to tell him to stop paying rent?

[Ilikepizza]

Nc for this!

My boyfriend has moved into a temp houseshare. The landlady said 'we don't do contracts' and it was week to week rent payments. There's no smoke alarms in the rooms/fire doors/fire blankets or extinguishers. There's also no Internet yet as they rented all the room within 10 days of completion (they've only just taken it on but have other houses). He's been there two weeks. It's quite a lot of rent for the area, and I'm pretty sure she's trying to do this as an 'under the radar' HMO. At the very least he's not getting what was advertised, but it's probably only for a few more weeks. Wwyd? I kind of want to suggest he stops paying rent until he gets Internet and smoke alarms!

[Smidge001]

I'm not sure the Internet is a requirement in a rental

[Ilikepizza]

Yes but if it's advertised as 'all bills included' yet there's no WiFi for weeks?

[DawnOfTheMombie]

smidge It would be IF there was a contract stating the bill for the internet was included in the rent payments. But there's no contract so...

[Pinkheart5917]

To me all bills would mean council tax, water, tv licence, gas & electric not wifi!

I don't know about no smoke alarm in the room tbh, in my own home we have 2 ( 1 in the hallway near the front door, 1 at the top of the stairs) none in the rooms

[Pinkheart5917]

Also he has no contract for what bills are included so I'm not sure you can "tell" him to stop paying until he gets wi fi 😂

[EverythingEverywhere1234]

Wifi isn't generally included in all bills. And yes, HWBU to stop paying rent as he still lives there. Either move out or get it sorted but you can't just stop paying rent.

[Ilikepizza]

In an HMO there are certain regs you have to follow, inc smoke alarms in every bedroom

[EssentialHummus]

Let him to find somewhere else. Honestly, any LL who doesn't do contracts etc is not really what your BF needs. Move out, report to council. Presumably the deposit isn't protected either?

[Smidge001]

If I saw an ad saying all bills included, I'd only assume that meant water, council tax, gas and electricity. I have never heard of bills for things like telephone, internet or tv being part of that - they're purely luxury items you can choose to have or not to have, surely?! Or do you think it should also include his credit card bill, gym membership or any other bills he might have

[specialsubject]

Illegal HMO . he needs to report it to the council and get it shut down.

And it isn't even cheap? So why feed this crook?

[Pinkheart5917]

But he has no contract or tenancy, his just living in the women's house so you can moan about regs about a smoke alarm all you like, he has no written contract of any sort

[AnneLovesGilbert]

Is the landlady living in the property?

If not, I'm not sure why she'd be organising broadband in the property. It's not a utility like gas, electric and water. I rented for years and always sorted it myself.

The smoke alarms are an issue but if he's worried and it's all a bit dodgy and under the radar as you say, then she's not a proper landlady and he may as well just buy one. They're not expensive.

The whole thing sounds highly precarious, he has no rights at all. If he's not happy at this early stage I'd be looking for somewhere else to live. How does he feel about only a week's notice to move if she decides to kick him out?

[BandeauSally]

Well if there is no contract then she has no proof he ever agreed to pay her any rent.

[BandeauSally]

Btw she'll boot him out as soon as she realises he isn't paying rent. I assume he can stay with you?

[Ilikepizza]

My thoughts exactly specialsubject and BandeauSally. She took the rent off him THEN told him there was no Internet service, paid or included. But the main issue isn't the WiFi, just the under the radar hmo. No gas certificate, no smoke alarms, no tenancy agreement etc, and bloody expensive rent for the market rate!

[Ilikepizza]

She can't boot him out. It will out her as a dodgy hmo. Legal route would take 3 mths+

[Ilikepizza]

She doesn't live there.

[EssentialHummus]

Legal route would take 3 mths+

It will, but it'll take its toll on your BF in stress and worry. Seriously, move out, report, claim for 3x deposit if not protected, and get on with your lives.

[EverythingEverywhere1234]

Of course she'll kick him out... she's unlikely to go down the legal route if it's all as dodgy as you say it is, is she?

[AnthonyPandy]

No gas certificate? Isn't that illegal?

[Ilikepizza]

My point exactly AnthonyPandy

[Pinkheart5917]

If she's letting people live there with no legal contract or tenancy, she isn't the best landlady

So she might not go down the legal route, but she could just change the locks? If he has nothing to show he lives there

And if she does go down the legal route the legal stuff, can be very stressful for the person being evicted

The wifi isn't an issue at all here, that shouldn't be expected in bills included. As she doesn't live in the property why would she be paying for wifi

The smoke alarm, I though they had to just have a smoke alarm on each floor of the property so that wouldn't include one in the room

The having no contract is a huge worry

[Pinkheart5917]

The gas safety certificate is a legal requirement and you can report this via HSE

[BandeauSally]

She'll just change the locks when he goes out. Unless he plans to stay in his room for the next few months?

[Ilikepizza]

My uncle is a letting agent and flagged up all the regulations she's ignoring. There aren't even locks on the bedroom doors! He's only going to be living there for 4-6 weeks. I honestly think he should just stop paying rent and see what she does. Anything she tries (changing the locks etc) would have repercussions as his belongings are there.