Long post but not trying to DF.
So, it's messy, but.....
My husband rented our house, before we got together, from a friend of his mums. More than 10 years later, married, 2 kids and a LOT of issues, we have been served an eviction notice.
What led to it and my reason for asking who-IBU is that her and I have never really understood each other or connected and she has not kept up to date with the legalities of renting property.
The first problem we really had was the completely open stairs (no banister etc). We had no problem until I fell pregnant and it became a major hazard. She took 3 years to have a banister installed, in which time we had approached her numerous times and offered up different solutions to get it done. Eventually we bought timber and plasterboard to put up ourselves (no cost to her and minimal damage to the property that would have been easily repaired and we would have done upon leaving if needed) but that wasn't good enough so she refused to let us install it and the supplies have sat behind our sofa since.
We have asked for but never had, new flooring and so did it ourselves, along with decorating and repairs as much as possible. We can't touch anything gas but even plumbing issues have, for the most part, been sorted by my husbands plumber brother at no cost to the landlady.
Our bathroom needed replacing due to age, leaks and black mould. I offered to go halves or simply source everything needed and have fitted by BIL (again at no cost to her). AGAIN, she would not allow this. She wouldn't even take seriously the thick black mould growing under the window (boxed in but broken) despite us now having a 3 year old and a newborn (it was first reported to her before I fell pregnant with our first son)
The last straw, for me, was the boiler breaking (for the 100th time!). At the same tim, a very large mushroom was growing by the toilet from the black mould and she had decided that she could no longer manage the property (as well as the others she lets) and had handed over to a letting agent (fair enough). However, the agency wanted us to sign a new contract with terms I wasn't happy with (and some I'm still not certain are even legal - New tenants MUST sign up with XXX company for their gas and electricity supplies upon moving in. It didn't apply to us but still dodgy, imo.) They had changed some of the terms as requested by the landlady and then one as requested by us but refused to change anything else because "that's a standard agreement and we can't change it." (despite already doing so.)
So while TRYING to negotiate the new tenancy, we are trying to sort out who is going to arrange getting the boiler replaced as we have now been without hot water or heating for 3-4 weeks and its WINTER!! The agents won't because we haven't signed yet and the landlady won't because "you need to speak with the agency". So another week or so I call the council, they send Environmental Health out and they (EH) sends a report to the landlady and the estate agents. EH also informs me that, although they can't be quoted legally, we don't even need to sign a new contract for them to manage because ours existing one still stands and they only need to have one with the landlady. I get back to the agents and tell them this and we will sign but not until the changes are made (which are that we can be forced to rehome our dog and 2 cats should it be requested and our SORN car must be made road legal etc (which is an expense we can't afford and we can't simply sell it as it was a gift of sorts) so it's not like I'm asking them to let me move another family in or use it as a brothel! But they won't budge now. Another week and they email me stating that they have a boiler "ready to go" but we can't have it unless we sign. I reply, with evidence that this is completely illegal, he backtracks and "it" hits the fan.
Finally, after 9 weeks of being with no boiler and having the council and others get involved on our behalf, the boiler gets installed. The agency refuses to now manage our property and the landlady instructs a company to fix other issues raised by EH like replacing the bathroom including the entire floor as it had been wrecked from the leaks and mould.
We have not sought compensation, we have no rent arrears and have not asked for anything from her since. She them convinces the SAME people to take on the property management again. I am contacted but because of the complete pile of shizz that they speak and are, I simply tell them I am seeking advice & representation and will get back to them asap. The landlady then texts me informing me that they are going to manage it so (basically) do as they say or she will have us evicted.
We have now been served our notice.
(Just to note, our rent is VERY good but there was no deposit so won't be owed anything)
So.... in your opions WHO is being the A?