I'm pretty sure our landlords are essentially OK, but I would like to know where we stand just in case, because I suspect this could cost them quite a lot of money and I know they are only renting out the house to save money while they live with relatives...
OK. So.
We rent a four bedroom terraced house for £595 a month. We have been here since April 2011. For the first six months we rented through a letting agency, then the landlords took over with another six month tenancy, which we haven't got round to renewing. The gas check hasn't been done, but I am pretty sure this is an oversight rather than the landlord being a knob.
The landlords are a young couple with a little boy of around the same age as our little girls, and they are living with a set of parents (I think his, as hers live in China as far as I can tell) while they set up an accountancy company. They told us they intend to get more houses on a buy to let basis, but I don't think they have yet.
We haven't once bothered them in the entire time we have been here. There are now some minor repairs that need doing - mostly leaks from water pipes that we can't fix and are reluctant to try anything drastic. We were hoping to mention them when we got the tenancy renewed but never got round to getting it sorted out. The only time the rent was late was this month, by one day, because of a problm with the bank - it is only actually due on the 1st of the month anyway, but we pay it on the 28th to make sure it goes in, but the landlords mum mentioned it yesterday (we were intending to sort it out anyway that afternoon, but we had got a bit distracted by the fact that the house was flooded)
So, yeah, the main thing. The house got flooded on Thursday. The storm drains just couldn't cope, and the entire street (and the two behind) was trying to drain into the drain at the backs of our houses. The water rose by about a foot in an hour outside the house. The neighbours were out trying to fix the drains, and I offered to help, but couldn't really do much except try to block the doors with towels and duvets because DH was stuck on the other side of Newcastle in the weather. Luckily only the floor got wet as not very much got in, although you could splash about in it- the house floor level is higher than the outside floor level. The carpet was absolutely sodden and we are waiting to see if furniture, laminate floor, kitchen units, etc will dry properly. The house stinks of damp.
OK (sorry, I'm trying to get all the details in) so we tried to ring the landlords but they are on holiday in China. The mans mum was in though, so she came round and told us to take the carpet up as soon as possible, which we did. Underneath are some old seventies style vinyl tiles, which I actually quite like, but my dad saw the picture on facebook and said they probably have asbestos. Some of the tiles round the edge are broken.
I turned the electricity off when the water started coming in, which made the security alarm start beeping. We couldn't find the number, so, after several hours (bearing in mind we had been trying to save the house contents, I had seen a few puddles turn into a foot of water in an hour whilst trying to keep the kids safe, DH had been trying to get home for four hours in thunder and lightening and really extreme rain - we were stressed) DH took the battery out.
Luckily, we have contents insurance (we only took it out on Tuesday!) so we will try to claim for our rugs and any of our furniture, food, clothes, toys etc that doesn't dry out, obviously only if the excess makes it worth it.
..I think that is it. Oh, 5yo DD1 has mild asthma, so I need to be extra careful with dust and damp etc. Both kids are, well, not traumatised exactly, but definitely more clingy and upset. (DD2 is 2.5)
So...HELP! What is our responsibility, what is the landlords, what needs to be done, etc?
Three houses were affected (we are in the middle) - the next door neighbours have lost kitchen appliances and brand new carpets, so we are lucky really. It was really scary - at the rate the water was rising, I thought we would have to be rescued if it carried on raining. It was really, really extreme weather - the type that no planning can really help with. The tyne bridge was struck by lightening. There were landslides on to the Metro tracks. Everyone is scared of clouds now :(