to think the landlady should sort this and not cut corners?

[ruledbyheart]

Moved into a property last year and I love the house completely the garden however, is a nightmare the landlady has replaced a couple of fence panels but left 4 in really bad condition to the point they are just breaking away at the touch.

I have been onto the letting agent about them being replaced as they aren't secure and the landlady sent someone round for a quote... except when the bloke came round he took one look and left saying the panels need replacing and he can't prop them like asked.

Turns out instead of replacing the panels he has been asked to quote to prop the panels up to make them secure, which is ridiculous is you see the state of them.

I have had to take to patching the panels with scrap wood to block the holes in them as my next door neighbour has an unfriendly dog and keeps attacking my fence causing holes trying to get to my dogs, the neighbour refuses to take any responsibility for the damage caused.

Now there is another hole and I don't think patching it up is going to work as it is entire slats breaking away.

I'm 36weeks pregnant and have no spare money due to summer holidays and new baby otherwise I would just replace the panels myself.

AIBU to tell the letting agent/landlady this needs sorting out now and if they refuse I will pay for it out of the rent money?

You can't withhold rent or you put yourself on a weak legal footing . tbh they are under no obligation to maintain fences or replace (no one is) . Can you not buy a length of chicken wire, or ask her to, and secure it between posts ?

Careful with doing anything 'out of the rent money'. That's not your first option. You want them to be above board, so you must be too.

Get organised. Write to the LL/LA setting out exactly what's happened and happening and that you are pregnant and would like a timetable when it will be sorted. Keep a record if everything. Repeat if they ignore you.

I have already put in temporary fencing on part of the garden but can't afford to buy anything else to fix it as I don't have the spare funds right now, also at 36 weeks pregnant and with 3 DC on school holidays I don't know how I'll fix it myself.

Hi. I am a landlady, but a nice one, and would have sorted this for you already.
Can't you contact the agent again, and say that given the fence can't be propped up, when are they going to replace it. A landlord will often try the cheaper option first, doesn't mean they won't do what's necessary.

Maybe she doesn't have spare funds at the moment either. Have you thought of that one?

You need to stress the unsafe and liability factors. There is a hostile dog next door, you have children, the garden isn't secure. This is between your LL and neighbour and if anything happened to your kids because the dog got into the garden, they would both be liable.

When you rent a property, it has to be of a good standard to live in, whether your landlady is having money issues is not your problem! I would put your request in writing to the letting agent, pointing out the panels are decayed and won't be fixed by propping, and that currently, you cannot stop next-door's dog entering the property's garden as there are holes in the fence.

You don't need to fix it, your landlady does, she may not know how bad it is, she may be looking for the cheaper option, but you need to let her know that won't work and what needs to be done. Then phone them a few days later to see what the timetable is for work. Basically be a pain until it gets fixed.

It is not your concern if your landlady is hard up and there's no evidence she is anyway- same for you in her property, if you damage it, you have to pay for repairs whether you have money or not.

Whatever you do, don't withhold rent, it is a short stop to finding yourself 36 weeks pregnant and evicted from the house (and probably unable to get another one, as your current landlady will give you a bad reference)

Talk to CAB to check legalities. I'm not sure if fence repair is the landlords responsibility unless its mentioned in the lease (though any decent landlord would fix it anyway). Though you could argue that as she has fixed some of it she has accepted that it is her responsibility.

Good luck. Don't withhold rent, puts you on shaky ground.

www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2012/05/28/is-the-landlord-liable-through-not-repairing-the-fence/

This may be relevant to you, basically it says that fence repairs may not come under the things that should be repaired by landlords although a good one may do it anyway, but by having repaired it in the past, the landlord has admitted responsibility for the fence.

But surely you don't want to take her to court, just write a very polite letter to the agents/landlady outlining the situation and get them to put in writing what is happening next.

If it a boundary fence, could you not talk to next door about their dog escaping? Maybe they'll replace it with something dog proof.

your pregnancy is not relevant. Don't with-hold rent, two wrongs don't make a right.

lodge a complaint with the council about the out of control dog next door, which is also not your landlady's problem.

fence panels are about £40 each, the landlady should replace them if they are going to fall on you (which sounds entirely possible). Write a letter pointing out the situation, meantime fix up some chicken wire. I agree with being a (polite) pain to get something done.

Thank you I have some photos of the fence and will take them down to the letting agents today as well as a letter stating what the guy said and take it from there.

I don't want to withhold Rent and cause trouble as I really love my house I was just thinking if the landlady is hard up then its an option so we are all happy.

Unfortunately cannot talk to next door as their dog is not meant to be living there in the first place and they deny the dog is there and there is a language barrier preventing much more of a discussion than that.

Are they tenants next door ? If so contact their ll or agent. A visit would easily detect the presence of a dog.

It's in the deeds of my house that I am responsible for maintaining my fence and that if it falls down, I have to replace it within one month.

If I were renting it out, surely it would still be my responsibility to repair it on that basis?

kiri - but the tenant would not have a right to enforce that.

I may owe jane £100 but john cannot force me to pay jane as my agreement is with jane not john.

kiri that is very specific . Most deeds just state boundaries to be maintained , but that doesn't necessarily mean a fence or hedge. A covenant, or lease if not freehold,may dictate the type of boundary, limitations on style and height and maintenance but even that isn't easily enforceable.

I have just had to move out of my dream home because my landlady would not do any work in or outside the house despite it falling down. Short hold tenancies don't give you many rights, you always run the risk of the landlord threatening to sell if you kick up too much fuss.
The best bet is to report it to the safety department at the council. They will contact the landlord telling them that they will inspect the property. They can take away the landlords right to rent properties and its usually the kick up the bum that landlords need to act.

Also check the tenancy agreement and see if it says its the landlords responsibility to keep the outside maintained

She doesnt have to have the fence repaired although if she wants to keep her tenant she should consider it. Don't withhold rent op your landlord will have every right to evict you of you do that. Keep n to the letting agent but as I said be prepared for the fat you might not get a new fence. Also maybe lay off the pregnancy thing your landlord won't care shout ths fact.

Surely shes got insurance to help pay for repairs???

Insurance would only cover limited circumstances , not wear and tear !

LL is right she is not liable to repair damage caused by next door dog.

But as to the fence being not fit for purpose, well it only needs to be a bit of string and a couple of posts to define a boundary so unless in the agreement is says there is a fence needed
DO NOT withhold rent you will be issued an S21 faster than you can blink.

You need to stress safety of the lack of fence but also point out to your neighbour the damage needs to be repaired, you have reported this as damage caused by their dog and the contact information for the LL / agent is as follows ......
Reiterate this to agent / LL and ask for this to be sorted ASAP
Your LL may also be taking the matter up with the neighbour.
Chicken wire stretched over your side attached to posts assuming these are sound would solve problem, but not the dog's actions I suspect suggest this to the fencer perhaps?

Work on the basis that all landlords are mpney grubbing scumbags who begrudge spending money on their properties unless they see an instant return on it and you'll not go far wrong.

Maybe she doesn't have spare funds at the moment either. Have you thought of that one?

So what?! If I rented out a house and the boiler needed replacing, I wouldnt get very far in court if I said "Well I didnt have the spare funds". If you rent out properties then you accept a certain amount of money may be needed at any point for upkeep/repairs. If you cant be sure that you have that money in place then dont let!