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AIBU?

How long do estate agents have to repair things?

9 replies

BlippyBloopBlop · 19/06/2020 11:17

I moved into a private rented house in February after being in temporary accomidation for 2.2 years fleeing DV. I was on the council waiting list but wasn't getting anywhere and wanted a home I could decorate for my children and make a proper home for them

When viewing the private rent i noticed a few things wrong with the house, the council said it was fit to live in and if i rejected suitable offer of accomidation they wouldnt have to help me and I would lose my temporary accomidation. They said the estate agents/landlord would fix the repairs


I have messaged the estate agent several times because the oven doesnt work. We are using a halogen cooker that we bought but it's not that big and not very good

Two of the windows dont lock upstairs and there is cracks in every single window frame, like the seal around the window? The upstairs bedroom window wobbles!

I messaged in April and emailed pictures of everything wrong in the house. The shower is leaking down the kitchen wall and has been doing for over a week. The boiler has been leaking water for the past 3 days and i have messaged every day and they say someone will come out buy they havnt yet

What can I do?

I dont have the funds to move house right now as much as i would love to

I feel like the council tricked me into getting this house as ridiculous as that sounds

I was under a different councils homeless scheme and they moved me into temporary housing in another council area. So the council who said the house is livable is not the council i pay my council tax to.

Sorry this is rambled

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BlippyBloopBlop · 19/06/2020 11:22

That really was rambled 🤦‍♀️

My question was how long can the estate agents leave the repairs before I can complain to my new council and get them to come and check things?

Its really stressing me out the shower leaking. My DP works in recycling so he needs to use the shower every day. It leaks from upstairs into the kitchen

The wobbly bedroom windows are my daughter's room and the leaking boiler is my son's room

Also it was advertised to me as a 3 bed house but the kids single beds didnt fit length ways either way across the room and they have metal beds so Indidnt want to cut them down incase my children got hurt so we cut down our wooden bed and have about a 30cm gap to walk into the room and we cannot close fhe door as it opens into the bedroom

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Boom45 · 19/06/2020 11:26

There should be private rented officer type at your local council, although they may not be working right now. Contact Shelter, theyll give you good advice on your rights and how to enforce them.
I lived in a flat with a big hole in the living room floor for 2 years, the agent kept saying they'd come and fix it. Once they sent a drunk builder round at 7.30 on a friday evening, which was fun, but that was the best I got. Then, when I was finally forced to give up a move out they tried to retain some of my deposit for not informing them of the fault (it got considerably worse over the 2 years it was there). Arseholes.

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Winter2020 · 19/06/2020 11:30

Hi,
I think the Council's take it or leave it approach is a response to the shortage of housing. They have to offer you something and then they have discharged their duty.

The leaking shower and boiler do sound urgent repairs. It is possible though that the agents are trying to get a plumber out but are struggling as there will be a backlog of work needing doing due to recent circumstances (they can ask a plumber to visit but they can't drag them there). Make sure they are aware the water is running down walls and damaging the property.

If you feel some repairs are dangerous and have not been dealt with in a timely manner then you can ask the Council's Environmental Health department or Shelter to advise you. You should be aware that except in specific circumstances a landlord can issue a no fault eviction called a section 21 which can make a tenant wary of complaining too much. I think evictions have been put on hold for a while due to Covid though.

If your home is in a poor state of repair I think the best course of action would be to fight for dangerous issues to be repaired but to save to move to somewhere in better condition. Could you sign up with local housing associations?

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Winter2020 · 19/06/2020 11:34

I noticed you said the leaking boiler is in your son's room. Do you have a valid gas safety certificate? These are a legal requirement. Do you have a carbon monoxide alarm in the room? If you don't then buy one for your son's safety.

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wowfudge · 19/06/2020 11:37

You should have been given an inventory when you moved in which gave the condition of everything in the house and you should have been asked to check it, note anything you didn't agree with it, sign and send it back to the agent. Have you got the inventory? Did you pay a deposit and is it protected in a scheme? Were you given the How To Rent Guide? Was there a Landlord's Gas Safety Certificate? You should have been given a copy.

Ultimately it's the landlord not the agent who is responsible for repairs. You are entitled to the landlord's contact details under s.1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act so you could ask for the information and contact the landlord directly.

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BlippyBloopBlop · 19/06/2020 11:38

I looked at private rented whilst in temporary accomidation and most wouldnt accept pets. ( 2 cats ) when the council offered us with their private rented scheme i was just glad of somewhere that would accept cats

I was on the local council housing list for 2.2 years but they have kicked me off when i updated them that I moved. I appealed it and they said i don't have a housing need because im in rented housing.

The only way for me to be able to get on the local housing list now is if i get evicted from this property

I really regret accepting this house. My neighbour was an alcoholic and there was always fights outside the house, i just wanted a proper home for my kids. They are 5 and 3 and I just want to be settled and not have to worry about anything

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BlippyBloopBlop · 19/06/2020 11:44

Yes there's a carbon monoxide detector and it has batterys and beeps if i press it so I assume it is working

You should have been given an inventory when you moved in which gave the condition of everything in the house and you should have been asked to check it, note anything you didn't agree with it, sign and send it back to the agent. Have you got the inventory? Did you pay a deposit and is it protected in a scheme? Were you given the How To Rent Guide? Was there a Landlord's Gas Safety Certificate? You should have been given a copy

No I wasn't given an inventory, there was a few issues around the house that I me tioned to the council and they said the landlord would repair. The shower was mouldy, black mould all over it and the oven was covered in black and absolutely disgusting. The council viewed the hosue with me and got a person to come and put smoke detocors in.

I didn't sign anything like that I only signed my tenancy agreement. I was given a copy of the gas certificate then. I wasn't given a rent guide

The council dont do cash bonds so it was under some sort of bond scheme BUT somthing messed up and around a week after I moved in the council rang me and said i shouldnt of been allowed to move in as they now wanted a cash bond so the council ended up paying the cash bond as i had already given up my temporary housing.

I just feel stuck now

We can start saving up but it will be a long slow process and after the last attempt before the council helped i don't think there are many landlords that will accept cats

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Winter2020 · 19/06/2020 13:21

Yes it will be hard to find anywhere well maintained that will accept pets. Places that are well maintained the landlord doesn't want pet damage. Places that are poorly maintained the landlord may not be so bothered. If you had a well maintained property and were letting it out you probably wouldn't want pets in it either and risk ruined carpets, contaminated garden etc. You can only take the action that is right for you. If I found a nice home for my family I would probably try to rehome the cats or if a cat passed on I would not replace it. You used to be able to offer a higher deposit for pet damage but I think the size of the deposit a landlord can take has been capped.

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wowfudge · 19/06/2020 19:03

There's something not right here - I suggest you contact Shelter or CAB for advice on how to get the problems fixed.

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