we don't know lol' more back and forth. Good game of get the handyman over to pull the floor up to find it, get the rat guy over to get his camera in the drains, rat guy to discover drain cover hasn't been opened in years, get handyman back over to botch opening the drain cover, rat guy to find he can't get in as the opening is botched, rinse repeat a few times... Something about a dodgy drain survey slowing things up that doesn't appear to have actually been done but the certificate exists for.
Until last week where the whole house explodes with blue bottle flies and we call up to be like 'guys it's gross here please get it sorted we're gonna have to leave' with the response 'oh they're just cluster flies lol don't even worry.' So we leave to stay with family since last Wednesday...
Finally rat guy gets his camera in and finds evidence of at least one rat coming and going - he's killed off loads :/. We're currently not living at our house. Estate agents saying they'll recommend annulling the tenancy and letting us loose. (Premiership footballer) Landlord saying 'nah actually, I'll just get it fixed doing a drain survey now'. We say 'we need to know by eop Thurs 25th what the decision is we're working and living badly lol loadsa fun'. So... currently stewing...
I've got contact with the local council private rental guy and have spoken to Shelter - hi Wayne 👋.
As far as I can tell all we've got is it's been an unreasonable amount of time (over 6months) to solve the pest problem but the legal definition of reasonable is undefined. We have a long paper trail and photos to prove. Maybe there's a dodgy drain survey as leverage but haven't actually seen it. We'd like to cut loose and start packing this weekend before we find ourselves packing over Christmas. Worst case is it's being fixed and we have to see out the contract until the break clause which would be April.
How do we win this level? Anyone got the cheatsheet?
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Not London based but hoping that there is some sage advice as I've been asked to support someone in a meeting with landlord and agent (not sure why I've been asked but think it's because G's English isn't perfect, he may lose it).
The context. G moved into rented property in September 2021 and has faced multiple problems since including:
- Dishwasher does not work
- Many light switches don’t work
- Oven did not work
- Bathroom fan did not work
- Toilet did not flush
- Conservatory door does not open
- Front Door - massive gaps around it so cold comes in
- Boiler does not work and landlord is saying that G has to pay to get it fixed
- Bottom cupboard in kitchen is held with Duct tape
- Tap in the kitchen did not work
- Electric shower broke down
- Before he moved in they said they would paint the house. They didn't and G had to do it himself
- Kitchen was filthy when they moved in
- Landlord removed a tree in the garden and asked G to pay half
G has always paid his rent on time, would move if he could but there is a dearth of rental properties.
Obviously need to read his tenancy agreement to see what it says and
https://www.gov.uk/private-renting/complaints and https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/renting-privately/during-your-tenancy/complaining-about-your-landlord/ look helpful but any tips/pointers would be much appreciated - Dishwasher does not work
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Firstly, things Ive done wrong.
I smoke weed in the back yard, never in the house all doors are shut, pretty sure the upstairs guy doesnt know either.
I need to change the broken lock on the outside gate, she hasnt done it for 3 months and Ive asked if I can do it and Ill pay, she just ignores me but I am going to do it.Theres been so many problems, day 1 after agreeing tothe time she set for my moving in I got a text 15 minutes before that time adking for 2 more hours cos they just arrived and house hasnt been cleaned.
When I arrived she was putting beading on the laminate floor, I had my cat in a carrier.
She insists on an inventory video of the kitchen, me and the cat. This took 2 hours! She left everything out for me to put away and I think said on the video that I have agreed to finish cleaning the flat cos the previous tenant hadnt, I did agree to I wanted her out!
I have asked for this video many many many times, nothing. She said it would be on Youtube, I said pls dont do that send it to me.
That video may have a record of the state the house was in when handed over.The oven needed cleaning, the whole house needed hoovering, the sink, the sink trap, back garden, skirting boards all needed a clean. I took a few videos and pics.
She threatens me with default fees for rent after being 1 day late, I know I have to pay by 23:59 of my rent date but I paid 2 months rent when I moved in. I am always a month ahead. She requested it to be the last months rent but on my TA it says
"first and next months"
There is no mention of fees on the TA.
I can only be charged after 14 days, I believe.We have a verbal agreement that I contribute towards gas bills monthly and pay in full water bills monthly. Ive been doing that, gave her more so Im not in a huge debt when the 6 month bill comes. She will not show me monthly usage when I ask so I do my own estimates. She also says she doesnt do refunds, I bare that in mind and have like a £50 deficit for the end of tenancy. She got very angry when I got up to date with the Gas and started threatening me with not renewing my lease at the end, I have no intention of renewing and never did!
Yes, she told me off for giving her too much money cos it aggravated her...The cat, she charged me £200 extra bond, on top of 5 weeks. This is for a rug, the rug retails at 69.99. I am aware what she has done is illegal and shes getting a lovely email on Monday.
I have to pay a week at least in advance for my electric cards then pick them up from her house, in a little jar on her step, through the neighbours yard.
She wrote me a letter once, full of vitriol.I have everything logged, I want to make a formal complaint about this.
I could go so far as claiming for injury to feelings, discrimination or retaliation. Even though I dont want to stay, shes not getting away with how she has treated me.There are other repairs that need doing, shower door, gutters, outside light, bed, but Im not going down that route. I leave in 2 months.
In fact theres loads I could complain about but its pointless.
Should I report her to the police for harrassment?
Will I get in trouble fixing the lock, Im not chasing reimbursement just dont wanna walk around the block to take my rubbish out when I can see my bin is 8 foot from where im sat right now behind a friggin locked gate that she told me (verbally) she would sort out.
What happens if she doesnt return my £200, the rest of the bond is in DPS and I have signed up and all that.Ive never missed a payment, Im actually ahead of everything.
There is no damage from my cat, hes a good boy.
I have to ask her for a reference yet!Ill win if this goes to court wont I?
x
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What happens if she doesnt return my £200
May work out better for you if she doesn't have that £200 protected - they can be forced to repay more than the amount that's not protected
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Not sure if this has been asked before but I've been asked to provide 6 months of bank statments as part of the referencing process for the flat Im going to be renting.
Is this normal or even legal? Seems like a complete invasion of privacy when I'm already providing my previous landlord and employer as references and 6 months of payslips.
I've grudgingly provided them with heavily redacted statements that only show salary rent and utilities but if they ask for un-redacted statements do I have any right to refuse without jeopardising the whole application? -
The chap who was renting said that CAB was fine but the most useful part was sorting out/listing his thoughts in preparation - he then used this for discussion with landlord.
Outcome was that landlord started to address some of the issues raised but happily a much better property came on the market so he’s moving in the next 10 days or so!
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Landlords=Cunts.
If you don't provide you risk them turning you down. Just redact the PornHub subscription.
Mortgage will ask for monthly salary, monthly outgoing and 'extras' before they approve. It's not unacceptable that a landlord would ask the same.
Credit check is easier if you you have lived in the same property for 3 years plus but renting doesn't always give you that option.
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Really need to vent here because a certain letting agent who will remain nameless are acting like a bunch of royal c***s.
As I mentioned previously, I'm in the middle of moving out which is a stressful and time consuming process.
Letting agent decided they wanted to start conducting viewings immediately even though my tenancy doesn't end until the 13th of May and they have listed the property as available from the 19th.I initially asked them if they could hold off on viewings until I had moved out on the 16th of April. Naturally they said, no chance and got shirty with me. I begrudgingly agreed to allow them to do some block viewings, the first of which was meant to happen yesterday. I spent all of yesterday cleaning and tidying up and trying to make the place as presentable as possible given the circumstances even though I would have much rather spent that time packing
At 4pm yesterday the agent messages me on whatsapp and says that theres only going to be one viewing now and can they do multiple viewings on Thursday instead and I once again begrudgingly agreed even though it was a massive inconvenience.
Agent rolls up at 5:30 and I end up having to show the viewer around cos the agent doesn't appear to know the first thing about the property. I was polite and friendly towards both the agent and viewer and answered all of their questions. They leave and I think thats the end of that until Thursday.
Today I get an email from the letting agent telling me they are conducting a viewing at 10am on Saturday, no prior warning, no politely asking me if they can do a viewing then just straight up telling me. I replied to say that I am physically moving both this weekend and next so I really can't agree to any viewings between this Saturday and next as I need time to move.
Once again I get a shirty response telling me that they cannot accept that I do not allow viewings as it is unfair to the landlord and his "marketing time". They follow that up by saying that they were extremely displeased with the state of the property and it was not fit for viewings due to their being boxes in the living room and the balcony area and they expect me to remedy this for future viewings. Finally, they accuse me of hindering the viewing by vacuuming whilst they were showing the viewer around the property when I was the one actually showing the guy around!
I wrote back saying that my rights as a tenant supersede the landlords marketing time and that I cannot be expected to move in a single weekend and its not my problem if the property is full of boxes when they want to show people around 6 weeks before the end of my tenancy and I have repeatedly made them aware of the situation. I also warned them that I would not tolerate unfounded accusations or further unprofessional behaviour from them.
They seem to have backed down now and have accepted to not hold viewings until after the 16th but I am still literally seething with rage here. I will be speaking to citizens advice about how to lodge a formal complaint and how I can protect myself from further harassment should they try any bullshit at the end of the tenancy.
Sorry for the long rant, just needed to get it off my chest
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“ The right to peace and enjoyment of the property – a tenant has the right to be left undisturbed to enjoy and live in the property how they wish within reason and can be visited by the landlord with notice and justifiable reason.”
Unless it is stipulated in the contract you don’t have to let anyone in (including your landlord) to show anyone round if you don’t want to. Obviously estate agents and landlords will ignore this and push for what they want cos, as has already been outlined, they are all cunts.
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I never came back to this... Looks like one of a number of cathartic rants!
We had a good/bad outcome.
Bad: People in ivory towers not understanding an expecting couple being given two weeks notice in December they can get their stuff packed up and released from the contract is pretty poor showing. Anyone keeping spare leave for busy December? Think not. Packing a house with only one person doing heavy lifting effectively all in one weekend sucks.
Good: We got released from the contract, reimbursed a months rent and generally the owner of the estate agents came out good and genuinely concerned for us. The footballers dad who runs his property portfolio was the real barrier to a totally good outcome.
Shelter live chat was the very best help we received. I got emailed a transcript of all of their advice and it was quite honest about what we could and couldn't use as leverage. I went off brief a little and threatened reputational damage to both landlord and agents and still unsure if that helped or hindered. We're lucky to be able to stay with my partners parents and use the time not to pay rent, ensure the pregnancy is chill and hopefully be in a position to buy later in the year. 🤞
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Bats in the belfry, windows are jammed - London flat renting, deposits & landlords
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Thanks I did look on shelter but that's a lot better. Mind sharing the link?