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AIBU?

To ask for a reduction in my rent?

25 replies

Whatisthisfuckery · 28/05/2020 13:20

Ok, I may be being ridiculous here so please tell me if I am, kindly. I know there are a fair few LLs on here so your opinions would be helpful.

I live in a flat which has a drive with a parking space for each flat. The spaces aren’t allocated but each resident uses the same one all the time.

When I moved in last year there was a skip in my space. It was there for weeks and it took several emails to get it shifted. The skip is the LL’s. He has a man come in a few hours a week to clear out a large garden area at the back of the flats. The garden area is not available to the tenants and the LL has said he intends to get it cleared and lock it up, so he has no intention of allowing the tenants to use it either.

Now the bloody skip is back, and it’s in my parking space again. I don’t have a car but I’m disabled so have people visit to help me etc, and they can’t park because of the sodding skip. This is a small residential street that seems to have more cars than residents so there’s never anywhere else to park.

Last year is gone now, there’s nothing I can do about that, but would I be U to ask for a rent reduction for the time the skip is here this time? I’m paying for that parking space. My rent is nearly a grand a month for a tiny flat so that space is a significant portion of the space I’m renting, it comes with the flat and was advertised as such, and the skip is not for mine or anybody else living here’s benefit, so I feel a bit aggrieved that I’m paying for a parking space I can’t use.

I’m actually moving out in just over three weeks, so I’ll definitely need my parking space then. If I tell the letting agent and the LL I want a rent reduction they might just get their arses in gear and get the bloody thing shifted. it’s already full, but it was full for several weeks before it was shifted last year.

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Am I being unreasonable?

63 votes. Final results.

POLL
You are being unreasonable
24%
You are NOT being unreasonable
76%
UnfinishedSymphon · 28/05/2020 13:25

Can't you just use another space if they aren't allocated?

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KittenVsBox · 28/05/2020 13:34

If the spaces aren't allocated, how do you know its "your" space the skip is in.
Surely it just means there are now 2 spaces between 3, and its first come first served on those 2??

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HotDogGuy · 28/05/2020 13:36

If it’s not allocated then it’s not your space. Just because you’ve arranged it with the other tenants doesn’t make it your space.
So you can ask for a reduction in rent but if your contract doesn’t specify parking space x then I doubt you’d get it

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Whatisthisfuckery · 28/05/2020 13:49

Yes, this is what I suspected. Unfortunately using one of the other three spaces isn’t an option as they are all being used. I tried using one neighbour’s space last year and we looked out the window 20 minutes later to find she’d come back and purposely blocked us in. I had to chase her across the estate as she’d parked us in and gone out. Another neighbour is a trouble making shitbag and the other is a total psycho.

Oh well, I suppose I’ll just have to keep moaning until it’s shifted.

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FrippEnos · 28/05/2020 14:00

IMO, it all depends on if you are paying for a parking space.

You need to look at you contract and find out what it says.

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EmeraldShamrock · 28/05/2020 14:10

I'd mention it especially if the other tenants are there longer.
Explain using another space isn't an option I'm sure being a human they are aware of parking wars between neighbours it is best avoided.
My Dsis sold her last house due to parking wars. I think it deserves a small reduction.

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AlwaysCheddar · 28/05/2020 14:14

Fill the skip with your rubbish!

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Boulshired · 28/05/2020 14:17

You would first need to ask for it to be removed, if the spaces are not allocated but tenants have allocated them, I would ask the LL to remind all tenants it’s first come first served. Assuming it’s private land can you ask for it to be marked to you for your disability needs.

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Whatisthisfuckery · 28/05/2020 14:44

The skip is already full.

My contract says ’the LL lets the property known as xxxx to the tenant, and any other shared parts of the premises as applicable.’ There’s no specific mention of a parking space although on the letting advert it said allocated parking, and the very same advert has been posted again as they are advertising for a new tenant after I leave.

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CatBatCat · 28/05/2020 14:45

Is the car parking space in the contract or in the inventory?

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Elouera · 28/05/2020 14:50

Am I correct that are moving somewhere else in 3 weeks anyway???

You can ask for a rent reduction, but unlikely to get any. Also, I'd be wary that the LL might find an excuse to claw back some of your deposit. Seems pointless with only 3 weeks to go.

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Whatisthisfuckery · 28/05/2020 14:50

It’s in neither, although If I dug a bloody great hole in it you could guarantee I’d get clobbered.

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Embracelife · 28/05/2020 16:36

But You re moving out in three weeks.
So already paid presumably?

Tell LL you will need access to move.

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Whatisthisfuckery · 28/05/2020 17:12

No, not paid my last month’s rent yet. There’s a cross over between me moving into the new place and my tenancy here ending. I like to do it that way so I can get the old place cleaned and ship shape before I hand it back.

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BumpBundle · 28/05/2020 17:16

YABU. It's not YOUR space. You've been fine with this arrangement for a long time and you don't even have a car.

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WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 28/05/2020 17:16

The custom of each flat using the same parking space sounds fine whilst there is one space available for each flat, but once that's no longer the case, it has to be first-come-first-served. You don't completely lose your right to a space (as agreed in your contract) whilst the others keep their guaranteed spaces, just because the landlord happens to occupy your customary space.

Suppose you worked in an office with two floors and each floor had toilets (identical and all nice and clean). Naturally, you're normally going to use the ones on your own floor, but if they're closed for cleaning or out of order, that doesn't mean you're not allowed to go to the loo at all - it means that the remaining available ones have to be shared between more people, who all have a right to the facility; and the workers on the other floor have no cause to complain that they exclusively belong to them, if they have to queue a little longer.

From what you say, if the skip happened to be in the space commonly used by one of the others, it wouldn't cross their minds for a second not to use 'your' space if it was free when they wanted to park up. Just because you don't personally own a car, that doesn't take away your equal right to a space for your visitors or delivery people if one is available in the block.

It's late in the day now that you're moving out, which does weaken your negotiating position somewhat; but if you do raise it with the landlord and he gets difficult about it - or even threatens to find a way to deduct any negotiated rent discount straight back from your deposit - the one main card that you still hold is in your assisting with new tenants.

I'm not suggesting that you should deliberately refuse to let people look around, just to be difficult; but YWB entirely reasonable to tell the LL that you will be making it clear to anybody looking around that, although it's advertised as having a parking space, there are in fact not enough available for each flat to have one each - and the ones that are available have been 'claimed' by the residents of the other flats, who get arsey if you use one - so any interested parties should effectively consider it a flat without guaranteed or reliable available parking when deciding whether to take it or not.

You never know, he might even let you off rent for the last week or two on condition that you promise not to mention it!

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WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 28/05/2020 17:25

YABU. It's not YOUR space. You've been fine with this arrangement for a long time and you don't even have a car.

Sorry, but that's the kind of reasoning that CFs use when they take advantage of and totally abuse people's good nature for a long time and then, when they reach the tipping point and finally say enough is enough, the CFs turn the blame on to them for not having complained before.

If you pay for something, you don't lose the right to use it occasionally, just because you don't use it frequently.

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FrippEnos · 28/05/2020 17:48

One of the things that you could do is complain to the EAs for incorrectly advertising the property.

I would also make sure that anyone that was shown around the flat was made aware of the situation.

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pigsDOfly · 28/05/2020 18:04

If you and the other tenants are each playing extra for the use of a parking space then there should be an available parking space for each tenant to use. At the moment there isn't.

If you rented a garage from someone and found the door permanently locked you'd refuse to pay for it.

I would normally suggest you ask Citizen's Advice Bureau about it but I doubt they're working at the moment.

The only thing I can think of is to speak to someone at the protection scheme that your landlord has, hopefully, placed your deposit with and see if they can advise you about your position.

If the parking space is charge as an actual separate item then he's got to provide that space.

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MrsOfBebbanburg · 28/05/2020 18:09

Don't ask for a rent reduction, ask them to move the skip immediately and if they refuse tell them you will adjust your rent accordingly.

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Idododoidadada · 28/05/2020 18:23

Hang on, I’m confused.
I don’t have a car but I’m disabled so have people visit to help me
Presumably they aren’t disabled so they can park elsewhere and walk to you if needed?
But also then when they parked in another spot
she’d come back and purposely blocked us in. I had to chase her across the estate as she’d parked us in and gone out
If she could block you in (I’m assuming the car owner chased her not you) why can’t you just block the skip in as it’s not actually going anywhere?

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Ginandbearit1 · 28/05/2020 18:49

Yabu because it isnt mentioned in the tenancy agreement that you have a parking space included.

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Whatisthisfuckery · 28/05/2020 22:00

Idododoidadada

Hang on, I’m confused.
I don’t have a car but I’m disabled so have people visit to help me
Presumably they aren’t disabled so they can park elsewhere and walk to you if needed?

And? What has that got to do with a skip that doesn’t belong to any of the tenants blocking a parking space that, informally at least, appears to have been allocated as mine, resulting in there only being 3 available parking spaces available to 4 households who are all paying for a parking space.
But also then when they parked in another spot
she’d come back and purposely blocked us in. I had to chase her across the estate as she’d parked us in and gone out

If she could block you in (I’m assuming the car owner chased her not you) why can’t you just block the skip in as it’s not actually going anywhere?

This is a rather accusatory tone. Are you disbelieving that I have a disability, or are you just asssuming disabled means unable to walk? Either way I resent the suggestion that I’m either lying about my disability or making it up.

Parking behind the skip would mean, a, blocking the pavement; and b, blocking in the neighbour who blocked us in as her space is next to mine; and c, antagonizing a neighbour who I get on well with now despite the rocky start.

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MrTumbleTumble · 28/05/2020 22:07

I think YANBU. If you phrase it the way you have done here - that you started the tenancy with a space as advertised and you need visitors to be able to park there as you are disabled so can they please move the skip - I think that would be fine. Then if they decline you are within your rights to ask for a reduction in the remaining rent.

The worst they can do is say no, and you're moving out anyway so you don't have to worry about the relationship souring.

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PlanDeRaccordement · 28/05/2020 22:29

YABU

  • The lease contract doesn’t specify parking as you have posted. Adverts are only promises, you have to make sure every promise is in the lease agreement to be binding.

-You’ve paid full rent for months in the past without and allocated parking space. This isn’t CF as a PP said, but setting a precedent where you accepted the terms of the lease of not having a parking space in practice, repeatedly, and for a significant duration. This means, legally, your position is very weak to demand a rent decrease.
-You are moving out in 3 weeks time. Do you really want your record to future LLs to include a note that you evidently occasionally have trouble paying full rent as evidenced by your request for a rent reduction?
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