Dangerous property -we want out - how??

[BreadAndButter]

We moved into a 3 bed semi detached property may 2013, from the offset weve had allsorts of problems, bei it curtain poles falling out of the ceiling to rainwater coming in and flooding the kitchen. Time frames are ridiculous, getting things repaired ie. in September 2013 we complained the chinney was looking dangerous due to a small tree growing out of the back - a contractor quoted the landlord and the neighbour to re-render the shared chimney but the neighbour refused to pay, as its our side of the chimney that is damaged. Still the chimney hasn't been done, still I feel its going to fall down and possibly injure us should we be sitting in the garden.

This week took the biscuit, our oven stopped working, the guy came out to look at it after two and a half weeks of faffing (one guy came quoted and didn't hear from them again week 1, then the handy man came out then a week later the REAL guy came. He was alarmed, the earth had been wired up wrongly, a cable had burnt out laving a fire mark, and the earth had been wired up to the negative - We have old type fuses, which the man said was the reason for it not tripping - they were forcing the current through, for it to work. He was baffled it worked at all.

There are no smoke alarms at the property, we bought in our own to be safe. The whole place is just cheap fixtures and fittings and bad workmanship, being even dangerous, who knows what other dangers lurk.

Should we not have had an electrical safety check before we entered the property? If so, it clearly wasn't adhered to.

 

 

Being without a cooker for almost 3 weeks, with 3 kids, We've had enough!

 

 

My point now is - what options do we have? We have signed a 12 month contract, ending in November, but wed really like to get out asap as we're sick of the constant repairs, bodges and dangers we unveil.

We've looked through the contract and there's little we seem to be able to get out on, what are the chances of reducing our rent period?

 

 

Can we claim damaged as per our contract, if so, what?

 

 

It seems if we breech the contract we're out on our ears with fines, yet he can provide us with a crap service and theres nothing we can do to break the contract because of them.

 

 

Please help.

[BreadAndButter]

To add they quote schedule 2 housing act 1988, and specifically grounds 12 which states 'Any obligation of the tenancy (other than one related to the payment of rent) has been broken or not performed'

We've just spotted in our contract, under interuptions to the tenancy "If the premises are not made havbitable within 1 month, either party may terminate this agreement by giving immediate written notice to the other party.

 

 

Kitchen still floods when it rains, still not been sorted

Chimney still dangerous

Water coming in through my sons room from the exterior leaking inside the house - 4 weeks on this one.

 

 

How strong is this?

[BreadAndButter]

The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994

 

Every electrical appliance supplied by the landlord must be safe to use; the electrical installation in the house must be completely safe.

[BreadAndButter]

Section 11 of the Landlord and tenant act 1985 states:

(1B)Nothing in subsection (1A) shall be construed as requiring the lessor to carry out any works or repairs unless the disrepair (or failure to maintain in working order) is such as to affect the lessee’s enjoyment of the dwelling-house or of any common parts, as defined in section 60(1) of the Landlord and Tenant Act M11987, which the lessee, as such, is entitled to use.]

[raydetinu]

Has the electrical equipment been made safe now?

You can report this to the council if it has not; also if the chimney is unsafe this can reported also as a dangerous structure. The council engineer will inspect and force the LL to take action if necessary.

shelter do a guide for getting repairs done.