Landlord expectations

[karmalama]

Have never rented so would like some advice
Helping my adult dd move for a job, due to it being several hours away and being on a really tight deadline she had to make a decision on a video viewing.
I took her up to collect keys yesterday , it's basically fine but there are a few issues which need sorting urgently .
The main ones being that one toilet has no water going to it and has stinky yuck in it, smells like a sewer if you open the door
there's no handle on the bedroom door so you could get stuck in or out if door shut , fitted wardrobes are unusable as middle door off its runners so you can't slide any doors open plus it's meant to be unfurnished and there is a massive table and chairs and a hideous corner unit taking up loads of space in a tiny flat.
She emailed the landlord today but has had no reply yet.
Dh could fix most of the issues fairly easily but I'm assuming he isn't allowed to do this ?
What's a reasonable time scale to expect anything to be sorted ? Am worried having seen threads on here that might be never !
Not being precious, there's loads of other stuff wrong ie not clean, windows missing catches , fridge full of flies , but those we can deal with, live with.

Oh my god. That sounds terrible.
Document it all, contact the LL to request these issues are sorted ASAP.
Prepare her for the requirement to move as soon as her tenancy is up. That's a slum lords property she's rented.

Usually landlords like to do much of their stuff, but like everything else it varies.

But her landlord is definitely taking the piss.

@Blizzardbeach thanks , glad I'm not being slated for being precious !

It's her first move away from home and I felt like bloody pollyanna yesterday trying to put a positive spin on things, " it will be lovely once all your stuff is in here " etc etc while thinking how the feck can this landlord rent this like this.
We rent out a property we inherited, we had a professional clean before we let it and any issues we deal with in hours, would be ashamed to palm this off to anyone.

Make sure you've got a email trail of when you let the LL know. We're currently in a rather expensive rental through an upmarket letting agent which we thought would be better than the last time we rented. Nope, they're just as bad!

So, stuff that would be classed essential took several weeks. We moved in and found the oven wasn't working. That took 3 weeks to replace with a lot of chasing up. The garage door got stuck down and couldn't be lifted. It was a couple of weeks until they sent someone to fix this.
Other issues have never been dealt with and we're a year in now - there's dodgy wiring in the utility room with a plug socket below a not very reliable water supply thing. We just haven't used that sink for a year!

We chased up every 2-3 days with things like the oven.

Things like the wiring we've logged with them, then mentioned it at each house inspection.

@RidingMyBike you are paying to use that plug in the utility room though personally I would be writing to them to tell them that you want it fixed and a new electrical inspection to prove that it safe some landlords really take the piss.

Does she have a detailed inventory, protected deposit, legal gas/ electrical certificates, How to Rent guide, etc?

Of course it is the landlord's responsibility to fix these issues, but if you can fix some things for her immediately like the door handle and wardrobe door, I personally would just do it rather than have her wait.

Take photos/ videos of before, so that she has evidence in case of any deposit dispute.

I rented for years and we often just fixed minor things ourselves as it was more convenient to us and a lot quicker than having various people in and out to assess the problem, get approval from landlord, order any parts, visit again to repair.

Thanks @AuntSalli, yes, I know, but we reminded letting agent several times over months and this is a temporary rental as we're selling then buying. So more concerned with getting our deposit back intact and leaving a stinking review online for the letting agent once we're out!

We can also point out the dodgy electrics to people viewing once we give notice.
Along with the poor sound and heat insulation.

Did you go through a letting agent? If so contact them via email and include photographs. Landlords like this make my blood boil. 😡

Does she have a detailed inventory, protected deposit, legal gas/ electrical certificates, How to Rent guide, etc?

This ^

Also, add a valid EPC to that list.

Make sure everything is documented in an email, even tiny things, eg stains, marks, scratches, cleanliness, flies in the fridge, and contest the inventory if they are not already listed. Take photos. If there isn't an inventory, this is even more important.

You could ask the landlord to have the property professionally cleaned but that means your DD will have to leave the property cleaned to a professional level. What does her contract say? If it specifically states that she needs to leave it cleaned to a professional level, she should demand that it is cleaned to that level at move in.

The landlord has to maintain the structure/fixtures/fittings of the property and make repairs in a "reasonable time". Reasonable depends on the nature of the repair eg health and safety issues need dealing with urgently. If they don't, your DD can ask environmental health to inspect the property and compel the landlord to do the work.

If the toilet isn't functioning (and there isn't another toilet in the house), that would be considered an emergency as it is a health and safety risk. The landlord needs to get someone out today.

The bedroom door handle, window catches are also safety risks in a fire but not as urgent as the toilet. I think 48 hours would be reasonable with some leeway if the landlord genuinely cannot find a workman. Point out that they are a health and safety risk in the email.

The wardrobe is not urgent. 14 days would probably be a reasonable time frame.

Is the property rented as unfurnished in the contract? If it is, she can insist that the furniture is removed. If it is described as part furnished, she might be stuck with them.

Landlord here - and that is shocking. No way should you put up with that - the toilet issue alone is disgusting

Have you seen elec & gas certificates?

Contact agent with details and photos by email

Also, does the property have at least one smoke alarm per floor that has been tested to make sure they work at the beginning of the tenancy?

Thanks all
We have an epc, that was done on Thursday
No inventory
Not sure re certificates, will find out

We rented through a letting agent, which gave me confidence as they seemed reputable and good at communicating. When dd went in though to pick up the keys, he said that they didn't manage the property, just the letting side so basically any issues deal with the landlord and gave her an email address and a how to let guide.

There is one alarm of some sort on the ceiling but there's no top to it, just bare wires so am assuming that's pants. Helpfully there was however another new one in a box sitting on the kitchen counter !

No reply from landlord yet, but to be fair it is the weekend

Was definitely unfurnished as we had the option and chose unfurnished. I think plan is that if no contact from landlord by time we take her furniture up on Tuesday, we will bring it home to store in our garage and put it back at the end. It's a ridiculous massive table in a small studio flat, would seat 8 !

Dh been out today and bought door handle, toilet cistern bits and a curtain pole , no curtain pole in bedroom. Unless landlord says no by Tuesday, will again just sort it for her. It's just that she is quite anxious and very rule orientated and she doesn't want to get in trouble for fixing stuff.
My own take is he obviously doesn't care about the condition of the flat and we can only improve things. Genuinely don't see how someone can have in in their heart to just ignore all those issues and charge massive rent. Had to pay six months up front as well plus six months in advance in 6 months, so he is getting a nice chunk of money for basically doing nothing.

If the landlord is managing the property themselves, the fact that it is the weekend is not an excuse. They (or a service provider they contract) need to be available 24/7 for emergency repairs eg leaks, broken toilets.

Inventory
If there is no inventory, make sure you take photos of everything and make your own inventory. Send a copy to the landlord.

Gas/Electrical Safety certificate
A copy of these should be provided BEFORE the tenant moves in.

Smoke alarms
The landlord is responsible for checking that there are working smoke alarms, one per floor minimum, BEFORE the tenant moves in.

The issue with your DH fixing things is the landlord may hold your responsible if anything is damaged (or they claim it is) by your DH's DIY. If you don't have the landlord's permission to install the curtain rail, you may have to remove it and make good the wall at the end of the tenancy. If you remove the furniture, store it and it is damaged, the landlord can charge you for it. You need to give the landlord a chance to remove it.

There are scammers pretending to be landlords & promoting property to rent via the Internet & asking for deposits over email & sending contacts over email. When the property doesn't actually exist & they have just copied information from the Internet. Catfish property !

I strongly suggest that zero money changes hands until the property is seen by you or your child in person

Or rent via a reputable estate agency where everything is set up with deposit, rental agreement, inspection of property before, during & end of tenancy. Where everything is working before you move in.

View the property in person

Thanks all
Lots of useful info

@chesirecat99 issue with furniture is that it's a tiny flat and a massive table, her stuff won't fit in with it there and it's too big to fit in a car, if we don't put it in the van after we drop furniture off we won't have another opportunity as it's 3 hours away . At this point I'd be happy to chop it up for firewood and buy him a new one 🤣

@Electric1Driver2lessVehicle3
I was a bit suspicious of that. I phoned the letting agency on their landline and everything went through rightmove. Ideally we would have viewed but being three hours away and having three weeks to find something with nothing coming in to the market made it pretty impossible. She only has to stay there a year, she can hopefully find something better after that with no time pressure.
It is a real flat, just a bit crap