Aunt won't refund money

If she is refusing to refund, then I'd send a more formal "Letter Before Action" and give her 14 days to refund £XXX due to the accommodation being unsuitable and not fit for human habitation.

If someone is just painting over the damp then that's just ridiculous! It needs treating not covering up!

Just wipe it with a bleach solution easily solved

blueshoes

if she was rich would she not throw the money at her niece? Or would she not have just let her stay for much cheaper in the first place? Not defending just saying I wouldn’t cause a huge family thing over it

I would have washed it with bleach, opened the windows.
There is every chance she thought it would have been fixed for your arrival.

Not thinking it’s a big deal, she doesn’t owe you updating her house, esp if it’s not in her financial plan.

If you live in the uk, on your building insurance do you have legal expenses cover? If so, you might be able to pursue her in small claims court for a refund/losses etc.

Sounds awful. Hope your little one gets better soon.

What a leap. Not sure how you arrived at your conclusion or why you feel the need to protect the aunt.

Why not sue the aunt even if she is skint (absolutely no evidence of that) especially since it is so easy for the OP to put in a small claims court.

If the aunt has no money, she can at least at least engage with the OP. That would be a far better way to stave off a law suit.

Or perhaps she has asthma? Hardly unusual in a child. Awaab Ishak didn’t have any pre-existing conditions and he still died.

I do think your aunt should return at least some of your money.

But unless you want to go down the legal route, then I would take the loss, go LC with her and not stay there again.

What is woke about people on here supporting the right of slumlords to rent out black mould infested uninhabitable properties and refusing to refund the money? It’s the opposite of lefty or woke.

I know people are suggesting sueing/ reporting etc etc and you say she’s rich but chances are she’s all talk and your money was going to help with the repairs. Horrible she didn’t warn you but sounds like she’s knee deep in it so (personally) I wouldn’t have relatives at her or go legal in any way

What a dreadful person letting you stay there knowing the state it’s in and charging you for the privilege!
Make sure the rest of the family know.

@Casals07
She might be flouting the laws of the country.
She might need a licence to rent out the property, which could involve H&S checks, gas & electricity safety checks etc.
Might even be evading tax by not declaring all/some rental income

Check this, & threaten to denounce her if she won't refund your money.

If you are done with your aunt and don't care about the relationship with her, then I would take evidence photographs, evidence of your payment, and sue her for a refund through the small claims court (which I think is now online as money claim something-or-other).

Sigh. Yes that’s my plan.

Some horrible responses here

Small claims court, OP. You have a contract (messages about the rental, plus payment) and evidence of its poor condition (more messages, photos, your dd's hospital stay)

Best of luck.

Seems like you are looking to victim blame here.

She should've told you. Obviously. But you're treating this arrangement like she's an air bnb owner and you're a client. I assume you have been paying less than market rent all these years?

It was never going to end well.

Next time stay somewhere else and chalk this up to bitter experience.

What a shame, your poor dd

Putting everything other posters have raised to one side, the bottom line is she should have told you beforehand- end of.

I agree the way the op has presented it it is perfectly reasonable. But people always write things to look perfectly reasonable . Otherwise why bother.

the key things are

the child is sadly must be suffering from a signficant health condition. It is not humanly possible to contract pneumonia in such a short period of time otherwise, as such, does the aunt know this. And why didn’t the op leave immediately if her child is so compromised.

secondly is op Really paying as much as she’s saying.which is pretty much market rates, or is it just a fee for maintainenace and utilities.

why did the op stay when her child developed pneumonia so quickly. Not being able to drive and no local accommodation isn’t an excuse, nor is why should we it’s out summer holidays.

if you’d an immune suppressed child would you stay?

did you pay for the holiday rental by bank transfer? did you pay each year by bank transfer?

keep all the paper work from the hospital

visit citizen advise when you return to uk

I think you'll have to write the money off, and write off the aunt as well while you're at it!

I can't believe she was charging you rent in the first place. None of my family would, they'd be so happy to save me money and teat me to a free accommodation. They'd only ask we leave it just the way we found it.
Sounds like your aunt is a bit of a scrooge, always looking to make money even off relatives. But the worst bit is not giving a hoot about your daughter's health and not willing to refund of course. Most people would be mortified, extremely apologetic and bend over backwards to rectify this as much as possible.

I’m surprised there are posters telling Op to be grateful and sick it up? She’s paying to stay there! It’s really bad damp and the aunt knew about it.

refunding for the unused nights is a PERFECTLY reasonable request . I wouldn’t speak to this woman for a long time, she definitely doesn’t treat Op like family

Loads of slum landlords on MN, it seems!