To not want to pay my rent tomorrow?

[Fumingrage]

Argh. I'm fuming.

New neighbours moved in last month, we live in flats. I'm the only one who shares a communal area with them.
Firstly the music was so loud that a business DOWN the road not even in the same street complained it was disturbing their customers. Lots of complaints from others to the landlord about this and they have stopped mostly. I didn't complain as I had enough to deal with at the time and everyone else had but they think it's me anyway. The general response from landlord was they can do what they want and have a right to play music as loud as they want as long as its before 11pm. Said this had been misunderstood when pulled up on it.

Then the smell of weed started, seriously it smells like they are smoking it in my children's bedroom it's so bad and smoking. Flats are no smoking.
The smell is so bad that three other neighbours who don't even live in the block have commented. Flat is occupied by a very young couple one of whom is heavily pregnant

While at my parents this weekend with my Mum who is terminally ill I got messages from a local business going berserk because you can smell the weed in their business. They complained to landlord but no one is contacting them back. Others have complained and no one is contacting them back.

This morning the smell was bad that my child who has SN and asthma was physically upset and having to get dressed in the cold with all the windows open and it still stunk. I've no doubt her uniform stank too.

It's now nearly 12.40pm and the letting agent have been open since 8am and they haven't rang the shop back or the other complainer or contacted myself.

I'm at the hospital tonight as my child's asthma is horrendous since the came after years of no issues.

They have done nothing to the property in 7 years. We have no hot water through the tap, only the shower that heats itself, old neighbours flat was the same.
The smoke alarm they are in charge of says replace this unit before April 2011 before I even moved in. I've bought my own alarms.

The only thing they have fixed in seven years. Was a badly fitted scorched socked which meant I couldn't use my oven. It took them over a week to come out and look.

As I said my Mum is terminally ill, my child is disabled child and am having cbt on top of this for my own issues and don't bloody need this.

Apart from the landlord who people have contacted and the police who people have contacted who can i contact for help? And aibu to not pay my rent until they take action?!

You can't withhold rent, unless you don't mind being evicted, and finding it difficult to rent elsewhere because of a bad reference.

Please don't withhold rent as that will give the landlord the right to serve notice and you would be classed as intentionally homeless.

Try private sector housing at your local council in respect of repairs and maintenance. The local council and police should also have some sort of anti-social behaviour unit who can try to deal with the drugs and music.

Do you all have the same landlord? I'm assuming a block of flats.

Police for the weed smoking, environmental health at the local council for the noise nuisance and disrepair (lack of hot water in kitchen) and see if your local fire brigade does free fire safety checks.

I get so angry about landlords who just want to sit back and take the money and can't be arsed to do anything about repairs.

You can always see your MP about this, OP. It's disgraceful that you're having to live like this.

They sound awful OP. Is there any way you can move? (Not just because of these neighbours but because of the rubbish landlords). Obviously you shouldn't have to. I would pursue every avenue. keep calling the landlord, police, council etc. Log everything. Good luck.

Trying to move at the moment. Trying to get money together to do so.

I'm not sure how withholding rent will have any effect other than potentially get you evicted. It is not necessarily your ll's fault. Report every incident to police or environmental health. Encourage all those who speak to you to do the same, and ask Shelter for advice as to how you can legally proceed.

Shelter

Have you contacted Shelter RE the repairs to the flat?
england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/landlord_and_tenant_responsibilities_for_repairs

Also record everything that happens to you have a record of it and keep on at the Environmental Health and the police. If your neighbours also do this, then they are more likely to act.

LIZS partly because the huge chunk of rent would mean we could move quicker.
But tbh mostly because they are very quick to ring if they don't get their money and might actually ring me bloody back.

Thank you.
Do you know if environmental health can deal with the smoking? I thought laws were quite strict about smoking and communal areas these days.

Also does any know know how big flats have to be before a fire door has to be fitted please?

Sorry you are going through this. It sounds horrendous and you have a lot on your plate besides the nasty neighbours.

I agree that withholding rent is not a good idea. Your landlord sounds generally negligent at upkeep and is clearly not going to help with this situation.

Focus your energies on moving elsewhere, get a plan together and think about where you will go to find peace and quiet.

You can't withhold rent without risking being evicted you have to go down the appropriate channels of dealing with the problems, or look for somewhere else to live if you're that unhappy.

I would contact the landlord to say the new tennant is smoking pot and if nothing is done you are going to the police.

I would than go to the police station and speak to someone in person, chances are something is more likely to be done if you're there in person they are less likely to brush you off.

We were in a situation with a private landlord involving safety issues. We contacted the housing standards (part of your local council) and they came inspected and the landlord legally had to do repairs (failing to do so would have resulted in legal action being taken against him by the council). The housing standards officer said to keep paying the rent.

So my advice would be to contact housing standards but keep paying your rent.

Why are the local businesses contacting you? Tell them they must ONLY contact the landlord, every hour on the hour if need be. Although, when you contact anyone in the council/police/etc. let them and the neighbours who complained know and tell them to do the same.

Google your local MP and contact them, even better if you can get your neighbours/local businesses to do the same.

Also does any know know how big flats have to be before a fire door has to be fitted please?

I would have thought that every front door would have to be a fire door regardless of the size of the block. Your local fire service might be interested to know about non functioning fire alarms and a lack of fire doors. I'd contact their enforcement department.

BlueBiros, it depends when the conversion was done. Sadly, I can't now remember the relevant dates.

The flat DP was renting when we first got together was converted in the 1960s, and the front doors there didn't have to be fire doors.

Re: withholding rent I was once advised in this sort of situation to put the rent money in a new bank account clearly labelled “Rent” or some such. That way you have a weapon against the landlord because s/he isn’t getting the rent but if ever you are sued for non-payment of rent you can a) point to the bank account as proof that you;re not deliberately avoiding paying rent and b) it’s somewhere safe so its to hand when you do recommence paying (Rather than your having to find say 2 - 3 months rent in one go if you’ve spent the rent money)

I took my dc to see the dr about the weed smaoke they were inhaling from the downstairs flat. also did not want to be accused of smoking weed.

police raided in the end as the neighbours reported to police many times.

Did your neighbours lose their flat as a result, BlackeyedSusan?