In A right mess

[july15]

Im in a bit of a state at the moment and dont know what to do, my landlord is threatening to kick me out if i dont give him his rent which is fair do's,but im really struggling with my finances at the moment. The house is in a complete mess and friends have told me with-hold the rent i havent had a gas saftey certificate since january,i have asked for numerous jobs that needed doing on the house, like new front door as it is dangerous the bottom half you have to hold when opening or the bottom will drop of ,you can virtually put your finger through the kitchen window at the bottom because of the woodrot,there is a pipe in the kitchen where the really old boiler was taken out, ive had to put a towel in as my friends husband says the fire which is connected is probably letting carbon fumes into the kitchen,the garage door is held up by my green bins one side and a calor gas tank at the other side as it dropped of in my hands 4 weeks ago,the list is quite endless really,and he has been telling friends and family about me owing him this money, which as far as im concerned is a breach of confidentialiy and he has no rights to tell anyone, could someone advise on what to do.

[Joa]

Hi there. Firstly, all the issues you are strugling with are extensively discussed on this forum so you just have to allocate an hour or two and read up.

Secondly, you need to decide what would you do if the landlord was to get cheesed off with your requests for repair and late rent and give you a notice? There is a fine line between getting things done and getting a possession notice. Yes, the landlords are obliged by law to do certain things for tenants (gas safety, some repairs, no harassment etc) but they also have a right not to extend your tenancy or not to be co-operative in rent arrears negotiations.

Thirdly, it seems to me that there are quite dangerous disrepairs in the property. Notify your local Environmental Office and tenancy relations office (each Local Authority should have one, they may be called differently though, for example private housing adviser etc).

Do not withhold rent! See the following post for disrepairs too: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/landlords-tenants/74057-disrepairs-privately-rented-accommodation.html#post641938

Take care & good luck.

[july15]

I no i shouldnt with-hold rent but i am struggling,but what about him telling my friends and family surley this is a breach of confidentiality.When i was paying my rent on time i still didnt get jobs done,and i dont see him for months on end, the last time i saw him was the end of january.

[demon_x_slash]

As Joa said, the best way to get him would be through your Council; go to your local Housing Office and make an appointment for a safety inspection. Explain your circumstances, and they should be more than willing to take a look, especially at the pipe in the kitchen that you mentioned. Stress the pipe.

Your Housing Office can force the landlord to carry out repairs, even though he is a private landlord.

Yes, telling all and sundry that you've been late with the rent is a breach of confidentiality, but I'm afraid that you can't do much about that in practical terms; try and concentrate on the safety aspects of your case, and also - try and find somewhere else to live!