Help please with Landlord

[marsay]

Hi,

 

I have a 12month contract which started in May '06.

 

The problems I am having is that I have domestic oil heating and it has cost me about £800 just to get over the xmas period!

 

I just had my tank filled again today asking the oil delivery guy, should 1000 litres only last 2months? He said 1000 litres for a house of my size should last 6months+ not 2 months and to get my boiler serviced ASAP.

 

I am going to write to my landlord to ask for it to be serviced but I don't hold much hope as I have asked him to do other work such as: fill a great big hole in the garden wall so my kids don't fall down the cavity! He always promises to do the work but never does!!

 

The other major thing I need the landlord to do is to get the electrics sorted out. The mains and meter is actually on the main street with a electric cable drooping down to the house, the meter is not actually installed in the property so anyone can turn me off walking past!!

 

Like I say I am going to write and ask if he wil carry the work out but wondering where I stood if I put something along the lines of:

 

xxxxxxx, xxxxxxx, xxxxxxx work needs to be carried out ASAP. If the work is not done then I will have no option other than to get the work done myself and I will be stopping the rent payments until the money I have had to spend has been covered. I will also not be renewing my tennancy if the work is not carried out.

 

Does anyone know on how I stand on doing this?

 

The letting agent said there is nothing they can do as the landlord decided to maintain it themselves to save costs!!!!

 

I look forward to hearing from you shortly

 

Thanks

[olly5814]

Are you aware if the owner of the property has had a corgi gas certificate on the boiler (legal requirement for all landlords) and had the electrics tested?

 

I personally wouldnt suggest paying for the works myself, perhaps just say that you are not willing to pay the rent until the landlord has paid for the works to be carried out.

[marsay]

Hi,

 

thanks for your reply, The landlord has advised me they are going to do the work ASAP, I will get a date out of them by next week else I will write to them again and advise I will not be paying rent until it is all sorted.

 

All I want is an easy life!

 

Thanks again

[demon_x_slash]

Bear in mind though that witholding rent is a last, last, last resort, as if you get into two months arrears or more the landlord can arrange to have you evicted anyway. A better route maybe would be that, if they didn't arrange reapirs, to write and say that you would get the work done yourself, getting quotes from three different companies, and that the cost of the repairs would come out of the rent in installments of £XX per month over X months - and you give the landlord 7/14 days to reply before work is actually carried out. This may be a safer route for you.

[MrShed]

Demon is right. However, deducting the cost of the work from the rent is your legal right of offset, and as such cannot be classed as rent arrears. He is dead right about getting 3 different quote, and the timescale however - if you do not do this then you run the risk of a court not agreeing that you are in the right with getting the works performed.