Help - Anyone know about UK tenancy laws?

[Staralfur]

I'm currently a university student and have just moved back for the new academic year. The house I (and 3 of my friends) have moved into is in a complete state. Basically the previous tenants moved out the day before we moved in and the whole place needed cleaning (over 150 hours work between 4 of us), and there are many, many other faults including some severe health and security risks, that seem to have come from years of neglect. For example; the cooker does not work properly, we believe it is shorting out the electricity (as something is), and at least one ring isn't working, it is basically unusable. This means we are having to either go out to eat properly or get take aways, which is costing us a fortune compaired to normal eating costs. We have spent the past 4 days trying every method possible to reason with the landlord to get him to sort it out and he is just not, he says one thing one day, then another thing the next. He keeps on coming up with the most ridiculous excuses for things or claiming he will sort things when quite plainly he won't. If this was any other situation the solution would be easy; we would just move out, take him to court etc... However, with student areas being what they are, there is nowhere to go, and it is also a quite a nice house (after we cleared it up). What can we do to get him to sort the problems out that means we won't risk loosing the property?
(I know we're students, but we're not such a bad bunch really).

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"The old law about "an eye for an eye" leaves everybody blind."
--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

[DragonMage]

I don't know if it works the same way there as it does here, but if it does try one or both of these:

1. Give the landlord a written complaint signed by all of you. Give him 30 days to comply or you will start fixing things yourself and hold the costs out of your rent. Mail it to him via certified mail, return receipt requested (so he can't say he never got it). -- This usually gets the job done in the US. If he doesn't then you'd have a better leg to stand on in court and he won't be able to kick you all out without going through eviction proceedings (usually takes 6 months in the US).

2. You can call in a building/housing code inspector to evaluate the property. If it fails the inspection, the inspector will give notice to the landlord that he has a certain number of days to fix the problems.

Again, don't know if your tenancy laws are the same there, but these are our best options here.

You could also call an attorney for advice. Some here will give you a 'free consultation' to see if you have a case.

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The day we stop learning is the day we start dying!(c)

Owner/operator of the Evil Petting Zoo and devout member of the HADB clan.
Mage extraordinair.
Commander of the Dragon Fleet, IW Peacekeeping Force
Occasional subjugate to Gwhanos the Fluffy

Hopeless Romantic *sigh*

"Allright! We'll call it a draw."

[Donut]

You should have a tenancy agreement which lists the rights and responsibilities of both sides. If you have reported the faults and he has not acted on them you can take him to court and sue him. Alternatively you are entitled to withhold the rent in order to have the repairs done. You should also report the matter to the local council. They can force the landlord to do the repairs or they can do them themselves and charge him (or her).

You can get further information from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Look here

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Save Chip - Don't let Sarah win!
Official Titterer of the Laughing Hyenas
Don't mention the score - I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it!

[DragonMage]

OOOH! I like your ways better, Donut! Looks like your country may have a better handle on it than ours does. Hmmm..

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The day we stop learning is the day we start dying!(c)

Owner/operator of the Evil Petting Zoo and devout member of the HADB clan.
Mage extraordinair.
Commander of the Dragon Fleet, IW Peacekeeping Force
Occasional subjugate to Gwhanos the Fluffy

Hopeless Romantic *sigh*

"Allright! We'll call it a draw."

[Epona]

That cooker sounds dangerous! It needs sorting out urgently.

Most UK tenency laws heavily favour the landlord. However, they are legally bound to provide safe accommodation.
As Donut says:
Firstly check your tenency agreement, but if it is wiring integral to the property (from the wall socket inwards) then the landlord will be responsible. If the cooker belongs to the landlord and it is that which is faulty, again it should be the landlords responsibility.

Your local council (usually the Environmental Health) section should be able to advise.

It is also a legal requirement that any gas heating (boilers, gas fires etc) in rented property is checked by a professional once every six months - again this is the landlords responsibility - make him do it, as this is another thing which can kill if it is not checked regularly.

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Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

Epona of The Laughing Hyenas
Proud winner of the 'Most Useless Post 250 Has Ever Seen' Award 2001. "I'd just like to thank my friends and family, without whom none of this would have been possible..."

[Staralfur]

Thanks for the advice (and the link Donut). We have now visited the student advice centre and they have pretty much same thing, and after about an hour of chatting they seemed to think most things would come down in our favour. We were thinking of with holding rent, but were advised not to as this directed breaks the terms of the contract (we want to give him no leverage). As you guys, and many other people have suggested we've put together an inventory of the house, listing all the problems (no matter how minor) so we have a record of the condition of the house when we moved in. This will be signed by independent witnesses and sent to the landlord by recorded post. A letter with a list of matters that require urgent attention and others that if left will damage the property further (none of this is due to us)will also be sent, stating that he has left it like this and we have done him a favour by basically surveying the house and cleaning it free of charge.

We have contacted the enviromental health agency (thanks for the advice Donut and Epona), and they are coming around "off the record" just to check, as we have spent the last 4 days cleaning it may not appear too bad though. We will see were that takes us.

We know we've got him on the gas check as he didn't have a valid certificate when we moved in, but had the audacity to wave an old one infront of us (how dumb are we). A guy came around yesterday to do it, and as it has taken him 4 days to find an electrician but 1 to find a gas man we think the landlord knows he is screwed on this on.

We have a few other things up our sleeves, but we are feeling a bit more positive now (probably because it is a lot cleaner), and are beginning to get our act together. Thanks again for the advice, I'll keep you updated.



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"The old law about "an eye for an eye" leaves everybody blind."
--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.