Elderly neighbour w landlord problem

[user1469770863]

Can anyone advise... elderly neighbour has big problems with damp etc. Landlord, who lives nearby, has been informed but is ignoring/refusing to engage. Neighbour is afraid of pushing the issue in case of reprisals as has no relatives/ anywhere to move to / limited funds and is becoming very distressed. I am at a loss and appealing to the collective wisdom of MN.

I think I would try citizens advice and the local council.
But if the landlord if refusing to do anything currently, I wouldn’t hold much hope that anyone else will get things sorted quickly. But worth a phone call to each service to see?

yes, I thought CA. Thanks for your response, I'm grateful.

Help the aged and the council also have services for elderly people, I found them both really helpful.

Shelter website has some good advice too.

Environmental Health team at the council. They can inspect.
If your neighbour has complained in writing to the landlord (text/email is fine) and the landlord then serves notice to leave then it'd be classed as a retaliatory eviction, council again will investigate.

This was my area of expertise before I went back to working in construction, so this might be a couple of years out of date but hopefully helpful.

I would speak to the council, and ask the environmental team to have a look, legally if the tenant does this the landlord cannot then make a retaliatory eviction. I would tell the landlord you’ve done this after you’ve spoken to the council, the council will come and inspect and look not just at the damp but the whole property (I think it’s like 18 things they’ll check) and can order a legally enforceable order for the works to be done, again the tenant cannot be evicted during this time for these works.

Sheltered housing for older people do come up more regularly than general needs housing- your neighbor would need to go on the housing register- would they consider moving?
I'm glad they have a friend like you.

Its Environmental Health you need.

The local council will have a housing enforcement officer or some such similar title, who is there to use the law to force rogue landlords to up their game. That is your best option for all the reasons posted above. I would also suggest that looking on the charity Shelter's website might be helpful and maybe they have a helpline.

Thank you all who've taken the time and trouble to help. Much appreciated.

@CrotchetyQuaver yes they are called Environmental Health Officers

[quote Northernsoullover]@CrotchetyQuaver yes they are called Environmental Health Officers [/quote]
Not necessarily as that isn't their title at my local council. No need to make clever dick comments trying to put other people in their place. Since I was a councillor for a number of years, there's a fair chance I may know and have done more to help tenants with housing problems than you.

I should have added both private and social tenants. the processes aren't the same, but you probably wouldn't know that...

I used to be a repairs manager for a massive landlord firm.

Firstly, is it definitely mould from damp or could be condensation from poor ventilation as it makes a bug difference to what support is out there.

If they aren't opening windows and airing the house, drying clothes on radiators, not keeping fans on or windows open in bathrooms etc then it is a lot harder to force the landlord to rectify things as it classes as Tennant damage.

If it is genuinely a damp issue then there are steps you can help your neighbour take. The first being engaging the environmental control officer at the local council. They will do an inspection and issue a notice to the landlord to rectify work. The landlord will be given a reasonable timescale to complete works and they will take court enforcement action if necessary.

Legally the landlord cannot evict for this either, so if you go down that route please ensure there are no rent arrears or anything else that could be classed as a breach of tenancy