Anyone have any advice re. repair of lift and common-ways (private tenant)?

[milki]

I have a meeting with our letting agent tomorrow to renew our tenancy agreement and I want to say something about the fact that the lift in our building hasn't worked since June. I have tried getting information from the council, Shelter and Citizens Advice but it seems that common-ways are a grey area in the law.
I live up five flights of stairs with 2 small children and it is a PITA. My neighbour also struggles as she is in her 60s with arthritis and can't carry her shopping etc up all the stairs. I don't know what to do. The landlord just fobs us off with excuses. I really want to say something to letting agent tomorrow that will help get the issue addressed but fear I am actually powerless, and we just have to put up with it. There is nothing specific in tenancy agreement re. lift and common-way.

Can anyone help? I would love to move but can't afford to

TIA

Is there anything in your agreement about the landlord maintaining the services? And do you know whether your landlord owns just your flat or the whole block?

Do you pay a service charge? I think that it will depend on what your lease exactly says as to what your redress is. Is there a tenants' association? Are most of the flats privately owned? I think that it will be difficult to get one landlord to fix the lift if he only owns one flat, not the block.

He owns the majority of flats but not all, some are owner-occupiers. I think he is one of three freeholders. Nothing in agreement covers any of this, just that he agrees to observe the landlord's repairing obligations in Section 11 of L/L & Tenant Act 1985. I can't find anything about this act that relates to common-ways and services not actually in flat.

Would it be of benefit to set up a tenants/residents association then? I think some of the owner-occupiers might pay a maintenance fee. And what would be a reasonable amount of time to expect him to sort the lift out, if he is in fact partly (with other freeholders) responsible? It is so frustrating!

M