to want to name and shame my estate agent? And to ask, how?

[QueenofWhispers]

16 months ago, I moved into the property of my dreams. I cannot afford to buy, and I am restricted due to certain circumstances to live in a certain area. I have posted about some of this before.

I honestly feel like our problems stems from fckless incompetent asswipes who think they manage properties* I feel that the landlords are actually quite accommodating in themselves but because they live oversees the management company is who I have to rely on.

From the day that I moved in, there have been outstanding issues that were supposed to have been resolved before moving in. The list is long and extensive...and I was assured that 'of course these things will be fixed in due time. It's been 16 months and not much has been fixed.

The specific issue I will be speaking about today is a leak in the ceiling which has now turned into a collapsed ceiling in the sitting room. :( Brown water is cascading down--every single pot, pan and bucket I own is underneath trying to catch it. The other half of the ceiling is threatening to fall down. I did report this issue numerous times over the year (before when the leak was just a brown spot on the ceiling) ...They did eventually send out a plumber today (Landlords spoke to the management company on my behalf and reiterated how important it was that it happen today as I had waited far too long).

So magically someone did come today, tore open half a meter hole in my ceiling and then ran away saying they would send someone else 'asap'. When I went up, the half meter hole in the ceiling had bubbled and now a 4x5 meter hole is in it's place. The whole of the ceiling is 8.5 meters by 6 meters and the brown liquid is just not stopping. Management company (which is a notorious estate agent) had our property manager return my call who told me she didn't know what to do after the plumber had left and only could advise me when the leak had stopped...she told me to call the fire brigade...who came and told us that it was serious because the water was affecting the electric circuiting of the whole house.

Tracing the leak to a leak in a flat that is not occupied. Fire brigade turned off the water supply to that flat but there is an unspecified amount of water trapped between the floor and our ceiling and no one knows when the leak will dry out.

When the fire-man spoke to my property manager person about our home being un-inhabitable due to the mould, brown liquid and debris she told him she didn't know what to do as she was to be away for the weekend and was running late.

I am supposed to stay here over the weekend because I have no money (payday is next friday) to stay anywhere else...I have no family close by (I'm an expat).

I've got pictures, I've got emails and I've got rage...but who would actually care?

I had a DS with SN, and I'm pregnant with baby two. Why is this ever soo complicated?

[QueenofWhispers]

Thank you Bread you've really made my day brighter.

[BreadNameBread]

I replied to your PM earlier this afternoon.

[QueenofWhispers]

Also, I've had several very apologetic emails from landlords who have promised to reimburse all expenses during this crisis...luckily I didn't check into the mandarin oriental...damn my tight spending habits and stubborn habit of not having a cc; my unrealistic attitude towards spending is really making my life at the moment quite miserable.

I actually feel bad for my landlords, they both sound really embarrassed about this whole situation. I really don't think they have anything to do with how we're being treated.

[QueenofWhispers]

is it okay if I pm you which borough I'm in?

[BreadNameBread]

Youneed to get you Councils Health and Housing team or Environmental Health Department involved urgently.

If you tell me which Council you live in then I will find the correct phone number. The Council should deal with this urgently. They can serve notices and make sure the work is done properly.

[BreadNameBread]

Can you tell us what London Borough you are in?

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

There was a documentary a year or 2 ago about Foxtons' sharp practices in the Sales market. Slimy.

They consistently overvalue houses round here.

[ediblewoman]

Actually LaLaGordon I was a legal advisor at an independent free at point of service law centre, the reason I am advising not stopping paying rent is because , whilst the OP might legitimately be able to stop paying rent there is a process which needs to be followed first, she can't just stop paying.

OP, please contact Shelter on 0808 800 4444 they are open between 8am and 5pm today they will also be able to point you toward free legal advice in your area. Please also contact the private sector environmental health team for your local area, if you call your local authority main switchboard number they will put you through.

Good luck

[LaLaGordon]

The people telling you NOT to stop paying rent are themselves clueless. You are well within your rights to stop paying rent if the property is uninhabitable. When the property is made habitable again you should start paying rent again but NOT backdated for the uninhabitable period.

CAB or legal advice online will confirm this.

IME many of the people saying "Don't stop paying rent you will be in breach of contract" on threads like this are themselves landlords.

[RealAleandOpenFires]

QoW, if you do twitter make sure you do include that your LL is being helpful, but it is Foxtons the agents who are being twots.

[QueenofWhispers]

The good thing is, it's all true! and I do have evidence and pictures. I've just never tried 'rocking the boat' before.

[DoraExplorer1993]

You won't get in trouble provided everything you state is true and you have the evidence to back it up.

[RenterNomad]

Ha. Knew it had to be Foxtons.

Use whatever means necessary to get your message out. You seem a little worried about accusations of slander, but you have made such an excellent paper trail that there is no disputing it.

So sorry you are going through this. Use your Council's private rent enforcement team, Shelter, access any hardship funds your work or union may have....

[ihearsounds]

Try this one op

twitter.com/hatefoxtons

[QueenofWhispers]

Foxtons doesn't seem to have a twitter account.

[CharlieUniformNovemberTango]

Twitter is a legitimate means of communication for customers and companies so I don't see how you could get in trouble.

If you are simply contacting them as a last resort because they won't answer the phone then so be it.

[QueenofWhispers]

I have asked my neighbour to facebook it to all the mothers groups she's part of...

[QueenofWhispers]

If I 'tweet' this, will I get in trouble legally for anything?

[ihearsounds]

Lots of london boroughs have emergency housing.. Usually based in town hall or civic centre. Contact them, they will help with the immediate problem. The council will also have a department to get all the repairs done, and sort your agents out.

You can also contact shelter, st mungo's and crisis.

[ComposHat]

don't stop paying rent those who are telling you this are fucking clueless. ...tjat is a hop skip and a jump to a rapid eviction and never being able to let anything else again due to a poor reference.

[CharlieUniformNovemberTango]

Do you have twitter? Contact them on there :URGENT, my ceiling has collapsed and electrics unsafe.No one is returning my calls. Pregnant and with my son with nowhere to go.

Or along those lines. Do it hourly - if the local branch has an account use that but also use the main company one too.

Write the same thing on their facebook page too.

[brimfullofasha]

Your local council should have a 'private housing standards' team who can come and assess the property and use legal powers to oblige the landlord to carry out repairs. Not great in the short term though.

[DoraExplorer1993]

Foxtons, well no need to name and shame, they are already regarded as the empitome of all that is wrong with estate agents by the general public anyway.

Private tenants have no effective rights unfortunately, as you can be given 2 months notice at any time should you try to enforce any rights you do 'legally' have.

My attitude to private renting was always to rent the cheapest place possible and save the max amount of money so that we could eventually buy somewhere. Maybe in London that's not possible due to insane prices there, but there's life outside of London too...

[QueenofWhispers]

I really wish the estate agents would be more willing to help. I've never ever had such bad customer service.

[QueenofWhispers]

No one from Foxtons has answered my calls all day. Left several messages. Electrician did come in to have a 'look' this morning and we haven't heard anything since.

I don't know what to do, I did call...all the time actually! I've been polite---I've sent tonnes of pictures. I've emailed the landlords...It's been 24 hours and I'm ever soo sad that they've ruined this entire weekend for me.