Help! Any landlords around...we've made a mess :(

[MavolioBent]

We live in a rented house. There is a hole in the plaster of one if the walls. The plaster seems to have just crumbled. My problem is it first appeared a few years ago and was quite small but over time has spread. I didn't tell the landlord at the time and now feel I've left it too late as it's only so bad because it's been left IYSWIM

I want to rectify this. So if I was your tenant and paid a plasterer to fix it would you evict me? Dp is able to plaster too but the wall has a radiator on it and I wouldn't want to mess around with that.

For background we have lived here for 12 years. When we moved in letting agent said the bathroom would be finished (it is untiled in places). This never happened. Several plumbers have been out to fix the loo and quote for a new bathroom which has never come to anything.

In 12 years the letting agent has been out 2 times to inspect the property and is aware of the general state of the place.

The whole house is in disrepair and my worry is it would be cheaper for the owners to sell.

Actually I'm not sure what I want from this. Am just putting my thoughts in order :(

[specialsubject]

if it was just the hole that you've ignored, the answer would be 'contact the landlord to get it fixed, they can't fix what they don't know about'. Don't pay to fix it.

but there seems to be a lot more than that.

So: do you want to continue to live in this dump? If you do, report to environmental health which means you can't be evicted.

BTW gas safe cert? Deposit protected?

[MavolioBent]

It's not quite a dump things just haven't been done. Other things have. The problems are mostly with decoration. I suspect the owners are quite reluctant to spend anything on it.

Deposit is protected. Gas safety done every year.

That said if it was a straight choice between staying and moving I would move in a heartbeat however the rent is reasonably cheap and we could not afford the fees and deposit etc involved in moving. I am trying to put money aside for this but finances are not great :(

Mostly I feel guilty for not getting it sorted in the first place. Letting agent should be coming out shortly as I have reported other issues.

[CloserToFiftyThanTwenty]

Mention it in passing when the letting agent is there and see what they say?

[MavolioBent]

That's what I was thinking. It would at least mean I could stop worrying so much about it! I think it's just the fact we have ignored it for so long, it doesn't look good does it?! And I really have no explanation for not mentioning it earlier :(

[Sunnyshores]

Im not in favour of lying about damage you have caused - but in this case there does sound as if there are more issues than just this hole.

When the Agent comes round, point it all out and ask for things to be fixed, say youd like it redecorated as well (perhaps offer to do it or share the cost). See what the ll says. You have been there a long time and he has been very lucky, having the place empty costs far more than a bit of plastering.

[MavolioBent]

Sunny I was wondering if perhaps getting rid of us would be more expensive. Obviously while we are here they are getting rent etc.

We would be quite happy to decorate. Tbh I will come clean as I can't stand the worrying. Maybe I am looking at it all wrong, presumably if we went they would have to do all the stuff they haven't done in order to rent to someone else?

We only moved in here as I was pregnant and still at uni and didn't really expect to still be here 12 years later. I still feel like they are doing me a favour

[specialsubject]

As usual, a place that sounds horrific in the OP is then defended as not being so bad. I hope that the latter is true.

if it is below market rent then there is a reason. Sounds mutually beneficial.

anyway, work out what you want, look at other rentals in the area and then decide.

your deposit of course comes back if you've done no damage.

[Sunnyshores]

They may be doing you a favour if rent is cheap, but you have done them a huge favour. Everytime the property is empty, which could be every 6 months, the ll will have one month of no rent and equivalent of one months rent charged by agent to find a tenant. Plus in 12 years he would have redecorated at least 4 times, new carpets twice, prob a new kitchen and bathroom. Plus all that hassle of doing the work.HE is very lucky. And if he gets rid of you it sounds as if he'd have to do alot of work to get it relet.

[Pangomonium]

If it's really making you stressed and it would help you tell them Could you use a bit of a White lie and say it was behind some furniture so you didn't realise until you moved the item? If it was my house I'd rather know so I could get it repaired, and if it was my tenancy I'd rather tell the landlord so that I wasn't worrying about telling them - and so that it doesn't come off your deposit when you do go! It's part and parcel of being a landlord that you have to pay to maintain your properties and your landlord should have a budget for such things