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Original poster

Have just written to my Landlord - could someone pleasde check it for me!!

31 replies

swiperfox · 19/05/2005 13:32

Just want to make sure it sounds ok and is laid out properly....Thanks!

Dear Mr Tory

Re: 3 Bell Street

I am writing in reply to your recent letter regarding overdue rent. I am currently waiting for conformation of my transactions from my Barclays account into the accound of the Dunning Will Trust, as, despite having made several payments on top of our regular rent the 'overdue' amount seems to have suddenly increased again.
As soon as I recieve documentation of my payments from Barclays I will contact you again to arrange payment of any overdue monies.

I have also had an inspection carried out by our Health Visitor with regards to the damp in the house which is still prominent in the middle room and bathroom. My 3 year old daughter has now been diagnosed with asthma and it seems to be the dampness of the house which is the prime cause of this. She is now having to be referred to a paediatrician and asthma specialist.
Despite blocking the front of the house where the rain was getting in, there is obviously water lying under the house as we re-painted all the walls after you addressed the problem but the paint has again come straight off where the walls are wet.

We are also awaiting a visit from Environmental Health with regard to the garden and the rat issue. As I wrote in a previous letter to you, after the poison was laid, the garden was never checked for dead rats or for further runs. Residents from further up the street are continuing to leave rubbish at the end of the garden on a weekly basis which is sure to contribute to rats coming back.
The property is described as 'with a garden' but due to no-one bothering to sort the rat problem we have no garden which, with two young children, is a major problem.

There is also another problem a little further up the alleyway - one of the residents has taken to hanging pheasants to a pole across the alleyway which is not only disgusting to see but will also attract rats.

As soon as we have had these visits and had paperwork returned from Barclays with regards to the rent I will contact you again.

Yours sincerely

OP posts:

SaintGeorge · 19/05/2005 13:38

Need to run it through spellchecker, rushing and only had time to glance through it but spotted a few errors:

conformation = confirmation
accound = account
recieve = receive

SenoraPostrophe · 19/05/2005 13:38

confirmation

do you want to stay in the house?

Original poster

swiperfox · 19/05/2005 13:43

My pc hasn't got spellchecker and i just did a quick drasft so will get those sorted - thatnks sp - knew i could count on you

We aren't planning to stay in the house but he doesn't know that - we are just buying ourselves some time because he has messed us around so much

OP posts:

Mosschops30 · 19/05/2005 13:46

Message withdrawn

Original poster

swiperfox · 19/05/2005 13:50

The landlords own the whole street so it's his tenenats leaving the pheasants in the alleyway that we use to get to our back gardens - should i take it out or let him know what they're doing?

Does the rest sound ok though? It's a bit rushed so I'm wondering if it sounds a bit wrong!!

OP posts:

Louise1980 · 19/05/2005 13:50

I have no help with regards to the letter but as for the damp environmental will try to sort that out for you. When they have inspected it they will tell the landlord he has so many days to sort it, then they will come back.

If its not they can be taken to court. I was told by EH to move out if possible but I coudnt get any extra points on council list till landlord had a chance to fix the problems.

Anyway they didnt do the work but I moved out before they were supposed to have finished. Ny son's asthma has improved immensley in the last 6mths, so much so he doesnt need inhalers daily anymore, just if he's poorly.

Keep on to them. Its your childs health!
Good Luck

SenoraPostrophe · 19/05/2005 13:51

I asked because calling in environmental health is a sure fire way to ensire your contract doesn't get renewed. Seriously, if your contract is up for renewal before you will be moving, then delete everything but the bit about the bank. It's not fair, but that's the way the system works.

If you will be there for a while you could request that he fix the damp (but this will be a hassle for you while living in the house). Also (if you mention it) you need to make the bit about the rats and the garden more clear - why can't you use the garden?

almostanangel · 19/05/2005 13:52

oh swiper.........................MOVE MOVE MOVE

SenoraPostrophe · 19/05/2005 13:53

louise1980 - all very well in theory, but landlords can and do string it out and then just get new tennants. the law is an ass on this one.

Mosschops30 · 19/05/2005 13:55

Message withdrawn

Original poster

swiperfox · 19/05/2005 13:57

I don't know what to do now about the environmental health bit now - they have said we owe them more rent than we do and that if we dont pay it to go by the 31st May. As you may have seen we were meant to be moving out tomorrow but have been held up for 2 weeks. Basically I need to put him on the back foot a bit to give us the two weeks here.
He already knows all about the garden and the rats - basically people dump all their rubbish at the bottom of our garden for the binmen and there's been a huge rat problem. It was last summer when they put poison down but no-one came to check if the rats were gone or to check for dead ones and i wasn't about to do it!! So the garden got totally overgrown. Aside from there there's all broken rubble and a smashed greenhouse in it which they've refused to do anything about so we cant let the kids out there rats or not!!We also asked them to write to the other tenenats asking them not to leave rubbish there but they didnt so wouldn't be surprised if the rates are back

OP posts:

SenoraPostrophe · 19/05/2005 14:03

in that case, call in enviromental health but don't tell him: he deserves to be taken to cvourt.

in the circs I would write a nice polite note explaining about the bank, and saying that you will get back in touch asap (nicley does it now, get nasty later). He can't turf you out without going to court although that does only take a couple of seeks now. He's not the type to send in the heavies is he? (this is illegal, but some landlords do it)

SenoraPostrophe · 19/05/2005 14:03

couple of seeks? it takes a couple of weeks

Original poster

swiperfox · 19/05/2005 14:05

They definately won't send in the heavies - it's not a private landlord as such, its the estate agents that we deal with and it's a trust that owns our side of the street and rents them all.

Thank you all for your help I'm off to the library this afternoon to print it off.

Hope it works!!!!

OP posts:

Original poster

swiperfox · 19/05/2005 14:07

Do you think i should keep quiet about the damp and the garden even though we've been on at him to sort it for the last 2 years?

OP posts:

SenoraPostrophe · 19/05/2005 14:09

no, just don't mention any of it - you can write to complain later. That's the only way to buy a few more weeks IMO (although technically, you can just refuse to move on the 31st but that might be stressful) It's too late for them to sort any of it for you now anyway.

horseshoe · 20/05/2005 12:44

Have you got a contract??

Either way, your landlord needs to give you 3 months notice if he wishes you to leave the property. Regardless of the reason why he wants you to leave. If you have a contract, tell him that by not giving due care to the property, the contract is deemed void. If you dont have a contract, he is stuffed. If you choose to stay longer for 2 weeks, he would have to use force to get you out which he cant do without giving you reasonable notice (3 months I think. In the meantime, he is NOT allowed to access your property without giving you 24 hours notice.

Send every letter by recorded mail and yes I would highlight all of the problems. I wouldn't agree to any outstanding rent either as then he has it all in writing so I would take out that you will pay him. Just write that as far as you are concerned you have paid and if he can prove you haven't then you will pay.

Original poster

swiperfox · 20/05/2005 19:32

Thinking about it, I'm not sure where we stand on the contract...... He sent through a new contract i think which stated that we changed frm a 6/12 month tenenacy to a rolling month tenancy but i dont think we ever signed it or sent it back!!

We will only be here for 2 weeks assuming that all goes to plan with the new house.

OP posts:

LIZS · 20/05/2005 19:41

If it was an Assured Shorthold Tenancy it just rolls on with the same notice periods applying unless it is superseded.

Kaz33 · 20/05/2005 19:44

The contract is probably an assured shorthold tenant contract. You would have signed up for an initial 6 or 12 month period. After that the contract automatically goes to a rolling monthly contract whereby you have to give one months notice and the landlord has to give three months notice.

Have you handed in your notice ?

Original poster

swiperfox · 20/05/2005 19:46

we haven't given him any notice. He's written to us saying that he reckons we owe him £1800 (next door have told us they reckon he's trying to get more money from them too) and that if we don't pay it to be out by the 31st May

OP posts:

Kaz33 · 20/05/2005 19:47

Do you have somewhere to go ?

Original poster

swiperfox · 20/05/2005 19:50

we were supposed to be moving today but our guarantor's accountant is on holiday so we have to wait until he comes back!!

OP posts:

Kaz33 · 20/05/2005 19:54

Do you owe him this money?
Has he provided details - if not ask for info ?
Does he have your deposit ?

Original poster

swiperfox · 20/05/2005 19:58

Not as much as he's claiming....
no - we need to ask him for proof
yes

OP posts:

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