AIBU to be furious with landlords agency?

[MeowMeowPowerRangers]

Posting more for advice than an AIBU I'll be straight sorry folks! (Traffic!)

I've lived in my home for 5 and a half years and my landlord used to be terrific. If we had a problem he'd be out, 2 years ago he decided to do it through an agency which is fine.

However the past 12 months we've had a lot of issues with the house.

1. the strong storms at the beginning of the year knocked a lot of tiles loose, and the guttering was blocked. Meaning damp was slowly coming in also the tiles were dangerously on the edge where they could fall off in another wind and hit one of us.

We told agency back in January.
I then reminded them every 4 weeks about it, until July they finally agreed to send someone out as I discovered mould behind my sons wallpaper.
July comes and goes, nobody comes out. I chase them through august "yes someone will be out soon."
September I speak to the manager and he told me he thought someone had been out and done the work in July. (Clearly a lie as they'd of had to have quotes and a bill?)
Eventually someone comes out in September and the work is done.

2. in February we had a leak behind the sink. It took two plumbers on two different days to work out it was behind the backboard. They rip it out and fix it. Fine. I tell the agency the backboard needs replacing because it gets cold in that cupboard and it will eventually get damp and on that backboard is an electrical socket I need for my washing machine. I remind them every month, NOTHING IS DONE.

Today my electric trips out. Takes us two hours to find out it's in the kitchen and surprise surprise it's the broken backboard socket tripping everything and has water all over the socket (from the damp.)
Now I have no socket and no washing machine.
I know it's going to be a nightmare getting them out to repair this I've been trying for nine months.

How the heck do I get them to take me seriously about these repairs? The house is becoming very damp and dangerous because they just won't do simple repairs in a decent time frame!

I'm a good tenant. I've looked after the house and garden, I've always paid my rent on time (heck I'm a month ahead!) so I don't understand why they won't help look after the house?

Firstly, if you can, get in touch with your landlord to let them know what's going on. I've had similar issues where the agents are useless, and the landlord doesn't even know that repairs are needed. Sounds like from previous behaviour he wants to keep his asset in good repair, so I suspect it's the agency that's the problem.

If that doesn't work, or you don't have his contact details any more, write to the agents again, outlining what you have done above. Say that if they don't come back to you with a plan for repairs within 5 working days you will contact Environmental Health. Then get in touch with the council - start with the private rental team, and they get direct you from there. There are protections in place - you generally can't be evicted for at least 6 months if the council gets involved - so don't be afraid to kick up a fuss. The landlord is not meeting their basic responsibility: www.thetenantsvoice.co.uk/advice_from_us/contacting-the-environmental-health-department/

You need to contact the landlord directly. Bad agents are bad for you because you're left with jobs undone and living in a poor quality home. Bad agents are bad for landlords because they leave them exposed to liability and allow their asset to fall into disrepair. It's not unknown for agents to intentionally try to make it hard for tenants so they move - agents then make more money from re-listing, re-marketing and re-letting the property (probably for more than you're paying and they'll keep a nice tidy cut). They'll be telling the landlord one thing and telling you another, they're likely to try to turn you and the landlord against each other. Talk to the landlord directly.

It’s not Leaders is it?

Are you putting your repairs requests and the follow up in writing? I'd refuse to speak any further with the agency by phone and do everything by email so you have a paper trail. I'd also be curious if you still have the contact details for the landlord? If you do I'd give him a call and explain that you're really unhappy with the agency and why because he is likely paying for them to manage the property and they aren't doing it effectively. The worse the repairs get, the more work needs done to fix it so their inefficiency is likely costing him money. That being said there might be a reason why the landlord has handed over to an agency (poor health etc) and they may be struggling to reach him to get consent for work to be carried out but I think if you're on good enough terms with him you'll find this out from his reaction.

I'd also lodge a complaint with the agency and state that in future if you feel repairs are not being carried out in a timely manner you'll get 3 quotes yourself, hire the cheapest to complete the work and send them the invoice or withhold an equal part of your rent to cover the expense.

I'd also advise that if you continue to have further problems with damp that aren't being dealt with in a timely manner that you will be contacting your local environmental health officer and requesting that your EHO investigate their failing to do repairs.

I'd go back to your tenancy agreement and see if there is anything in it regarding what constitutes a timely repair and continue to keep yourself right by your tenancy agreement. If you don't have a tenancy agreement that you signed when you moved in then as far as I'm aware there is a default tenant landlord contract that legally comes into play so you'd need to check this according to where you live. Usually if you have gone past the initial years contract you signed then it'll be a rolling monthly contract unless you've signed a new tenancy agreement every time your current one expires.

I don't have the landlords number anymore but I know he'd be annoyed by all this as the agency sent him my photos of the damage from the roof and he instantly got it sorted.

I've phoned and emailed my agency this morning and spoken to the manager who just kept apologising saying his staff aren't passing on the repairs to him and that "messages are getting lost"
He said he'll send an electrician out soon as he can to sort out the socket and backboard but no actual time frame. My DF is an electrician and told me to say the socket is dangerous even though it's switched off I've had to turn my electrics back on for the rest of my sockets so it's still technically live and even with that information it's still not seen as urgent!
I'm going to give them tomorrow and then ask for the landlords number so I can speak to him directly, landlord is in good health and works as a builder just owns a lot of houses so must be easier under an agency.

Is he on Facebook or is there a way of finding his work company details. I would find another method of contact and apologise that you have had to contact him this way but you feel that the agency aren’t carrying out the repairs or looking after his property. Explain what has happened and about the electrics. You many find that he will remove his property from the agency if he feels they aren’t doing enough. I’ve seen many remove them from agencies for similar issues.

any update ? x

Roof was fixed just before Christmas in the end, the backboard under the sink too. After a lot of pestering!

Now my front door lock is slowly breaking and the floor boards have gaps in them that make upstairs floors uneven, the agency said they'd come out and do an inspection 3 months ago they haven't yet or even contacted me. But one thing at a time I guess it's not desperate repairs just yet!
I got my name on the council list so I'm hoping we can move over the next couple of years.

I had this when I was an LL. I initially managed it myself but then circumstances meant I had to get an agent involved.

They were useless and left my tenant without hot water for nearly two weeks after they reported that the boiler had failed. He later told me he’d kept phoning them but they just fobbed him off then eventually he called me in desperation. I was furious and sacked the agent. It’s outrageous that letting agents profit from LLs and tenants and can’t even offer a good service to either.

A land lord has to give you give you their address. If not just get it via land registry.
Write to him or her directly.