Great Tenant-Slum Landlord.

[SOD'EM]

Hi Guys,

 

I haven't got a clue where we stand, but surely we have some rights. We have been renting our house for 10 years now from a Private Landlord. I say Private, it is in fact a man who owns a Property Company, and owns around 250 properties. We have paid around £66,000 pound in rent without missing a payment in all those years. I don't even think the house is worth £66,000 but there you go.

 

For the first 7 years, we never asked the Landlord for anything whatsoever. However, over the last three years, things outside the house have suffered wear and tear, as would any property. The main problem we have is our back yard wall has fell down (well, half of it has anyway). The other half is loose and could injure someone if it fell on them. We reported this to the Landlords office 16 months ago, along with other less important issues. They sent somebody out who took a list of repairs to be done, and told us they would start as soon as they could. Well, to cut a long story short, 15 million phone calls (and being told that someone would get back to us) later, the repairs are all outstanding. They have even promised us a fresh lick of paint outside as we have decorated the inside ourselves on numerous occasions.

 

We told them that we could maybe use the rent, and get a Builder etc to carry out the repairs to save them bothering, but they said 'no'. We cancelled the standing order on the rent last week because we knew that was the only way to get them to ring us, and they did. They asked about the rent, and we asked about the constant promises of repairs. They didn't want to talk about that, and said that nobody would come near the house if the rent wasn't paid. So, reluctantly we paid over the phone by card. they then promised that somebody would call out again to see the damage last Friday, and as expected, nobody turned up.

 

Moving at this moment in time is really not an option, and we have invested a lot of our own money on the inside to keep it nice. I also cannot remember the last time we signed a contract. Surely they must regard us a decent tenants after 10 years, yet they treat us as if we are the worst.

 

I'm just looking for some general and professional advice on what we can do. Or things we can say to the Company, that would make them realise we have some sort of right to have these repairs done.

 

Hope somebody can help, and thanks in advance.

 

SOD'EM

[stu007]

These links may be of interest:

 

https://www.gov.uk/private-renting/your-rights-and-responsibilities

 

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/repairs_in_private_lets

 

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/renting-a-home/renting-from-a-private-landlord/

 

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/repairs-in-rented-housing/

[ericsbrother]

pay the rent amd make a complaint to the council under the housing act 2004 for disrepair.