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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Should I report DS's landlord to the council?

208 replies

Cherryma · 16/12/2019 13:57

DS lives in Brighton which has some of the strictest housing regulations in the country. Currently he's a lodger with a live-in landlord (I know that lodgers have fewer rights than tenants). There are 2 other lodgers in the property. He's moving out next week (staying in Brighton).

In Brighton, you are allowed to have 2 lodgers without a licence, any more than that and it's classed as a house of multiple occupation if the lodgers aren't related to each other, which requires a licence and planning permission (I know the landlord has neither of these). HMOs have certain regulations which I know are not being followed.

HMO residents should be allowed to individually control the heating in their bedrooms which they can't do. There should be internal thumb turn locks on the front and back doors to escape the property without using a key, in the event of fire. There are just normal locks which require keys. There is no fire blanket in the kitchen when there should be. A gas safety inspection should be carried out every year and a copy of the certificate given to the residents. They have never had this.

He live in area in Brighton with lots of HMOs, I have read online that licences have been refused in his area as local residents and the council have agreed there are too many. The landlord probably hasn't applied for one as they know it would be rejected. The landlord could be fined £20,000 by the council, additionally paying back the lodgers 12 months' rent and have the property being banned from running as an HMO indefinitely. Should I report them? I live in Brighton too so it would be easy to help him with the report.

OP posts:
ShirleyPhallus · 16/12/2019 15:10

It really sounds like you want this reported to get some money back rather than any legitimate concerns

Original poster
Cherryma · 16/12/2019 15:14

The money would be nice but I think he deserves the money back. He had very limited options of where to live with what he could afford. The landlord has cut corners to take advantage of DS and the others to make money out of them. If we had reported the concerns before DS had plans of somewhere else to live he wouldn't have been able to afford to live anywhere else judging by the other properties he had seen. We are concerned about the safety issues more than getting the money back but the money would be a bonus.

OP posts:
TheTruthAboutLove · 16/12/2019 15:15

OP, if your biggest motivation is as you say about safety, why has it taken you so long to do anything about it? Waiting until the end of the tenancy just makes you look like you're after something for nothing, not that you have a genuine safety concern.

Tablepicture · 16/12/2019 15:15

How old is your DS? Unless he has special needs surely this is not your concern and he should report the landlord himself.

TrickyD · 16/12/2019 15:18

OK, put up with what you believe is a dangerous situation when it suits you. When you are no longer in need, demand your money back.

You sound nice.

Nifflernancy · 16/12/2019 15:21

Jesus why are people so aggy? OP what is your son’s view? If he wants to report it, I would encourage him.

percheron67 · 16/12/2019 15:21

You do sound vengeful - pleased you are not in my life! Seems like a plan to reclaim rent and get someone into trouble.

CanIHaveADrink · 16/12/2019 15:22

So your ds HUGELY benefitted from the situation then? because otherwise he wouldnt have been able to find anywhere to live that he could afford?

And at the sme time, you have been happy to see your ds stay in a house that you deem dangerous?

And to make things better, you want to have a go ... at the owner?
As in youre nt just grateful your ds had a roof over his head.
And youre nit feeling somehow guilty to have let him stay somewhere dangeorous.

Ok then Confused Its absolutely about making other safe, not about gettings ome moeny out of the situation.

And thats despite the fcat you say yourself the rules are the stricter in the UK so many mnay people live wo any danger in places that wouldnt be allowed in Brighton.....

Honestly, your ds knew very well what he accepted when decided to stay there. he made his choice. A cheaper accomodation coming with possible issues (interesting how he suddenly had issues with temperature once it had been mentioned).
As this was nothing like an accomodation that was unsuitable for living, Id leave be.

Original poster
Cherryma · 16/12/2019 15:22

He put up with it because he couldn't find anywhere else within his budget. I should have said he will be reporting it himself but I will be helping him to do it. We knew the regulations weren't being followed but he didn't have any other choice. We want to stop this from happening to anyone else who the landlord will take advantage of.

OP posts:
BoomBoomsCousin · 16/12/2019 15:25

The getting the rent back would seem to be partly intended to be an incentive to get people to report because enforcement of these sorts of things is often difficult since lodgers/renters are often in vulnerable situations where upsetting their landlord is risky. And partly a disincentive for landlords to break the rules as it stops it being commercially viable. I don’t know why allowing the money to influence you is being seen as a bad thing. It’s doing it’s job.

I would report (or, at least, as you have said, help my son to) were I in your situation.

slashlover · 16/12/2019 15:28

He put up with it because he couldn't find anywhere else within his budget.

So you were willing to compromise his safety when it was to his benefit?

TheTruthAboutLove · 16/12/2019 15:31

He put up with it because he couldn't find anywhere else within his budget. I should have said he will be reporting it himself but I will be helping him to do it. We knew the regulations weren't being followed but he didn't have any other choice. We want to stop this from happening to anyone else who the landlord will take advantage of.

So your son put up with a dangerous environment because he couldn't find anything else within his budget? And now, not grateful for the fact that he's had somewhere to stay and hasn't caused any harm you want to claim rent back.

As much as the landlord is out of order, you can see clear as day you're just out for whatever money you can get. It's immoral.

TrickyD · 16/12/2019 15:31

We want to stop this from happening to anyone else who the landlord will take advantage of.

How very public spirited of you. Have you also considered donating your rent refund to the homeless who cannot even afford the ‘dangerous’ accommodation your son enjoyed?

Waveysnail · 16/12/2019 15:32

How has he taken advantage of your son except place being too hot or cold? So you son would happily see the other lodgers put out who probably cant afford any other placeHmm. Just sounds like you want to put the knife in. Has you son even raised any of these concerns with the landlord?

Original poster
Cherryma · 16/12/2019 15:33

Slashlover what else was he supposed to do? I accept that he had a roof over his head but I believe he has been taken advantage of. The landlord clearly doesn't care about safety and just wants to make money. Brighton is a very expensive area and the landlord knows this, knowing he can take advantage of people who need somewhere to live.

OP posts:
dreichXmas · 16/12/2019 15:34
  • He put up with it because he couldn't find anywhere else within his budget.

So you were willing to compromise his safety when it was to his benefit?*

Your son has every right to report these breaches but to benefit from them once because it was cheap for him and then to try and benefit again financially after he has left is pretty duplicitous.

What about the other lodgers who might become homeless?

sirfredfredgeorge · 16/12/2019 15:36

*DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn:
But it's ok to report him now when others might only be able to afford this illegal one?

(I don't have a problem with reporting law breakers but there seems to be hypocrisy here rather than reporting him because it's wrong)*

You could certainly argue it, but it's really about the two responsibilities you have to do what is best for yourself to survive, and then as soon as able to escape, then the responsibility to protect others by reporting can be done.

Saying you can't report something, just because you are no longer impacted, or because you gained from it before, and others might gain is wrong, reporting something which immediately harms you is really hard, especially if as in this situation the risks are not huge (but certainly exist)

Haffiana · 16/12/2019 15:42

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

CanIHaveADrink · 16/12/2019 15:46

So if he was taken advanatge of, why didnt you help your ds to find more suitabke accomodation? why did you accept to see him move somehwre so dangerous? (if the only issue was the temeprature... this wasnt dangeorus. Annoying maybe, but not dangerous)

I agree with some pp. I hate the hypocrisis of wrappping a very selfish action into something that is altruistic, just to look good.

bluebells1 · 16/12/2019 15:46

You're just after the money. At least be honest about it and don't be so devious.

HanginWithMyGnomies · 16/12/2019 15:46

I think it’s about your motivations in this case. If it were my child living somewhere unsafe, then I’d do all I could to help pay for somewhere safe and report immediately or have them back home. You state you live in Brighton too?

I certainly wouldn’t have them live in an unsafe environment, then attempt to claim all the rent back after allowing it to go on!

In the grand scheme of things, you’re talking about one additional person in a house. He’s not exactly cramming them in now is he?

Ellisandra · 16/12/2019 15:47

The money is your first motivation, come on.

You don’t actually think it was that dangerous... otherwise he wouldn’t have stayed there, affordability or not.

The reason this penalty has been added is not because tenants deserve the money back, it’s because most people are like you - they’re only motivated to report by personal gain.

Which is fine - I don’t care why it’s reported, as long as it’s reported. Giving you a financial incentive worked - great.

Your son doesn’t ‘deserve’ the money back, because whilst he may have been unable to thermostatically control his room himself, he got cheaper rent for putting your with that. Fair trade. NOT a fair trade on the safety issues, because a landlord should not be able to offer that trade - even though your son was prepared to accept it.

Original poster
Cherryma · 16/12/2019 15:49

Of course I care about my son, what a horrible thing to say. When you don't have much money your choices are very limited. I wouldn't take any of the money, it would all go to my son. We didn't report it because then he would have had nowhere else to live. Now he has somewhere else to live and doesn't have to be scared of reporting we are in a safe situation to report it. I admit it wasn't ideal having him live somewhere with safety concerns but I don't see what else we could have done.

OP posts:
Ellisandra · 16/12/2019 15:50

And good point from a PP that you live in Brighton too. So he was hardly going to be homeless if I’ve of you genuinely were concerned about the safety issues.

rhubarbcrumbles · 16/12/2019 15:54

Report it, fire safety must be a top priority