DD and I moved into a 2 bed flat 5 years ago, we had to move fast as we were homeless and fleeing DV.
The flat we moved into was shabby and not necessarily in the beat state of repair but the walls were magnolia and most things we could live around.
In other circumstances we wouldn't have chosen it but we were desperate.
Since we have been there problems we have found include:
- the windows would now be considered illegal to put into a new property as the open right out about 2.5 feet off the ground in a 3rd floor flat, someone could easily fall right out.
- the consumer box is not a modern one so the fuses are old and don't always cut out when they should.
- sometimes when we turn a light on or plug a device into a socket we get a small electric shock.
- the instructions on the cooker dial have rubbed off, by trial and error I have worked it out but a new tenant will have to do the same to discover which is the grill, oven etc.
- the bathroom radiator is old and very rusty.
- despite bleeding the radiators some of them don't work very well.
- the flat is damp, particularly in the bathroom and kitchen, despite using the extractor fans and buying and using a dehumidifier. We went on holiday this winter and even though we weren't in the flat and hadn't left anything wet around the damp had got worse. The damp in the kitchen and bathroom is not just because it's the kitchen and bathroom, the share an external wall and it is the wall that seems to be the problem.
- the kitchen cupboards are warped from the damp coming through from the wall behind.
- the boiler broke recently, it was bodged back together but really the place needs a new boiler.
- there was a gas leak because of the boiler and we had to get the emergency gas people out to sort it until the boiler man came round.
There are other things, this list is not exhaustive.
I have reported all of this to the landlord and he has bodged a few things and left the rest.
I have given notice now, we are leaving in just over a months time.
When I gently removed the pictures from DD's wall to move them a load of the top layer of plaster came off. I think this is probably because the wall underneath is so damp. It needs reskimming.
I have always paid my rent on time and reported any problems to the landlord.
I am a clean freak so until now the place has always been clean when it has been inspected.
Having given him more than 1 months notice he is now saying he has tenants lined up already and wants to get in to take them for a look around. When there have been problems with the flat in the past he has been slow to respond but he's sent me 3 texts in the space of 24 hours hassling me to get access to the flat.
The flat is currently a mess of half full boxes, empty boxes, moved furniture, piles of stuff to go to the charity shop/tip. It is dusty and messy.
I told the landlord this by text last night but he still says he wants to take people round asap I don't actually believe he had tenant lined up this quickly
AIBU to ignore him for a couple of weeks and not allow him access until the place is a bit more sorted?
I am worried that he will be angry about DD's bedroom wall and the skim that needs doing.