Boyfriend says I'm being dramatic ..

[Jad234]

Just moved into new place and this is the ceiling,random tiny pieces are falling off.
I'm worried the whole thing may fall down,I was going to ring H/A but boyfriend says I'm being dramatic and they wouldn't rent it out if it was dangerous...
What do you think?
Can anything be done?

They need removing, and in a property of that age it would be worth having the house checked for asbestos as well (don't panic! If it's undamaged it's perfectly safe - but you need to know where any is so that it doesn't get damaged).

@Jad234

Yep landlords's job.

It never ceases to amaze me how many landlords think it's acceptable to take exorbitant amounts of money for absolute fucking shit tips.

That's why, when I hear about a landlord having a tenant who has left 2 grand of rent arrears, I don't feel sorry for them. Especially if it's a buy-to-let.

Too many unscrupulous landlords treat innocent and vulnerable people like shit, and not enough is done about it.

A friend of mine came out of a private let 6 months ago, that was a DUMP when she moved in 2 years ago. It took her and her boyfriend 2 months and £500-600 to make it decent; putting up curtain rails, replacing broken loo seat and knackered shower head, putting carpet in the 2 bedrooms, repainting, de-moulding, fixing shoddy worktops, rehanging loose doors, sorting the garden that has been let go, and filling holes in the walls, amongst other things.

The cheeky fucker had the nerve to charge £675 a month too. (It was 2 bed semi in an average area of the west midlands.)

Then when they left, they went back for the exit inspection, and the man they saw was horrible, saying it's damp and mouldy and the garden is a 'bit rough.' They were incensed as they had looked after it and spent money getting it looking better. They said 'you should have seen it when we moved in!'

Fast forward 2 weeks and the property agent said the landlady wants to keep the deposit, for 'rubbish removal,' 'gardening,' and 'a deep clean!'

My friend disputed it, (especially as she had not left any damn rubbish!) and she had thankfully taken 40 pics of what a tip it was to start with, and date-stamped the photos. She also took pics of the place when they left; every room - and the garden too. All date-stamped. So the DPS refused the landlady's request to keep the £675 deposit.

A year and a half later, my friend heard the landlady had had tenants in who trashed the place and left her with £1500 rent arrears. Karma.

The moral of this is take lots of photos and date-stamp and KEEP them, so you have proof of what your rented property looks like now. Do the same just before you leave (after you have cleaned the place up.)

And ring the landlord to fix that ceiling!!!

Sorry the new tenants who moved in after my friend and her boyfriend left, left £1500 rent arrears and trashed the place half a year after my friend left, not a year and a half after. My friend moved out January, and they moved in just after, and left a few weeks ago.

Still early. Just woke up!!!

Post-Grenfell, I'm amazed that any social landlord is letting places that have such a fire risk in them. In 10 years of working in housing, I've never seen polystyrene ceiling tiles in any social housing property, and they've all gone fire safety bonkers since that dreadful fire.

I hope they come and take them down, and make good the ceiling. If they're in the kitchen, they should do it pdq, as well.

Most fire brigades will come and do a fire safety check for free. It might be worth getting one done, if they think they're dangerous and are prepared to recommend removal, the HA will surely have to do something.

I thought LL were not allowed to rent out properties with these tiles due to increased fire risk. Do you have smoke alarms fitted?

forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=78212

Yes all smoke alarms are working.
Had a gas safety check before they turned gas on.
Checked fire/boiler/alarms.
That ceiling must have fell under the radar.

My rented flat has those tiles in the bedroom and environmental health told me that so long as they weren't immediately above a fire escape route, there was no way to compel the landlord to remove them.

I had that in the kitchen of my dad's house. I had to remove it all and replace it before I was legally allowed to rent it out as it's a massive fire risk!!!

Contact the HA and complain about it! Your boyfriend is being foolish not to be concerned!

There's also a risk from asbestos if it's that old. Please seek guidance from fire service and or local council

estauryblue, social housing landlords have to comply with much higher standards than private landlords. That's why it's rare to find LA or HA homes that don't have decent heating and insulation.

It's also why I'm very surprised they relet the property with them in place.

In a fire, polystyrene melts and can cause burns, it also produces toxic smoke when it does catch fire.

This is awful stuff and I can't see why it's still in production.

If it is a 50s/60s house DO NOT REMOVE THEM yourself. It is very possible that the ceiling underneath (or would it be on top - depends how you look at it) could be made with some form of asbestos which needs specialist removal.

Definitely refer it back to the Housing Authority.

You are definitely not being dramatic, please do speak to the HA. Landlords can and sometimes do rent out properties in horrible conditions, risking tenants' health and safety, because they know people are desperate to find housing and fewer people can afford to buy. There are some decent landlords out there I guess, although I haven't met many of them. Aaaand rant over!

Thank you @LakieLady for clarifying. So private landlords can pretty much do as they please then?

This post is horrific! I can't believe people let properties out in that state?!

The tiles might be hiding a ceiling in need of repair or covering old artex which might contain asbestos.

Here, in Wolverhampton, there's such a problem with absentee landlords, there's a licensing system in place.

Landlords have to have the houses inspected and they pay for licences to rent out the house.

Still doesn't stop overcrowding.

There is only one member of the council who does the work and she can't know there's something wrong unless someone reports a problem.

Call them first thing Monday. Ask for an inspector to come round. Try and speak to the person that signed the property off as suitable to let!. It's not acceptable