To think my landlord is a spiteful dickhead

[3kiddosandme]

At this point im thinking my landlord is just a spiteful dickhead, I'll go into as much detail as possible here.
Earlier this year I was sent a section 21 notice out of nowhere, I questioned this and the landlord said because of significant damages to the property I have to leave. Now I have evidence that these significant damages are not my fault, I had the environmental health in because I was fed up of living in a shit hole basically, the whole house needs ripping out and fixing including floorboards and external doors according to the local council who did the inspection, the landlord also has to take up an asbestos survey due to damaged ceiling in the hallway.
I have 3 kids I the house, one is additional needs. I was offered a house by a housing association and I accepted, im yet to get the keys but the house was on major repair, I said this to the current landlord who said they were happy to let me wait it out, no repairs have done either by the current landlord as per the council report. They took me to court to evict me even though theyd said I could stay until my house was ready, ive never been behind on rent always paid in full and on time, a week ago the landlord turned up completely unannounced banging on the door I opened the door and I was told I should've moved out by now as the court stated the 25th july, I told them to get a warrant for eviction and come back with bailiffs, as of yet I haven't heard anything from the bailiffs. I emailed expressing that they didnt give any notice and they turned up with keys to let themselves in and since I haven't returned keys or made them aware that ive moved it was completely unacceptable. They stated that they sent a letter, they never did as ive still not recieved this magic letter they apparently sent. Anyway every single day they are emailing me asking for keys to be returned and I keep telling them I will return the keys once I have moved. At this point I just think they are being absolute dickheads. I hopefully should get the keys to the new property today.
Wibu to move and then throw they keys into their office in an envelope and leave without saying a word.

this is the reason so many landlords are selling up. Staying for bailiffs is absolutely unreasonable,

I dont really know what you expect me to do? They said i could wait until the new property was ready yet took it to court anyway and then turned up unannounced banging on the door, unless of course you think i should just make myself and 3 children homeless because the new property isn't ready and weve nowhere else to go to in the meantime

The only time it is ok to stay for Bailiffs is if you have been advised to do so by a HA or Council so as not to make yourself voluntarily homeless.
The Court told you to move out on 25th July so ideally you would have but I can see why you didn't want to if there is a bit of time before you can move into your new house.
The Landlord wants his house back so he can rent it out again - are you fully up to date with rent?

If the new keys are ready today make post the landlords through the letterbox once you’ve moved your stuff.

If the court gave you a date why would you not move out? You can't just stay there indefinitely until the other house is ready.

Staying for bailiffs absolutely isn't unreasonable.

Anyone who has been a landlord in the last 10 years (I am one) is, or should be, well aware of their local authorities policy on housing people evicted from private renting. Going through the full legal eviction process with tenants is something landlords should be prepared for as it's a necessity for many tenants.

And in the OP's case if the landlord hadn't been one of the scum slum landlords she wouldn't have needed to be rehoused after the environmental health visit anyway as they'd have done proper repairs!

The more of the shit landlords like the OPs that sell up the better.

I am yes, ive never missed or been late with rent, the lettings officer for the new property said to me that I should wait it out, I even went to court to try and delay the eviction process and the court staff told me to wait rather than pay nearly £400 to do the application

The council will have told her to stay.

It will be so much easier for the landlord to do the repairs when you and your children are not there so I completely understand why they are not doing any whilst you are still living there.

It is the landlords property and they probably have a mortgage to service every month, refurbishment costs, legislation to comply with and then tax on the eventual income left over.

You have an alternative place to go to, why not focus your energies on chasing the housing association and getting into the new place as quickly as possible rather than antagonising your old landlord.

I think you need to speak to a housing advice service like Shelter. Some areas like Northern Ireland also have the likes of the housing rights helpline depending on where you are it would be worth looking into who could give you free expertise on this. I think shelter would be a good shout as technically you're homeless given that you're overstaying your eviction. They might be able to negotiate with the landlord and your local authority and give you clear information on your entitlements and rights specific to the area you live in.

I would also ring the housing authority and ask for a clear timeline as to when you can get the keys for the property and I'd ask if they can put you up in temporary accommodation in between times due to the landlord being unwilling to let you stay for longer. Even if he did say initially you could hang on until the house was ready, I would imagine this was just a verbal agreement? So in that respect he's still entitled to change his mind, especially if there's work that needs done in the house that he can't do with you there.

I think if there is an argument re:damages having a tenancy advocate would also help in terms of protecting the deposit you paid on moving in. Some landlords will chance their arm and accuse a tenant of being destructive in order to claim the deposit paid and sometimes it's a genuine difference in opinion/expectation so having a 3rd party to advocate on your behalf would be beneficial.

I understand completely why staying where you are until the house is ready feels like the best option for you right now but you need a clear understanding of the consequence if there's further delays on your new house and if you could be held liable.

You say you were always up to date on rent. Have you paid rent for August given that you were meant to vacate the property in July?

Do you claim housing component of UC? I would also double check statements to ensure that is paid up to date.

Ok so why not continue to calmly reiterate that to the landlord and focus on the new house instead of fighting the landlord and repeatedly saying I'll let you know when I've left. Sharing the timeline would probably have helped the situation be less fraught, for all he knows you'll still be there next week or next month.

I have done that, ive been chasing daily for the last 3 months almost, and the delays are due to the contractor doing the refurbishment. I dont really have any contact with the current landlord except for when they're constantly emailing me every day from 9am, ive lived in this house for a pretty long time now and for the past 3 years no repairs have ever been done despite requesting them which had led to serious disrepair which I was then blamed for but like I said I got the environmental health involved so I could prove that the issues weren't down to me

You’ve trashed his house and won’t move out (despite a court order to do so), but HE’S the spiteful dickhead? I don’t think so.

No, I wouldn't say so, based on your post.
But you can always choose to move somewhere else.

Okay, so ive caused, rising damp in the downstairs hallway and living room , asbestos damage to a ceiling, doors to be unsecure, front and back, bathroom floor to be unsafe due to rotting timbers, landing to be unsafe due to rotting timbers, excessive cold due to windows being poorly fitted and warped out of shape, flooring to be inadequate due to mould and damp damage, along with so many other issues, if you can explain how that's my fault id be grateful

You're taking the piss. You keep saying he told you that you could stay, he's made it pretty damn clear that he wants you out so that's completely irrelevant.

The court gave you a date to move you, you are the one who is in the wrong.

Also the landlord did not force you to live there in the first place, did he force you to rent it in the first place.

Id stop being an idiot and just move out, your new living arrangements are not his concern, he owes you nothing.

It's also very possible the landlord is evicting op to try and avoid being held accountable by environmental health for the structural and health related issues in the property and take on a new tenant without spending on doing proper repairs. This happens far more than it should. We don't know that op has caused eviction worthy damage.

Yes August rent has been paid in full on the 1st despite the fact I was supposed to recieve the keys on the 4th of august but it has been delayed

We don’t and we certainly won’t get the truth from this OP.
Either way, she should have moved out as directed by the court.

Im confused, i thought if the court says you have to move by a date or the bailiffs will be in, i thought this was final?

Yeah he's completely awful and it's outrageous that people are defending him. People like him should be banned from being landlords (and have the extra property they're hoarding requisitioned to provide council housing tbh).

The court will have known your situation, they will have told you what is fair and reasonable. You have ignored that. Your landlord isn't the dickhead here.

It's not about defending him it's about acknowledging there are two sides here that the court will have heard and they made a decision based on all the facts that the OP is ignoring.

I’m astounded at some of the replies. Are people truly suggesting that OP should make themselves and their three children homeless, to convenience a landlord who has seemingly neglected the property?

The AIBU forum can be truly heartless, but this honestly takes the piss. How many of those responses are from people on ridiculous £200k + salaries, living comfortably in their 5+ bed detached houses, I wonder?

OP is rightly putting her family’s safety first. If they have no other accommodation to move in before the new house is ready, I’m not sure what alternative they gave.