Private landlord is not helpful

[Mumtobe202310]

Hi All,

My DH and I have been living in a private rented flat for 6 years now.

During these years, whenever the cold season came which let's be honest in London is 90 percent of the time, we would have to migrate from our bedroom to the living room and sleep in our sofa bed. All because, the room becomes like the Antarctic. Not even kidding. It becomes so cold, like if you go to the bedroom and go to the living room it's like 2 different climate zones.

Last year, while we had a plumber come to fix our shower, he pointed out to my DH that there are 2 massive gaps on both sides of the bedroom windows and bathroom windows. That is why it's so cold, all the draft comes in. We went round the flats and all the flats around here have their gaps filled in around windows except ours. We emailed the landlord they done inspection etc but they say it's not up to them they can't do anything.

So basically 9 out of 12 months we have been sleeping in the living room all these years.

I didn't mind so much then, but now I have an 11 month old baby. There is mould and damp in the home too. Nearly for like 10 months we been sleeping in the living room, everything I've moved there. I don't mind it, but the thing is 24/7 being in 1 room pretty much gets frustrating. I want to be able to want to go into the bedroom and for us to sleep there. I would have liked for them to help atleast fill the gaps so it's not cold anymore.

Does anyone have any advice for how I can deal with this?

The landlord is not helpful at all.

Try your council.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homes-fitness-for-human-habitation-act-2018/guide-for-tenants-homes-fitness-for-human-habitation-act-2018

Your flat sounds uninhabitable. I'm surprised you've lived there for 6 years like this! Not that easy to find a flat, but still, six years!

Thank you so much for the link, it is actually really helpful. Very thankful for it. I know 6 years was wayyy too long. It's just not healthy at all, and imagine the landlord refused to put a kitchen door! This electrician who came to fix the boiler once was kind enough to tell my husband that the boiler needs to be replaced as its old and dangerous, and that the kitchen has so much damp and condensation which is being caused by not having an extraction fan , and we raised this with the landlord and he flat out refused, even refused just a simple kitchen door! so for around nearly 11 months with my LO we been practically living in the living room with the kitchen there with no door.