AIBU to expect landlord to replace kitchen?

[MiceProblems]

We got the keys to a rented property on the 11th July, and haven't yet been able to move in, the main reason (among several) is we've discovered a mouse infestation in the kitchen.

The inside of the kitchen cabinets and drawers are saturated with mice droppings and urine, so much so that the laminated cover is peeling up from the corners from clearly being repeatedly peed on. There was also a nest in the far corner of a cupboard where a bag of old rice had been left over, with thousands of mice droppings and chewed up plastic and paper surrounding it.

The EA's maintenance team has been out to put down rat poison (they put it outside the property, just sprinkled it around the perimeter? I did knock on the neighbours who I'm aware have cats to let them know this!). They've said they'll be back this Thursday to assess and they'll be replacing a brick vent which is the suspected entry point. All fine, I suppose, it is what it is.

Here's the problem, I now really don't want to use the cupboards/drawers to store my plates and cutlery and whatnot. If it was one or two mice and their urine hadn't soaked into the chipwood beneath, then fine, I'd give it a good bleach and get on with it. But knowing there have been a whole family of mice living there at some point, and the soft wood beneath the laminated part has pee soaked into it?! I want it replaced!
I don't know how long the mice have been there, as I discovered some plastic bags bunched up and stuffed into holes behind the sink, presumably put there by the previous occupant to keep the rodents out, and I'm aware the house had been vacant for at least 4 months before I went for it.
The landlord of the property is flatly refusing to replace anything and has said it's fine and isn't an issue in his opinion. EA have said they do agree with me, however they can't go against the LLs wishes.
He's (LL) offered a £200 reduction in our first months rent (for the unrelated fact the kitchen is covered is grease and grime) as his contribution to a professional cleaner, which IMO should have already been sorted prior to letting the property, so we're not really getting any special discount with that.

What the fuck do I do?! Is this allowed? Is there somebody I can contact? I just want to bloody move into the house that I've had the keys for for 3 weeks without the kitchen being soaked in mouse piss!

OP has this house got a valid gas safety certificate and electrical safety check in the last 5 years? Has all relevant paperwork been provided (How to Rent Guide, inventory, right to rent checks, deposit protection, CO monitors etc)? If not you have grounds to terminate the tenancy. The gas hob not working has alarm bells ringing. If you don't have this paperwork then get onto Shelter, the council and the agent.

I'm glad I made you smile. Even momentarily.
So glad too that you've walked away from this house. I hope you get all of your money back and then some.
I would wait till the thirty days are up if the deposit isn't protected- don't mention it. This landlord deserves being made to pay up.

https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/housing/Private_housing/Tenancies-deposits-and-evictions.aspx#:~:text=If%20the%20deposit%20hasn%27t,claim%20for%20an%20unprotected%20deposit.
if you have a standard private tenancy or Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) your landlord or agent must protect the deposit in a government scheme within 30 days of receipt and pass the details on to you.
You can check whether your deposit has been protected in one of the government schemes by clicking on the following links and submitting the relevant information:

• Deposit Protection Scheme
• Tenancy Deposit Scheme
• My Deposits

If the deposit hasn’t been protected within 30 days of payment and you haven’t been given any information, you can claim up to three times the amount of the deposit paid to your landlord and agent. You have up to six years to make a claim for an unprotected deposit.

I own a rental property which I keep in excellent condition as I would not expect my tenants to live somewhere I wouldn’t be prepared to live myself and I certainly wouldn’t live with a kitchen like that! In my opinion it should be replaced immediately!

I've armed myself with knowledge and I'm preparing for battle via email today.
I'm going to offer the LL an ultimatum - he either, off his own back, reimburses me for what I've paid toward the property (carpets, cleaning products, a few other bits and bobs), plus of course our deposit and first months rent... or I take him to court and factor in the emotional distress it's caused us as a family.
Really hoping he doesn't play silly buggers as I can't be arsed spending a moment longer worrying about any of it.

Also, got a hold of the safety certificates today. The LL was aware of the hob, it turns out, as it was listed as not working and it had no isolation. It had an order from the engineer for it to be replaced before anyone moved in. Not sure when this inspection was carried out, but it says the next inspection is due in October this year.

There were also 10 concerning defects on the electrical safety inspection which was carried out 4 years ago. They were all level 3 (least dangerous but warranted sorting out), but that was 4 bloody years ago.

The energy certificate also confirmed there is no loft insulation.

I'm feeling so much better about all of this now - I really thought I was just having to let an otherwise perfect place go on the basis of some kitchen units needing replacement.

Very good!

Send all this to the council private sector housing team.youve complained too as well.

On the ‘How do I complain …’ part of this page there is a link to an HSE page to report the failure to provide you with proof of gas safety. https://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqtenant.htm

This is good news. If you really want to play hardball, check to see if the 30 days is up with the deposit- when did you pay it? EG if it was 28 days ago and you let him know you're on to him now, he still has two days to get it into the deposit scheme and give you the details.

Good Luck!

Ooooh do keep us updated. I hope your horrible landlord has met his match!

The cupboards are fucked. The back had come off and that isn't something you can fix yourself.

I’m a landlord.

I’d be doing a kitchen refit for that. I wouldn’t expect my tenant to put up with piss covered units.

Ya need to contact the environmental health and shelter, uts is the landlords responsibility to ensure the home is habitable and it obviously is not, also paying for a flat prior to it being ready for entrance is a joke.

Hey, just want to say I'm so so sorry you are experiencing all this stress and disappointment....
I hope you get all your money back ASAP...
I think in the longterm you will save a lot more stress by not moving in to this place so you've made a tough and brave decision...
Let's all cross our fingers for you and wish you a great new home....
Maybe ask in your local Facebook community group as well explaining what happened.... Perhaps someone will give you the heads up on a private rental..
All the best x

any joy with the ll @MiceProblems ? Hope so!

Sorry for not updating sooner. Currently in dispute with the DPS over our deposit. Our deposit was £1100, LL gave us £850 back.

He has absolutely lied through his teeth. I've never known a blag like it. I honestly nearly threw up with fury when I read his reasons for trying to take £250 from us after all the trouble he'd already put us through. He clearly assumed we wouldn't have taken pictures of exactly how we'd left it - we'd half expected him to pull a prank like this, so I documented absolutely everything thankfully.

According to him:
Master bedroom was absolutely filthy and warranted a deep clean
Windows were filthy and covered in smudges
The BRAND NEW carpets WE paid for were 'stained and dirty' and needed a deep clean ?!

• basically saying everywhere needed a deep clean because of us. I could not believe the nerve!

I've sent dated/timed pictures I'd taken (just before we handed back the keys) to the DPS to prove that all of this is a complete lie. We had left it absolutely immaculate, I'd even cleaned the windows what we weren't responsible for dirtying - they were sparkling when we handed the keys back. Every room was freshly hoovered, cleaned and free from any dirt at all (except his god awful rodent infested kitchen), plus new carpets that we hadn't bloody been there enough to muck up, never mind stain! Thankfully I'd even taken pictures of the shiny clean windows as I wanted to cover all bases.

I was only going to try to get back what we'd paid for the carpets in court if he didn't agree to reimburse, but now I'm going do absolutely do him for everything - carpets, not meeting gas safety requirements, not meeting habitable home requirements and emotional distress. I'm not quick to anger, I'm usually quite good at remaining calm in tricky situations, but I am absolutely raging!

Your landlord won't be able to keep that money plus they will get fined for not having the gas certificate. That is a criminal offence.

This is the master bedroom which is clearly absolutely filthy and in need of a deep clean
I've scribbled the window incase someone recognises what it's directly facing.

Please take him to the cleaners. Disgusting behaviour from him.

Yes I think you can get 2 x your deposit for that.

Rooting for you op.

He's despicable.

We had a landlord say we'd stolen her curtain rails and replaced them with cheaper ones after we left.

Luckily I scoured rightmove and found pics of the same curtain rails up in adverts pre us even moving in!

I'd have ripped up the carpets and taken them with me!!!

Good luck OP - I hope you get a good outcome and also find somewhere else to rent

My worse landlord stalked me. Came to our new home, stated we climbed onto the roof of the house to rip down his leaking guttering and harrassed my daughter.
He now has a violence against the person order.
My crime? Refusing to vacate early during covid and not buying his crappy house (we were renting but he wanted to sell). We would have bought it but his behaviour caused me to develop PTSD and fibromialga.
This person works in the legal profession.