Can we talk about my tenancy? Sexual harassment, blind eyes all round

[ProfessorSillyStuff]

My landlord sexually harassed me, created poverty and the authorities are under-rsspondinf badly. In rent arrears but my landlord is claiming it's more than it should be! Council won't house us, private landlords won't look at us ( we are all disabled, single mum to 3 and 4 year olds) Probably can't get legal aid. Landlord wants to evict us, I want to leave but nowhere to go. Police involved as landlord essentially stalking me but they don't seem concerned. Adult social care, council engagement and prevention doing very little to help. House in serious disrepair and needing adaptations, consent refused... help!

Sorry you’re experiencing this
Break it down and gather evidence for all components
Sexually harassment, keep record events,dates. did you report?
How has your LL created poverty?
The stalking keep dates,event record. Can anyone corroborate?
Rent arrears - disputed amounts. Do you have bank statements, DIrect debit to show what’s been paid. How is your rent paid?

You’re a tenant in accommodation so youre not homeless
Eviction, LL cannot undertake eviction during covid restrictions
However you want to seek new accommodation, can you look for alternatives

You mention ASC are involved- what’s their role?Are they involved because of your child

What would you like ASC and Local authority to do?how would you like this resolved?

Some links for you

Free legal advice - Law Works

Law works locations

Mary ward centre london

Thanks so much for your replies everyone. I'm scared and confused and nobody seems to understand what is happening or what recourse I have.

I guess a big part of the problem is that my landlord is a multimillionaire and very vindictive. He took an architect to court before, then when he lost he turned on his own solicitor (a qc) and tried to sue him for malpractice. He lost that too.

I think people are scared to act maybe? I reckon my own family are probably too scared. Don't have a lot of friends due to ASD. Which is probably why I walked into this so blindly.

I have a lot of evidence but noone seems bothered to look at it. I reported the harassment 3 times, the first being 2019.

I have had no gas safety check in over a year and the house now has hazard 1 improvement order on it but this only mentions the unsafe single glazed windows and the unheated rooms, doesn't mention the dangerous electrics or hole in the roof.

LA don't care about gas safety. Had to report him to gas safe myself. He's now making life difficult around that, making last minute apps then cancelling them and blaming me, saying I didn't confirm the appt ( all this by email after the police have told him not to email me anymore)

ASC are involved because I called them as I can't cope with all this and keeping my kids safe and healthy any more, trying to recover from domestic violence, the police then referred me to them and a mental health practitioner after I reported my landlord the third time ( he had been going to my last landlord and leaving notes around enquiring about me)

I guess I wish the LHA and gas safe would prosecute him already? I'm worried that pushing for prosecution on a criminal charge will escalate his behavior and put my children at risk.

Also my mum's caravan has been broken into twice in the last fortnight, this was not the work of kids, and much destruction was done, very little theft, I am scared this was him.

As for the poverty, I moved in on the understanding of 550 pm until repairs were done, and that the rent money would be spent on providing materials, some for me to use on minor repairs ( hence the low rent) also that a builder would be employed to do some plastering, second finish etc
Cue Builder never hired, skip not hired, rubbish dumped in my garden, sewage smells left while bathroom needing repairs, and then he stopped bringing any supplies and refused consent for green grant, refused consent for council recommended and funded adaptations, said he would now not be installing double glazing or carpets.

My food goes mouldy in the cupboard of my tiny kitchen, I was promised an extention would be done. Hell, my actual dishes go mouldy. The heating bills are insane and it's still always freezing. I had to buy extra thick duvets, extra pyjamas,
Rugs, extra fan heaters, hot water bottles, food, food storage boxes...
Then he has the cheek to increase the rent to 750, then 850, retrospectively of course

All while I've had no choice but to carry out all the repairs free of charge to try and keep my children safe...

He is carrying out eviction, hearing is on the 30th April and Shelter have said, we will be evicted for sure, the judge will have no choice, on the basis of rent arrears.

You need to contact LA inform your about to be made homeless
Ask for a care act assessment of your needs
Contact your child SW too

Sorry you're going through this. Hopefully after eviction you'll get rehoused somewhere better.

Have you spoken to the LHA about the pending eviction? How much are your arrears and have you still been paying the originally agreed £550 each month?

@HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee

You need to contact LA inform your about to be made homeless Ask for a care act assessment of your needs Contact your child SW too

Thank you heels :)

I don't have a child social worker, every time I reached out for help I was made to do this child social assessment, finally this time they have said no, no need to do child assessment, this mother has proven time and time again that she can care for her children (against all odds!) Lol thank goodness..
I have informed the LA and they said we essentially homeless and they have a duty to help house me. I have been on our homechoice and they are only giving us band e but I do not see how we can carry on living here because the improvement order means my kitchen roof will be worked on and it's generally dangerous anyway... work was supposed to begin 3rd of March but nothing is happening.
@zzzebra no, I didn't pay him at all for six months at the start of the pandemic. I had no choice but to try and do some of the repairs before something bad happened to one of my kids. But I have begun paying him again as soon as I could and been paying £850 since December. I don't want to stay here though... He's been so creepy and controlling since the moment I got my things through the door!

The care act assessment is for you as an adult
I’d say based on what you’ve said it’s completely broken down. A move would be good

Do you have plans for once you're evicted? Are you staying with the hope that the council will count you as homeless and rehouse you once you're evicted?

Because you've had a period where you've not paid rent it's possible that your LA will count you as intentionally homeless and not offer any support.

There is a process for paying for repairs and taking it off of your rent which could cover you. However you'd need to be able to prove your landlord was aware you were going to do this and provide quotes/receipts for all £3300+ (6 months missed rent).

If you contact Shelter they should be able to give you advice on this and may be able to help avoid you being labelled as intentionally homeless.

Hi @zzzebra and @HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee , sorry for the lack of responses. A lot has been happening.

Now I think my social worker escalated the case and I got gas safe involved a couple months back and they have been worse than useless, but at least it's all evidence. I guess the problem has been that my landlord lies through his teeth even to the point of forging documents to present to court.

I have good news in that the council are asking homechoice to give me a higher banding and they have now offered me emergency accommodation! I guess I will take it as soon as I can but I am nervous about it all and have no money to move or get a storage unit until the 12th.

I can't believe it's finally over (this bit at least) and I can move when I'm ready and he can't harass me any longer.

Any advice at this juncture would be greatly appreciated! I've never been in this situation nor known anyone who has. My kids are 3 and nearly 5. My son's birthday is in a couple weeks and we homeschooling, worried how I will do that in emergency accommodation and if all this will upset them!

To be honest, I just want to say it it so wrong how long this went on for and I hope this stops happening to women.