Very long story as short as possible:
We have lived in our current home (privately rented) since April 2020. House is relatively old (1920s build, Victorian style), so lots of things have started to go wrong over the past few years. Landlord is really disinterested in any repairs that have arisen. We've had issues with the boiler (which eventually required full replacement), leaks from the bathroom into the kitchen, tiles randomly falling off in the bathroom and shattering, heavy doors randomly falling off their hinges (almost landing on my toddler and instead landed on my arm to prevent this). All repairs we've needed have generally required repeated requests to the landlord before any action has been taken. The boiler issue for example went on for around 4-5 months, breaking pretty much fortnightly in that time, before landlord eventually agreed to replace it and that was over the winter months too with a baby, so totally nightmare.
The worst problem however, has been a leak in the back porch area (which is an extension on the house), which we first brought to the landlord's attention in October 2020. I know this because I was pregnant with my now almost 3 year old at the time and was concerned about slipping on large pools of water that came through the roof into the house near the back door every time it rained. Landlord did nothing. He replied to requests to fix it with comments such as "it's only a problem when the rain is coming from a particular direction" and so on... promised to get certain treatments to try and address it, never did, etc.. just fobbing us off essentially for years.
It came to a head last year when I decided enough was enough and I was sick of almost slipping in large puddles of rain water every time it rained heavily. At this point it had gone for so long the plaster work was falling off in chunks as the rain came through into the back porch area. We were constantly sending photos and videos of this to the landlord, again, nothing done to repair. So I contacted the council in desperation. They were horrified on inspection and got in touch with him, giving him deadlines and timeframes to fix it etc.
We now have a timeframe for something being done, he's apparently told the council workmen are coming round on a date in a few weeks time to put up a scaffold. However today on the phone to my partner he stated that he didn't like that we "updated" the council every time there was an issue and it felt like "tit for tat". My partner is quite a passive person and didn't challenge this but I am FUMING at this comment.
How dare he suggest we are in a "tit for tat" game playing situation here? He has forced our hand by doing nothing about the problem for 3.5 years, and now we have someone advocating for us and giving him deadlines and consequences for not fixing the issue, he has the audacity to accuse us of playing a "tit for tat" game?!
For context this is not a cheap property, we pay £900 a month to live here. And the place isn't even watertight and hasn't been for 3.5 years. The roof where the leak is at the point of literally crumbling away. I worry the whole thing is going to collapse on my toddler's head. Since our tenancy began in April 2020 we have paid this man around 41k in rent. What the hell has he done with our money and why can't he use some of that to fix the bloody state of the place? Instead of calling my partner to imply we are doing something wrong by involving the council? I am SO angry.
AIBU to have involved the council for help?
AIBU to be fuming and to expect a watertight property for £900 a month?!!