Should I report DS's landlord to the council?

[Cherryma]

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.

Being motivated by money is something that the OP has in common with the shyster landlord letting fire-hazardous accommodation to kids who can't afford a safe place to live.

But don't let that put you all off hammering the OP for wanting to hit him where it hurts most, in the pocket.

He couldn't have lived with me. I rent a room in a house share with a live-out landlord. He would have been homeless if he moved out. I am looking to live on my own again soon.

Just wondering, did your son ask to view the gas safety check report? He has the right to ask as a lodger.

so really you just want the money...

You didn't care so much about safety whilst he was living there, did you.
So YABU

you are just trying to find anything to claim all you can get. You sound spiteful. I hope you get absolutely nothing.

For posters who don't know Brighton, background is that it's a university town with a HUGE amount of students renters... plenty of accommodation priced for them.

@Cherryma I think you’re missing the point of reporting this. Your son doesn’t deserve the money back But residents do deserve to be safe and protected from fire hazards.

Maybe approach the landlord with your concerns and inform that you’ll report if they re-let the room. Problem solved surely.

We didn't report it because then he would have had nowhere else to live.

Yeah yeah. You didn't report it when he lived there because of money and you want to report it now because of money.

Just own it. You want money. Stop pretending you care about safety.

If there was no chance to get money back would you still report it? I doubt it. You say you live in Brighton as well so your son could have stayed with you if he couldn't afford somewhere.

Crossed post. Why didn't your son and you get somewhere together?

It's the new Slip, Trip or Fall doncha know.

I honestly wonder whether these threads are planted by Shelter or Generation Rent as some kind of subversive campaign.

It's funny how it was ok for him to live in the terrible, dangerous conditions while it suited you but now there's a sniff of money ...

Any mother worried about their kid's safety would get them out asap, not wait patiently to claim some cash. It's embarrassing.

Yes I would still report it if there was no chance to get money back. I have already said he couldn't have lived with me because I also rent a room in a shared house.

@Cherryma, you do realise that by doing that there will be 3 rooms less available in brighton and therefore 3 people that will struggle to find somehwre to live (as your ds did)?
that it also means that the other two tenants will find themsleves hmeless and might well not be able to afford a more expensive accomodation either?

Are you OK with that?

I hope that your ds wasnt really in friendly terms with those people because that would be a really shitty thing to do to friends tbh.

You cant have this both ways.

On the one hand you're saying that the landlord is taking advantage just to get money out of people. Then in the next sentence you're saying that it as the cheapest rent he could find. Which clearly means the landlord I charging below market value; it was a cheap room for your son. That isn't taking advantage or bleeding someone dry. That's offering cheap accommodation in an expensive location.

Onvisouly it's only cheap because it wa illegal, and it shouldn't be allowed. But you're pretending that you want to report because its danger, its taking advantage etc etc. When the real reason is that you just want 12 months rent back. There is no noble, public interest motivation here. You and your son always knew it was illegal and dangerous... but you didn't report it. Instead, he rented it because it was so cheap. But now that he is leaving, he is going to report so he can get his rent back. Which I'm sure was always the plan. Dont pretend its about safety.

Amazing that all these safety concerns are only worth taking action on now that your son is leaving, OP and now he's taken advantage of the cheap accommodation you want to stop anyone else from doing the same Really doesn't come across as a concern for anyone else's safety.

Have tried talking to the LL before you might put them in trouble money wise & have 2 others out on the street? Ask him not to relet your sons room r you'll report out of 'safety' concerns. Personally think the difference in safety from 2-3 lodgers is negligible I'd be happy with the low rent if the place was decent & LL OK & fair otherwise. But I wouldnt stay there for 12mths take advantage of low rent & THEN report to get my money back & have 2 others on the St.

If you say you would still report it without the financial incentive, why are you posting in AIBU to ask if you should?

I would. Too many poor or thoroughly bad LLs get away with it (and IMO are often not declaring rental Income.).
I say that as a LL myself.

I'd report him due to the fire safety regulations not being followed. That's dangerous. Also not on if your son's bedroom can't be locked.

The landlord clearly doesn't care about safety and just wants to make money

A bit like you then, when you let your son live there when he could have lived with you.

@TrickyD I've already said he couldn't live with me because I also rent a room in a shared house.

Sorry, I missed that detail.

I am a bit puzzled by the thumb locks on the front and back doors, because a lot of modern normal front doors, do not have thumb locks, and require a key to exit.
Or maybe I have misunderstood what a thumblock is.

@TrickyD

What? The OP rents a bedroom in a house share. She pays someone else for a room; where was her son meant to sleep? And how is she "just trying to make money" by renting a room?

I dont agree with her motivations here, but its nothing to do with her making money.

The landlord clearly doesn't care about safety and just wants to make money

the landlord lives there, and frankly WHO has the following in their home?
-individually control the heating in their bedrooms
-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.
-fire blanket in the kitchen when there should be.
-gas safety inspection every year

Now there are rules and regulations for a reason and it's up to the landlord to ensure they do everything by the book - but as he lives there, it's clearly not malicious or lack of care.