Neglectful Landlord of run down property

[vanityallisvanity]

LL of the flat next door to mine lets it through an agent, but when I have spoken to them they say LL is hard to contact and very disinterested in maintaining this property. It has progressing damp and neglect of any repairs that will cost money and I'm concerned about them because they are starting to affect my property.

Really asking here if this has happened to anyone who has been a tenant or agent of this kind of LL. Did it ever get resolved or did the LL just let it get run down and then sold it? I'm in an area where builders would buy this kind of place to refurbish then sell, but because it's an older, top floor property in a bad state would they be interested? If decent repairs were done it's hard to see if they would make much of a profit on a sale.

I'm wondering what incentive a LL would have, if any, to keep the property in better condition.

So as not to dripfeed AFAIK the LL has owned the flat and a few other nearby properties for a long time and possible inherited them. LL has never lived in any of them, and it's possible has never seen the property next to mine.

Not sure about any incentive to keep their property maintained but I had a previous issue with damp from next door affecting my house for which they had no inclination to fix. We sent a solicitors letter giving them a timeframe to rectify it and it got them to sort it. I think our solicitor said that they could be liable for damages to our house if the issue was not sorted in a reasonable timeframe once notified of the issues.

no direct experience, but if it is tenanted then the tenant can get an enforcement notice served. And if it is empty I think you can.

Try your council for advice. Start now, it is going to take a long time.

Have you spoken to the tenant, are they complaining to the Agent/Ll about the damp and other issues?

Special is correct, they could contact the council (Environmental Heath department maybe?) and complain about the living conditions. They would visit and if they agree, they would issue a legally enforcable notice telling the ll to do x repairs by x date or they will do it and charge ll.

If it is empty you can contact the council (Empty Homes department) and they will issue the same notice if the agree with you.

Its worth one last letter to the agent threatening this, if nothing else so you have proof that youve been trying to sort it out amicably.

Sunnyshores the tenants treat the flat as a squat, even thought they are paying rent. As they don't work it may be they have a trust fund/private income. When I spoke to them last they said they were planning to move, but have not as yet.

If I complain to the council would they require a survey first at my expense to assess the damage and recommend repair works?

I have an ongoing and friendly contact with the letting agent, and have indeed written a letter at their request, but ultimately they feel their hands may be tied because of the disinterest of the LL.

Im not sure that you can complain to the council if the property isnt empty or if the property isnt affecting your safety (I had a case where the neighbours 6ft garden wall was in danger of falling into our garden and could have injured someone). But its worth a go. No, there is no charge to you if they agree to come out and look.

Could you ask the tenants to report the damp anyway? Maybe even draft a letter for them so its really easy.

I would also continue to write to the landlord c/o the letting agent threatening action.

On another similar thread someone said they got a solicitor to write a letter to property owner threatening a claim for damages due to damp on shared walls (that was caused by other owner not doing repairs). It worked for them, but not sure if ultimately it is an offence. Maybe worth a free hour with a solicitor to ask as a writing a letter wouldnt be too expensive.

Do you share the freehold or is the freehold held by someone else? The freeholder is the person to contact.

Ah missed that it was a flat!

What pragmatic said! If you are leasehold your lease will probably have something relevant in it. Either way, if you have a service charge, speak to whoever collects it.