Hi,
I have been renting a three bedroom, top floor flat for six years now in England. Just so you know, there is a letting agent, landlord and a block management company involved.
Eighteen months ago we had a considerable leak in one of the bedrooms, affecting the next door bedroom as well but not as badly. This led to a lot of damage to the ceiling and the formation of mould within the first bedroom and to a lesser extent in the second bedroom.
As far as we are aware, the leak has only recently been sorted by the block management company(who owns the roof etc…)
Just over three weeks ago, a large inspection hole was cut into the ceiling, the workmen (instructed to come by block management) who undertook the work did not put any dust sheets down over any of the furniture, causing an incredible amount of dirt and debris throughout the entire flat, rendering the room unusable. We were left on a Friday afternoon with a gaping hole and no instruction as to what was going to happen next.
Only after contacting our letting agent to inform them about the state of the bedroom had been left in, with a gaping hole and bits of debris falling, did they come to do a temporary fix to cover the hole which was after a week.
As the bedroom is still unusable. My daughter has for more than three weeks been sleeping in the lounge. The letting agent did offer to get the place cleaned, but we see no point until the job has been completed.
My landlord has reduced my rent by £200 for the past couple of months and is now wanting full rent regardless of the work being incomplete. A plan has been put in place, however, we have not been given a timeline for when these will be completed and this could take some considerable time.
In addition to this, there was a leak in the kitchen but this was very minor, and we have a major condensation issue in the bathroom as the extractor fan is apparently not strong enough so the ceiling is covered in mould which is now being revealed as the paint is flaking off.
The problem we have is that the building (roof etc..) is managed by a block management company. My letting agent has basically said that the damage is the responsibility of the block management and this nothing to do with the landlord, and therefore, does not want to give us any compensation.
What are my rights as a tenant in this situation?
Am I entitled to a continued rent reduction or additional compensation given the ongoing uninhabitable condition of the bedroom and the disruption this has caused?
I have attached photos as supporting evidence and would be very grateful for your advice.
https://imgur.com/a/yfm4FP9
Should you require any further information, please let me know.
Thanks in advance! 😁👍