IMM wrote:

"Velvet" wrote in message
...


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.


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.


You can't sign your rights away.


In the legal documentation I uncovered, I have to jump through hoops to
get quotes from people to get stuff repaired. I tried this once. I
need 3 quotes, and have to go with the lowest I get. How do you
establish a quote based on some people giving you quotes for fixed price
(expensive) and others on a rate plus parts?

And NONE of them would provide a quote in writing. I gave up trying
after having phoned ALL the relevant people I could find in the area.

If I don't go through all these hoops, then it's non-payment of rent,
and breaks the tenancy agreement, regardless of the fact that money is
used for repairs the landlord should have made.


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.


If essential repairs, he would not undertake, then you are in the clear.
What do you mean, "I don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to the
mortgage company repossessing it". Legally? Credit rating?



I mean just that. If the mortgage company repossesses, I lose the roof
over my head. I have my suspicions the mortgage company has no idea
they're even renting it out. There's a clause in the tenancy that
states as much, though I admit I haven't looked to see if this is
actually legal, because as I've said before, I strongly suspect I have
an assured tenancy, not an assured shorthold.

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.


You can't sign your rights away. Having "essential" repairs done yourself
and taking it from the rent is totally above board. Check it out.


Answered elsewhere.


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.


Is the rent the going rate for that type of property in that area?
Irrespective of the %age hype, if the rent is the going rate then you don't
have a leg to stand on when it comes to an increase. You may have been
getting more than a good deal in the past.

It is the going rate, I negotiated down from above going rate - for a
newly refurbed property (I've been here for 11 years now). I was
getting a very good deal in the past, cos I was a) a good tenant, always
paid on time, b) looked after the place, and did bits of pieces in
maintenance etc, and c) the landlord wanted to keep me here cos I never
made trouble for him or other tenants.

To give you some idea, the back garden (which comprises part of the
property I rent) is full of brambles, can't be accessed safely by myself
due to no hard structures in place to permit that (think very sloping
ground), the carpets are worn and nearly threadbare in places - and will
need replacing before they could get another tenant in, there are some
sizeable cracks in the ceilings that were caused by roofers working
under the direction of the previous landlord which again, need
addressing before another tenant would rent the place, not to mention
the rotting front door step which I have told the landlord about and
which was to be replaced earlier this year, etc etc.

The bottom line is that market rate for this flat is what I'm paying,
but that it is not at market rate condition. However, it's more
expensive for me to move elsewhere in terms of finding a bigger deposit,
and the fact that I have (very well behaved) cats makes it harder too.

Anyway, enough of me bitching about this. I was just making the point
that those who flippantly say 'tenants from hell' shouldn't tar us all
with the same brush.

Velvet

When you sign a new agreement insist that increases will be at the RPI.
Then they can't complain or hype it.



Good idea.