Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Landlord left us with hole in window

25 replies

Sadcup · 07/10/2021 18:03

On 13th September someone put something through our downstairs window. The police came round. Letting agency had the window boarded up with some MDF and said they would get quote for replacing window, but we still have a gap that lets the cold air in and broken glass is visible from inside. Its been 3 weeks. Still nothing. Told DH we should sort ourselves and deduct from rent.....im right, right?

OP posts:
duffed · 07/10/2021 18:06

Shelter have lots of advice of what you need to do

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/what_to_do_if_your_private_landlord_wont_do_repairs

Good idea to protect yourself, as If you don't have a paper trail or give them adequate opportunity they could evict you for not paying full rent.

DameMargaretofChalfont · 07/10/2021 18:06

No - you're not right.
It's important that you pay your rent in full to protect your tenancy and not be in breech of contract.

The broken window is a separate issue and has to be dealt with as such.

duffed · 07/10/2021 18:07

Steps to take before you sort it yourself

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/doing_the_repairs_if_your_landlord_wont

Original poster
Sadcup · 07/10/2021 18:12

Thanks @duffed @DameMargaretofChalfont
I will look at these links
Im just so angry! We have lived in the property for 6 years, pay a lot of rent, and have never missed a payment but this disregard for our safety after we have been victims of crime, has left me shakenSad

OP posts:
Eleganz · 07/10/2021 18:15

Looking at the shelter advice it sounds like you are actually pretty powerless here apart from complaining to various people who may well do nothing (like the council) unless you want to pay for legal action. The idea that the council will help you under the current circumstances is a bit laughable really, given most of then won't come out to far more serious issues than a landlord not repairing a window.

Three weeks to fix a broken ground floor window is totally unacceptable. I suggest you follow the steps on the shelter web-page if nothing more than to get through them and then investigate legal action when inevitably your complaints lead nowhere.

And we wonder why people are so desperate to own their own property in this country...

duffed · 07/10/2021 18:23

The shelter thing is pretty formal, but basically yeah you are powerless.

The council will send environmental health round if they really refuse to sort things and offer to help force landlords to do things

a formal letter isn't absolutely necessary if for example if you can text the landlord and ask their permission to deduct it and they say yes its fine to go ahead - but if not you have to go step by step and give them every chance to say no or sort it themselves.

duffed · 07/10/2021 18:26

They might just not be considering it an issue, as they boarded it up and don't have to live with it. I would call them to remind them of the problems you are still facing, and ask permission to sort it yourselves.

I had to live in a property that gave electric shocks, a ceiling that flooded and a broken boiler and I don't think the landlord stopped to consider what life was like in my shoes - just saw it as a job to get sorted at some point.

Really hope you get it sorted one way or the other!

FellInLoveWithABanana · 07/10/2021 18:28

I recently had to deal with a broken window and it took MONTHS to order the glass.

Original poster
Sadcup · 07/10/2021 18:30

@duffed that's awful, what happened in the end?

OP posts:
Original poster
Sadcup · 07/10/2021 18:32

@FellInLoveWithABanana appreciate that, i rang 5 days ago and suggested in the meantime the broken glass was removed from inside the mdf and the window fully boarded so it wasn't freezing cold on a morning, nothing.

OP posts:
Eleganz · 07/10/2021 18:33

OP the best way to get this sorted as fast as possible is to be as annoying as possible. If dealing with you is a bigger problem than fixing the window, the window will get fixed.

sleepyhoglet · 07/10/2021 18:34

It will probably cost about £150. I would just pay it.

LoislovesStewie · 07/10/2021 18:56

OK, firstly write to the landlord telling them you want the window repaired, give them a timescale for the work to be completed. tell them what you have written here. Tell them if they don't do the work you will get a quote from a reputable firm, have the work done yourself and deduct the cost from the rent. If you do this you need a paper trail, and you should also send the receipt to the landlord to prove you have had the work done. It is risky to do this, but it is not unknown and is the only way for your non-payment to stand up in a court of law. BUT you do need to give them reasonable notice to carry out the work, and you should get three estimates which you send to the landlord.

duffed · 07/10/2021 19:08

Oh it was endless! Landlord was always sending tradesmen round for quotes but never got anything done.

Called shelter for advise on what to do (their helpline is great by the way - lovely people), environmental health got involved. In the end we realised the quickest way to fix it was just to move out.

Still a bit traumatised by it all to be honest!

Original poster
Sadcup · 07/10/2021 19:13

Thanks @LoislovesStewie good advice there.i honestly think just threatening it would get action. Money talks.
@duffed Sad i totally get it. We've had moths, mold and leaks but never felt unsafe until the last month.

OP posts:
BycullahRoad · 07/10/2021 19:49

Are you dealing with the landlord directly, or via an agency? As a landlord I had a very bad experience with an agency whereby they literally doubled all quotes received which inevitably lead to a poor service as far as the tenant was concerned. The result is that I now manage my properties directly and am very responsive to tenants' suggestions to resolve matters. So in a case like yours, my first question would be "Do you know someone who can fix this?".

Polmuggle · 07/10/2021 19:59

[quote Sadcup]@FellInLoveWithABanana appreciate that, i rang 5 days ago and suggested in the meantime the broken glass was removed from inside the mdf and the window fully boarded so it wasn't freezing cold on a morning, nothing.[/quote]
What do you mean. 'Nothing'? What did they say?

ISeeTheLight · 07/10/2021 20:02

There's basically nothing you can do apart from move. We did take a landlord to small claims court before - and won - when they refused to fix a leak which left the room mouldy and unusable. But that was once we'd moved out.

Original poster
Sadcup · 07/10/2021 20:56

@BycullahRoad it is an agency but they in direct contact with landlady who knows what has happened. The lovely police officer went round to the letting agents himself to speak to the team to let them know the state of play and still its not a priority.
If we had broken something ourselves that's one thing, but this was not the case
@Polmuggle i rang on saturday. I was very upset because my sister wanted to visit with toddler and i was worried about broken glass in frame and draft. I realised it had been two weeks and i rang the agency and said it was still not fixed, i informed them my DH and i had both emailed our contact a few times for update but no definite response other than "waiting on quote" i said that it was unsafe, the police officer himself said we were "vulnerable" after a few incidents recently on our street, i said that we both work (in health care) and so can't for example work from home to watch the house-its left empty every day and it infact looks vulnerable with the boarded up window. I told her that the wind and rain gets in through the gap. I said that i had at least expected someone to come and remove the temp.boarding and shards of glass so it was safe. I was quite upset on the call. I was told by branch manager we had been waiting too long for something to be done and she would act on it. Heard nothing since. That's literally what i meant by nothing.....

OP posts:
olderthanilookapparently · 07/10/2021 21:23

Can you go to the branch yourself, I would be tempted to just go there and wait for them to do something

RedHelenB · 07/10/2021 21:29

@sleepyhoglet

It will probably cost about £150. I would just pay it.
Why should they?
JSL52 · 07/10/2021 21:38

@sleepyhoglet

It will probably cost about £150. I would just pay it.
OP may not have £150 to get her landlord's window fixed. Really not up to her.
BycullahRoad · 07/10/2021 23:15

I suspect from what you say it is the letting agency just being useless. In such circumstances no reasonable landlord would object to you getting your three of your own quotes for the work, which you can forward to the agency. You do need to be calling the agency every day, but try to get the landlord's direct email address for the future.

DontPeeInThePlayHouse · 07/10/2021 23:24

Urgh, we've had this in the past, last time I presented myself to the agency's office daily with a fussy newborn and obnoxious toddler until they pulled their finger out. It's amazing what they can get done when they are being inconvenienced.

Original poster
Sadcup · 08/10/2021 15:57

DH rang. Apparently there is a glass shortage Sad

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread