rented house no smoke alarm faulty front door

[ElleyBear13]

Hello MNetters, I need your help again! Hubby and I 'moved' into our first rented home yesterday...when we looked round (2x) before signing the contract through the estate agent everything looked fine, we used advice online to make sure everything was 100%, in hindsight though we took everything the estate agent said as true (ie the house will be cleaned prior moving day). We asked for the LL to fix the shower and broken toilet handle and lights. This was done in part, the shower holder is still bound by ellecy tape, but the showerhead has been replaced. When we moved in yesterday we realised the two smoke alarms upstairs have been removed, we contacted the LL and he told us to phone the fire brigade as the last tenants must of taken them? They'res also no carbon monoxide alarm in the room with the boiler. We also noticed the front door (white pvc, with glass pannel) is broken, i only noticed when i shut the door to let the delivery in; the glass pannel when pushed moves forward and im guessing if you pushed with more force you can push it out. Looking closer the pannel looks to be glued in place with the rim badly glued to hide a crack underneath? I phoned the LL and he's coming to fix it on monday but im presuming it needs a whole new door. I don't know where i stand with this. Alongside this the house is filthy, and hasn't been dusted, washed in years. The previous tenants have also left a debt of £24 on the gas pay as you go meter (the company did say they'll send us a cheque to refund us) We don't want to start our tenancy on the wrong footing, as the LL and his wife do seem lovely (they offered us a 5 year contract but we've taken a year to start with, they allow pets and paint/redecorate however we wish, we can change the meter, and hang pictures the house is in the catchment to two good schools and nurseries) oh and the previous tenants lived there four years before moving into another property owned by the LL. We took this as a good sign! So were a little worried how to go about asking for these things to be changed without upsetting the LL any advice from experienced tenants?

[TwerkingSpinster]

I think you need to buy your own fire alarms and co2 alarms. Buy good ones and take them with you, I even have my own set if travel alarms.

[dementedpixie]

There is a new law coming in this year regarding landlords and smoke alarms but at the moment they don't need to provide them so you would have to sort your own out.

[mousmous]

write (with photos) to both agent and ll. they have to rectify the problem as soon as possible.

your ll must provide fire alarms www.gov.uk/private-renting/your-landlords-safety-responsibilities

[LIZS]

Smoke alarms only apply to Hmo s . Agree take date stamped photos of the shower and door and write to request that these issues are rectified. Mention the agreement re. Gas arrears.

If you didn't ask for a deep clean before you moved in then you won't get it as standard. Was an inventory taken when you got keys. Take photos of the condition now so there is no dispute later.

[TarkaTheOtter]

I don't think he sounds like a good landlord at all. I'm a landlord and there is no way I would rent a house out with no fire alarms. If the previous tenants had taken them I'd be providing new ones asap not telling you to. It's probably voiding their buildings insurance for a start.
Shower held together with tape!?! That's the sort of thing you might put up with if you own the home but should be replaced it you're renting it out.

[dementedpixie]

www.gov.uk/government/news/tenants-safer-under-new-government-measures - new laws don't come in until later this year

[ElleyBear13]

Thanks for all your replies! Ive took photos/an inventory before we put the boxes in, but the LL hasn't done one. There was still stuff left by the previous tenants which were taking to the skip next week-rusty bike no wheels/empty biscuit tins/rusty kids bikes, toys, unwashed clothes rolled up ontop of the kitchen unit (?). I think ill take your advice amd write a letter both to the LL and estate agents!

[ElleyBear13]

Tarka we were also worried that door will void our contents insurance too! As the door isn't safe. :S

[Penfold007]

If your rental was built before 1992 the LL does not currently have to supply CO or smoke detectors. From October 2015 they will have to. You could ask your local fire service for a safety check visit and they may fit smoke alarms or you can buy they and a CO alarm easily.
You should contact the letting agent and get them to come and see the various problems and arrange the repairs. Point out the CO and smoke alarm issue as the other tenant shouldn't have removed them if they were the property of the LL, bet the previous tenants actually owned them.
Also make sure you have a copy of the current gas certificate.

[LIZS]

And deposit scheme. You need to give the previous tenants chance to collect the remaining stuff, may be a week before throwing it all.

[ElleyBear13]

Thanks lovelys! :) I'll keep that in mind the house was sat empty for two months but I'll keep the stuff for another week (ill pop it all in the shed we have brought) :)

[LIZS]

If it was empty when you saw it presumably the stuff was there, did you mention it to ll and ask they collect/he dispose. Ask him to let the other tenant know your intention.

[crash3903]

This is my first post here so I'll keep it short :)

I am both a landlord and agent and as the industry is getting a bad name at the moment, stories like this certainly don't help!

I'm sorry you are having these problems. The advice in my opinion has been excellent and there is little more that I can add other than this.

The landlord must provide you with a safe home and if these issues are not rectified, then you should look up section 11 of the landlord and tenant act which sets out each parties responsibilities for repairs. I don't think it will get that far but worth bearing in mind.

If you need anything else just ask and I will try to answer your concerns :)

Good luck

[specialsubject]

ok. No inventory shows a sloppy or crooked landlord, as does his response. I hope that it is just sloppy. Your mission is to train him.

do you have a current gas safe cert?
is your deposit protected?

smoke and CO alarms are not compulsory in England/Wales yet in rentals, but will be from October. This has not been well publicised, but given what the things cost any decent landlord should provide them. As the previous tenants have nicked them he should replace them. He'll need to do it soon.

the meter is not the landlord's responsibility and he won't know that the previous lot have left a debt. That's easy though - you get the supplier to zero it and that wipes the debt. Do this if you haven't already done so. BTW you can change suppliers if you want.

[specialsubject]

the door is indeed his responsibility so good he is on the way. Take him round the property, photograph all the problems and make a list to give him of all that needs fixing.

also tell him that it was filthy, he may have paid for a clean that didn't happen. Or not.