tenancy issues..........advice for my sister

[moschops]

not sure if anyone can help but it's worth an ask!!

there are many issues but the main one was brought to my attention yesterday. my sister has received a letter from her landlord stating he is moving out of his offices. he has requested that all rent/mail be sent to the address my sister lives at (5 flats, communal hallway) the tenants have been instructed to leave any post addressed to him by the front door for collection. my sister is concerned that a) she doesn't want to leave her rent there for him as it is not secure and b) if money goes missing then the finger 'could' be pointed at them.

he actually owns this property himself but is an agent for MANY properties in the area and therefore there is likely to be a large amount of money around.

also he will not give out a contact address for himself. my sister has one phone number for him and that is all.

there are numerous problems with the property (for example leaking roof, and they are in the attic flat of a 5 storey building with NO fire escapes)

is there anything she can do legally about these issues?

Is he seriously suggesting that people leave cash in the hallway. Is he mad ? Can't see how he can point the finger at any tenants, unless there is proof.

Well if he owns the property, then get the title details from the land registry - this will include an address for service/registered address. It doesn't cost much - a few pounds.

As to legal rights, not so hot on residential property. Your sister does have rights and certainly the landlord has a legal obligation to maintain the property. Hopefully someone else can advise.
But if you are concerned about the health and saftey of the building then contact the council.

I would have thought that some building regulations would apply - perhaps get her to speak to the council planning office. However it could be that the conversion predates anything now relevant and is exempt. Is the area by the front door secure, I would have thought he could either put up a secure post box or take on a POBox address instead. Perhaps the tenants could group together and have something written legally (CAB perhaps) to disclaim responsibility for any post or monies which should go astray.