Friday 3 February 2012

Tenants with poor property - continued

When you became a tenant you will have signed an agreement between you and your landlord. Here is an extract from the one you may have both signed - this bit concerns what the landlord has agreed to: 

The tricky bit is what exactly this means. My first step would be to go to a solicitor like Townsend on County Square to find out, and then ask them how to proceed. They offer free consultations on certain days.

Those of you that know the ins and outs of this problem could offer advice here. There are one or two councillors that might help and going to our MP, John Woodcock  would also help.

I've just talked to a friend of mine and there seems to be a major problem with some landlords. See below for more.

Assured shorthold tenancy agreement
under part 1 of the Housing Act 1988 as amended under part 3 of the Housing Act 1996

D We (The landlords) agree to do the following:
1 Keep the property insured against fire and other usual comprehensive risks as long as insurance cover is
available on reasonable terms.
2 Let you have free access to the steps, entrance hall, stairs and all shared areas, if this applies.
3 Be responsible for servicing and maintaining any gas heating system and making sure that all gas
appliances in the property are checked each year by an engineer registered with Gas Safe, in line with the
Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
4 Be responsible for making sure that any furniture we provide keeps to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)
(Safety) Regulations.
5 Give you back any part of the rent that you have paid for any period that the property could not be lived in
because of fire or any other damage that we are insured for.
6 Keep the structure and outside of the property in good repair.
7 Keep the gas, water, electricity, space-heating and water-heating installations in good repair and proper
working order.
8 Refund any rent you have paid which relates to a rental period which starts after the tenancy ends.
E If we need to serve any notice on you, including any notice which the law tells us we must give, we will
deliver it by hand or send it to you by first-class post to the property address. This means that notices are
served on you once they are put through your letter box, even if you do not receive them because you
have moved. If you give us another address to send notices to, any notice served at that address
will be valid, if it is posted by first-class post or left at that address.
If you need to serve any notice on us, you must deliver it by hand or send it by post to the following
address.

Possible further action : 

I plan to go to see the companies in town who let properties  on behalf of landlords and find out their attitude to landlords that have unfit houses. I can then publish the result of these talks here. We can then learn which agencies make sure their landlords behave themselves and advise people to only use these agencies.

Any other ideas - preferably ones that work?

7 comments:

Pavel Nadzoff said...

I am from village Wroclaw Poland. Moved Barrow 18 month since. I have apartment but never see form you discribe it.I have small place, above chip shop in Barrow Island. Landlord is quite nice and I give Polish sausage each week he so nice.But worry now, do I need official form? Thank you Sir.

Geoff Dellow said...

Pavel, no one needs a form or agreement.

It is usual to get one . It is an agreement, that is something that states what each person promises to do.

It is wise to have one so that both landlords and tenants know where they stand. They can then be used in law to get the agreement enforced by legal system in this country.

(- here's to hoping!)

Geoff Dellow said...

Pavel,
- Wroclaw Poland -"The Venice of the North" - population 600,000 - http://culture.poland.travel/wroclaw/

- some village.

What are your towns like?

Zuck Mykockz said...

I also reside in said vestibule and i find it hard work.

Geoff Dellow said...

"Alan Farmer", or should we say Alan from the Farmer's, suggests previously that the examples quoted are made up - they may be - but I know there's a problem because as a landlord myself, I've had requests from people desperate to move out of their damp rented property because of respiratory health problems.

I can understand people's reluctance to come forward because they are afraid of the reprocussions.

As for the reaction of landlords - I suspect that responsible landlords want the others exposed because for their part they are doing a good job.

What we could do is form a named group of landlords who promise to provide good accommodation at reasonable rents.

Good accommodation secures good tenants with fewer weeks lost when they leave. It makes good business sense. I go for happy tenants all the time - they take care of your property as if it was their own. The one I have got leaving has been very helpful having moved out early and allowing repairs to be made before her rent expires. In fact I could have let the property to two separate tenants for several days during the overlap, had I wanted to.

How about that: being paid twice for the same goods?

Pavel said...

Sir, believe me, I am not made up or false, I say thank you for advice on forms. I repet my landlord is nice man but i only have a complaint once. Is that flat is above chip shop and good for British diet but smell of fish is evrywhere. Somes find this attractiv not me! I will talk him soon.

Yes Wroclaw is huge village! Is why I like Barrow island much - lots of water like Venice.

Your freind
PAVEL

Geoff Dellow said...

Hi again Pavel,

I suggest you buy a clothes peg if you don't like the smell - which I agree gets everywhere.

You won't get anywhere with your landlord to deal with this.

If you don't like it - find somewhere else!

Certain things come with the territory - ringing bells with those living near churches with Bell ringers, or buildings with chiming clocks eg the one here in Ulverston on what was the Trustees Savings Bank. One woman tried to have the chimes switched off!

Houses next to playgrounds come with screaming kids attached!

But rain water belongs outside the house. That's why our houses have rooves!

If you want to pay me to carry your bags back to Wroclaw when you go back anytime - I'm your man. In fact I would go unpaid, if you would act as translator!

I know a very very small bit of Russian - . . . . . which I believe means I don't understand.