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AIBU?

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Original poster

Moving Hell

43 replies

sickandtiredofitall · 06/12/2012 15:34

I think I am being a little UR but past caring to be honest but just want to see what you guys think.
We have lived in a flat for 7 years, a friend of a friend so no contract but pay £1200 a month rent plus bills. No heating and a boiler that has been patched up about 15 times when it needs replacing.
Anyway we have given notice to leave, moving to a nice new flat with heating and hot water on tap  trouble is that the new flat is being built and there is a two week delay on the expected time that we said we would leave. Told landlord and him and his wife got a little shirty as her mother is moving in but said that if we could store her furniture in our flat she could stay with them so we agreed to this. After them trying to get us to pay for a hotel at £90 a night for her !
So we are now living in one room? me, OH, DD and 2 cats until next weekend when we leave. Also boiler is broken again so no hot water and the toilet has stopped flushing so we are using buckets but no sign of him fixing it!
We have been really good tenants, always paid rent on time and carpeted whole flat at our expense and paid for the boiler to be repaired more times than I can remember.
He has now sprung on us today that he wants to put central heating in the flat? we are a little put out as we have lived in freezing house for 7 years but its up to him, but he wants to do it next week before we move out!! so as well as living in a house full of her mothers furniture they now expect me to live with the complete fitting of a central heating system, I have told him he will have to wait until we leave but they are not happy and not sure what their next move may be??

OP posts:
Original poster
sickandtiredofitall · 06/12/2012 15:36

sorry about the paragraphs dont know what happened!!!

OP posts:
Pootles2010 · 06/12/2012 15:37

Sorry but i think you are being a little UR. You've given notice, and he's allowing you to stay - thats quite nice of him I think? Unless I'm missing something?

WilsonFrickett · 06/12/2012 15:38

Are you still paying rent or is he letting you live there as a favour? Because that's all there is to focus on, he is perfectly within his rights to do the flat up for his mother.

MrsTerryPratchett · 06/12/2012 15:39

I'm agreeing with Pootles unless there is more information.

Original poster
sickandtiredofitall · 06/12/2012 15:41

we are paying full rent for the one room we are all in. i totally agree that he can do whatever he wants with the flat, but he did agree to let us stay on and there was no mention of central heating, so i kinka think while we are paying rent he should leave us alone as he agreed to it

OP posts:
Original poster
sickandtiredofitall · 06/12/2012 15:42

we are paying full rent for the whole flat even though we only have the use of one room.... it is a 3 bedroom flat

OP posts:
LRDtheFeministDude · 06/12/2012 15:44

You pay over a grand per month with no contract?! Shock

What kind of 'friend' is this?

And they're letting you go with a boiler not working and now a toilet that doesn't flush?

Sorry, I am way more shocked at that than anything else. If you had a normal contract, I'd say it'd be unreasonable to expect to get to be flexible about your moving date. But it sounds as if this 'friend' has been fucking you over.

Sirzy · 06/12/2012 15:45

Would you have rather he left you on the streets for 2 weeks?

LauriesFairyonthetreeeatsCake · 06/12/2012 15:45

Ha ha at paying full rent - are you crackers.

No to the rent, no to the central heating being fitted while you're there - it's really disruptive. After years with no break in rent they can suck it up and put up with mum at home a week longer.

expatinscotland · 06/12/2012 15:45

I would couch surf and tell this guy to fuck off. I'd have told him to fuck off a long time ago, in fact, first time I went without heat and hot water for more than a day.

LRDtheFeministDude · 06/12/2012 15:46

sirzy, I've got a suspicion it's not that easy to evict tenants you've exploited for several years, actually.

I'm curious what the legal situation is?

If he's not bothered with a tenancy contract, is he declaring your rent, even?

Pootles2010 · 06/12/2012 15:47

God what a mess. It sounds a nightmare from start to finish! Your haven't got much option though really have you? If you put your foot down he can throw you out can't he?

I'd suck it up, it's only two weeks, and in future get a contract and don't give notice until its definite. Sorry. Doesn't sound much a friend though!

Original poster
sickandtiredofitall · 06/12/2012 15:48

yeah he has, we were pretty desperate when we took on the flat and he has been a crap landlord really.... no heating, the electrics were so bad the whole kitchen had to be rewired as there were live wires behind the fridge, we have to shower in the dark as the light in there isnt a sealed unit and the electrician said not to use it, damp in all the bedrooms and no hot water most of the time ... one thing after another really. im just upset as we have been good to him and he agreed to the two weeks and now is making it a nightmare

OP posts:
LRDtheFeministDude · 06/12/2012 15:50

This really does not sound good.

I don't know, but maybe CAB or Shelter would help, or at least clarify where you stand with the law and where he stands?

If this had been a proper tenancy, he would not have been entitled to do these things. If he'd been charging you a pittance perhaps it's understandable, but 1200 isn't that. It may well be cheap for a 3 bed in some areas of the country but it's still a lot of money.

Sirzy · 06/12/2012 15:54

Where in the country are you? I can only assume London for the rent to be so high?

Why on earth did you stay for 7 years?

I would just get out as quickly as you can TBH!

Original poster
sickandtiredofitall · 06/12/2012 15:55

we are in London, he didnt need a deposit and we were living in a small one bedroom for the same sort of money so it seemed perfect..... its only when we moved in that it became bad but you just live with it.

OP posts:
Pootles2010 · 06/12/2012 15:57

Its shit, but as its just for another week or so, i'd grit your teeth and put up with it if you can. Could you stay elsewhere to be a bit more comfortable?

Paiviaso · 06/12/2012 16:39

If you are still paying full rent for the flat, you should have full use of the flat, but I'm not sure if that is what you mean?

At the end of the day this is only for a really short period of time, and then you can be rid of this man and this flat. I think your landlord has made you angry about a lot of things, so try not to think about it as there is nothing getting angry will fix!

Original poster
sickandtiredofitall · 06/12/2012 16:46

My problem is that I don't want him to come into my house while I'm working next week to put the heating in... I have two cats and all my stuff in one room and yes I'm paying rent for whole flat. It will take a week to put in and will not benefit us at all as this wasn't mentioned before I think he should leave us until we leave. But he is insistent that they are going to do it

OP posts:
ISeeSmallPeople · 06/12/2012 16:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
sickandtiredofitall · 06/12/2012 17:00

I think her mother should suffer the ch. she is one person and we are a whole family. She isn't old and still works so why shouldn't have the stress. It's all so upsetting and shows that you know who your friends are when push comes to shove ! Waiting for it to kick off as I have said no to heating

OP posts:
Pootles2010 · 06/12/2012 17:03

I may be wrong, but pretty sure no such thing as verbal contract, sorry. However also pretty sure he can't/won't physically chuck you out now you're in. If you can be bothered with the agro/loss of 'friendship' then stand your ground by all means. Good luck!

whois · 06/12/2012 17:04

You're a total fool to have stayed in that flat all this time.

LL has treated you like crap all the way thru!

ISeeSmallPeople · 06/12/2012 17:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pootles2010 · 06/12/2012 17:20

How interesting, just googled it and see you're right! Had no idea. Op says upthread no deposit.

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