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landlady being a nightmare and I don't know what to do, risking being kicked out if I complain?

9 replies

AnAngelWithin · 09/10/2012 13:02

Background: me, dh and 5 dcs, lived in a 3 bed HA house. After months of trying to find something bigger, gave up and took the plunge back to private rental. Got a (at the time) lovely 5 bed house locally. This was last august.

Anyway, since we have moved in, things have continually gone wrong, water coming through ceilings, boiler condemned... the landlady lives about 80 miles away. I have never met her. She opted to manage the property herself instead of the letting agent doing it. Her way of doing this is by trying to put on me to get things done. I have ended up on most occasions having to get quotes and sorting the work and then having to take the money out of the rent. I am sick of it now. Whenever I tell her something needs repairing she says 'oh its too much I really want to just sell that house and be done with it' We had water coming through the upstairs ceiling from the tank in july, and it is only because I have sorted a plumber that it has got fixed.

One time I had to get a repair done (at her request) and then she disappeared off the face of the planet for 3 weeks and I had the repair man on my back for payment !! (understandably)

I have rung shelter who have said she is breaking the law. She's not had the boiler serviced, keeps trying to get me to take out british gas cover in my name (she said she will pay me) the windows aren't safe at all, the fence is falling into the road. Shelter said I could start quoting the legalities at her, but then she could just tell us to leave and give us 2 months notice and legally, she doesn't have to have a reason.

However, I am fed up of her trying to walk over me and skirt around her responsibilities. I have also found out that she hasn't been paying the mortgage on this house (dd trashed a letter that came here for her threatening bailiffs!!)

I just don't know what to do now.... do i even bother with trying to get her to do the work as I suspect she hasn't even got the money, but then things like the boiler and the windows ARE health and safety risks...

I wish I had never moved here. There is another house in the town come up to rent but it is a lot more money a month. How would I even word a letter to her without just pissing her off and kicking us out??

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SoupDragon · 09/10/2012 13:09

TBH, if she hasn't been paying the mortgage, I think you should start looking for another house.

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Nodecentnickname · 09/10/2012 13:13

Go back on social housing list or find another private rental. Personally for security reasons I would try social housing again. Private renting can be a nightmare.

You will have to move if she hadn't paid the mortgage anyway.

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AnAngelWithin · 09/10/2012 13:16

trouble is, there are no bigger houses through the housing associations etc round here. We would have to move away. Which wouldn't be an issue if the schools here were rubbish but they aren't they are fantastic schools!!

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Nodecentnickname · 09/10/2012 13:20

Hmm... Can you stick it out longer whilst looking for another private rental on findaproperty/right move?

I would keep my head down until another house pops up. I'm sorry you are in this situation.

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AnAngelWithin · 09/10/2012 13:29

houses are few and far between here... we are viewing one tomorrow but like i said, it is more money a month....

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whyme2 · 09/10/2012 13:39

Can I echo Soupdragon If she is not paying the rent then get out as soon as you can.

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OneLittleToddlingTerror · 09/10/2012 13:41

That's what private renting is like, sadly. And if she isn't paying the mortgage, she won't be fixing anything. She's got no money for it and is just waiting to be reprocessed.

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AlexanderS · 09/10/2012 13:59

She can ask you to leave but you don't have to, you can squat in the house and then she'd have to take you to court to get you removed. For more information see here: www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/Privaterenting/Problemsanddisputes/DG_189241. At the end of the day though do you really want to stay there when your LL has such a sucky attitude?

I would keep looking and find something else. We did exactly the same as you i.e. leave social housing to rent privately because we knew the HA would never find us anything bigger. It was the right thing to do - we are still in contact with our old neighbours who can't afford to go private and they have been on the waiting list for a bigger place since their DS was born - he has just started school! But we are tired of crappy landlords who never fix anything properly and not being to able to decorate the way we want to so are now in the process of buying our own house.

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AnAngelWithin · 09/10/2012 16:21

Alexander, eventually we will be in the position to buy, but not just yet. Squatting ...hmm... bit extreme Smile and yes, to be honest, I agree....wouldn't really want to stay there anyway under those circumstances!!

Well we will go and view this house tomorrow and see what we think. Going through my budget with a fine tooth comb though. More money spent on rent is less saved for our own house though. Sad

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