IMM wrote:
"Velvet" wrote in message
...
Andrew wrote:
In article , Dave Plowman
writes
In article .uk,
Ed Sirett wrote:
This is simply not the case in my experience. Bad tenants do exist
just
like other kinds of bad people, they are a small minority especially
where accomodation of any kind is at a premium.
Most tenancy agreements explicitly state that using the deposit to pay
the last month's rent is forbidden and people abide by that agreement.
Yes. Unlike IMM, I don't know many who rent out properties, but have a
good friend who does - and it's now his only source of income. He
selects
his tenants with care, and very rarely has money problems with them.
Of course, if you're renting out some rat hole, there's a good chance
you'll get rats as tenants.
Watch tonights 'Tenants from Hell 2003' on now - ITV
I wish they'd do a 'landlords from hell' too. Not all tenants are bad.
Not even most tenants are bad. Not many good tenants stay good
tenants for long when faced with a bad landlord who treats them as a bad
tenant though.
I used to do small amounts of maintenance work to the flat I rent. Then
the landlord changed, and the new one hiked the rent by nearly 40%. I
suffered no hot water for several months, followed by no oven for
several months - both of which were clearly their responsibility to get
sorted.
As a result, I'm not prepared to put in my time, money, and effort into
those bits of maintenance I used to do. They want going rates, they get
to do all the maintenance they should. And they're liers to boot. They
lied to me about the boiler, they lied about the oven. And they lied
about the reason given for putting the rent up.
Landlords should think a bit more about the fact that if they treat
tenants badly, of course their tenants won't feel in the least bit
inclinded to cut them any slack, let alone help them along. I don't
condone what really terrible tenants do, but I can fully understand how
they might reach that point after having experienced bad treatment from
a landlord.
Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.
The laws are stacked "firmly" in the tenants favour, so much so its a joke
at times. If the landlord does not do essential maintenance, give him
notice about the problem, if he does not respond in a reasonable time, you
can inform him you are having the repairs done yourself and that you are
taking it out of the rent (bills and proof etc). Remember you have the
money before him. If you spent £200 on repairing a cooker and he said it
was not authorised he has to take you to court, which will cost way over
£200. If you act responsibly and follow the procedures, the court will go
in your favour. Some landlords are just lazy and are prepared to allow you
to do the arranging of maintenance and take it out of the rent.
If he wants to inspect you don't even have to let him into the property.
You don't even need to allow the CORGI man in to inspect. If they stand
outside with the police,complete with a CORGI man, they still cannot enter,
even the policeman. You would be foolish not to allow a CORGI inspection,
but you don't have to have the landlord inside. If the CORGI man
disconnects various appliances, once again give the landlord enough time to
get the repairs done. If not do it yourself and take it out of the rent.
The property is "yours", it belongs to you for occupying living purposes,
until you get out voluntarily or a court tells you to get out. Then you can
still stay until the bailiffs come around. If he does enter, call the
police and they will have him thrown out, if he persists he can be
prosecuted. If he does keep entering without your permission, change the
locks. "Which" do a guide on letting and renting. Also see uk.legal on
this.
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I'm well aware of all of the above, but in the interests of not making
life hard for myself at tenancy renewal time, I explored the option of
getting repairs done myself and taking it out of the rent.
Know what I found out? It breaks the tenancy agreement if I do. And
know what else? If the landlord's then left unable to pay the mortgage
cos I've deducted from the rent to cover costs of repairs, I don't have
a leg to stand on when it comes to the mortgage company reposessing it.
I've already been told (and seen the evidence for myself, though as I
said, I've also seen evidence that I was lied to about the reason for
the rent increase) that they're broke.
So whilst it SEEMS like it's all stacked in the tenants favour, in
reality it's not as simple as it sounds. My landlord lives in the flat
below me, and we can each make each others lives hell if we so chose.
After the last set of tenants before them down there (it was rented out
by original landlord) I have no wish to return to being woken up at all
times of the day and night and not being able to listen to the telly due
to their music, etc.
I *might* have a malformed assured shorthold tenancy, which would make
it an assured tenancy - I've been here a long time, and don't recall
having signed or seen the relevant notice for it at the start, let alone
got a copy of it.
However, I'm saving that particular trump until the time when I might
really need it. I've given them two opportunities to do the right thing
now and get stuff sorted in a decent time, my patience has evaporated.
Next thing that goes wrong will be notified to them in writing by
recorded delivery thing, and if nothing's done within a reasonable time
I *will* be taking steps to get stuff sorted. I pay going rates for
this place despite the state of the garden, lack of reinstatement of
dividing fence/gate, etc.
The landlord thinks they can get away with pulling the wool over my eyes
regarding rent increases too. I got told 'I didnt ask for the increase
in rent last month cos of the appliance problem' - fact is, I'd never
had written notification of the rent increase - first time I had it in
writing was when we signed the new tenancy, so I worked the figures out
as two months from that date, so to have expected it earlier (and make
out they were doing ME a favour) was fecking unbelievable, but to be
honest, just what I'd expect from the bunch of shysters that call
themselves landlords these days.
Velvet