To ask what you'd do re landlord?

[HarleyQuinn21]

Hi all,

I am posting here for traffic as I need as much advice as possible but if it needs moving to legal or something I'll ask the Mumsnet to move it but here's the situation:

My mum and dad have lived in the same property for 20 years, never missed a rent payment (apart from one time it was two days late and the landlords ex husband was peering through their window to see if they still lived there ) the house is in bad shape, damp, mold and all sorts, the landlord has never fixed these problems and actually they haven't had their gas servicing every year (they live in Spain so hasn't ever looked at the house since she left), my mum and dad just couldn't be bothered to move which is entirely their fault so not blaming the landlord for this as it was their choice to put up with a crap landlord. Well my dad died in march, he started being unwell in January and was hospitalised in February, I thought he paid January's rent so I paid February's and March and then notified the landlord that my dad had passed away and my mum would like to remain in the house (memories and all that), a week later after my dad's death she told me that she wants to sell the house and is going to give my mum notice to move out, fair enough it's her house but now she's told me in April that January's rent wasn't paid and we now owe her £900, my mum has learning difficulties and can't work, she's literally just been awarded UC and weve applied for PIP etc and on top of that she needs to save for a deposit on a new house and the landlord wants hers back and I haven't got a clue how we're going to pay it, my mum is viewing a house on Monday as landlord wants her out as soon as possible but I have no idea what to do, I can't pay it as I'm on maternity leave and have my own bills to pay - any suggestions please?

The landlord sounds pretty hopeless but I can't believe your parents have been living in a house without smoke alarms for 20 years!!! Get that sorted asap op, you can arrange for the fire service to come and do it free of charge, I believe. If not arrange to get it done independently, it won't cost much. Forget the fact that the landlord should have done it - just get it seen to tomorrow .

Take photos of everything (including lack of fire alarms) raise in writing to landlord, lack of essential documents.

This should cover you if she tried to come after you for unpaid rent or blame your DM for any damage.

Definitely contact shelter and LA, your mum might be able to get a council house or some support.

Your local council will have a letting standards department that you can report your mum's landlord to. They should be doing gas & electrical safety as a minimum.

I wouldn’t pay it

They’ve failed to fulfil their legal requirements, your Mum can’t afford to, you can’t afford to, and they’re kicking your Mum out anyway.

No ones going to debtors prison if you don’t

And I say this as a LL

@MusicWithRocksIn1t

Take photos of everything (including lack of fire alarms) raise in writing to landlord, lack of essential documents.

This should cover you if she tried to come after you for unpaid rent or blame your DM for any damage.

Definitely contact shelter and LA, your mum might be able to get a council house or some support.

Also search ‘housing schemes’ ‘over x age housing’ and your area. I managed to find a really nice place capped so affordable with min state pension and credits for my Dad managed by a charity. Far far nicer then any of the private places he was in previously

Speak to Shelter ASAP and don't agree anything with the landlord until you have spoken to Shelter. They will be able to give good advice.

In the meantime, photograph everything - the damp and mould, the last gas safety inspection, the lack of smoke alarms. Have a good search of your dad's texts and emails to see if you can find anything in writing of him mentioning the mould etc.