Problems with current housing and I don’t know what to do.

[Alwayscold1]

I have been renting my current property privately for a year and a half. There is lots of issues with the property that I have reported but nothing seems to get done. It is a Victorian terrace, very high ceilings and can get very drafty. I’m spending a fortune on heating bills but even with the heating on we are freezing. The living room is very large and only has one radiator which is behind the sofa. The other side of the room has an old fire that does not work and according to the neighbour has been there years and didn’t work years ago but the landlord hasn’t replaced it so that side of the room is especially freezing. There is also no smoke alarms upstairs even though I mentioned it this many times to my landlord. The bathroom window does not shut properly. There is a leak from the bath but no matter how much I report these issues they still don’t get sorted. My landlord tells me to just contact her contractors directly and arrange from them to come round but they either don’t show up or don’t get back to me.

I am a single parent and I recently lost my job and I am really struggling to afford. Once I have paid my rent and bills I am left with practically nothing for food and essentials.

When I moved in the garden was very over grown and I’ve tried to maintain it but it has started growing again and my landlord came over the other weekend to get something from the shed and text me complaining about the garden. Unfortunately I am also a month in arrears and I’ve been trying to pay extra to pay this off but I’m really struggling to get by.

My landlord has threatened eviction if I fall another month behind on my rent but I just don’t know what to do as I am really struggling to afford to stay here now I have lost my job. I am wondering if anybody has any advice. If I was to get evicted I have no where to go and I have a very young daughter. I presume the council would not be able to help me because of the arrears? Could anybody offer any advice. Thank you

You are in a private rental so the arrears don't matter. It's only if you're in arrears in any council property you've ever been on the tenancy for.

This house has a lot of problems, landlords an ass. It sounds like you will fall further behind on your rent but maybe it's for the best. As soon as you get thr eviction notice go straight to the council and you will be able to get that ball rolling.

So long as you have made reasonable attempts to make the rent payments -ie if you literally cannot afford to pay the rent then they will not class this as intentional homelessness. You should contact your local authority for a discretionary housing payment. You will need to be able to show that you aren’t intentionally homeless by showing that there is no way in which you could have paid the rent as this will be their priority.

You should also contact environmental health as no smoke alarms etc is illegal. Has your deposit been protected? When was your last gas safety check? You should also have had an electrical certificate when you moved in as well. If you don’t have these take them to environmental health

Thank you both for your replies. That is really useful information.
@OurChristmasMiracle The deposit is protected. Last gas safety check was around a year ago. It wasn’t done until I was 6 months into the tenancy. Electrical certificate was done but again not until I had been in the property for a few months. I asked the electrician whilst he was here if he could fit the smoke alarms as I had some new ones but had no ladders and he said he would come back to do them but never did.

Sorry you’re going through a tough patch and have an awful landlord to contend with.

To help with heat bills, there a couple cheap things you can do

• put a draught excluder up the chimney start at £18 www.chimneysheep.co.uk

• put film glazing on inside of window - Stormguard 11SR0666SQM 6Sq m Secondary Glazing Window Insulation Film. On Amazon £15 for 4 windows worth.

I’d visit the council now as well and get your UC claim in and take your utility bills. Some councils have hardship funds and can give you a top up from them for utility bills and to help with rent arrears.

For the bath leak…where is it leaking from?

You might be able to get a free smoke alarm installation by your fire service.

www.safesecurehomes.co.uk/free-smoke-detector-from-the-fire-service/

You are also eligible to use a food bank.
Start here:
www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/