 Dreadful landlord
Our daughter (V) and partner (C) rent a house privately, and initially everything was OK.
However, in April this 2007, C contacted the landlord about a problem with the gas fire, which was their only source of heating.. The landlord arranged a gas safety check, and during the course of the inspection, the engineer condemned the chimney because of an inefficient flue.
The landlord was sent a copy of the report by the gas company, and they waited for some action.
In the meantime, V was diagnosed with Diabetes type 2 and Hypothyroidism. For anyone who doesn't know, both these conditions can make the sufferer feel the cold more keenly than the rest of us.
As the summer moved on, V and C tried to find out what the landlords plans re the heating were. However, he was in hiding, or so it seemed. Eventually he rang asking about the rent payments. It just happened I was at their house too, and so I took over the call.
In actual fact there wasn't a rent problem. When they moved into the house they paid 2 months advance rent, + deposit, the advance to be returned when the housing benefit was assessed. The advance never was returned, and I wrote to the landlord suggesting the excess rent after housing benefit was taken from the advance, which he accepted. So the rent has always been upto date.
Anyway, while discussing the rent, I asked about the heating, and the best offer at the time was a propane gas heater.
This was far from ideal, but was accepted, providing the chuimney would be repaired soon.
Nothing happened, and the landlord was always evasive. I suggested they ring Environmental Health, who came out, did an inspection and agreed that the chimney, amongst other things needed attending to urgently.
C had to keep ringing up EH. and eventually they agreed to begin an enforcement notice which would compel him to do repairs, or if defaulted, the council would arrange for the repairs to be done.
At the moment, the timeline is mid to late January before anything may happen, as apparently the landlord 'has no funds to carry out repairs'.
They are finding hard to save up to get a deposit for another house because of the cost of running 2 oil filled radiators we gave them, and their banding is too low on the housing list to get a house off the council.
So, after all this blurb, my main questions are,
can they sue the landlord, and would it be any good to do so.
and can these circumstances help push them nearer the top of the housing list?
All advice greatfully received. | 
