homelessgirl
27-03-2009, 13:26 PM
Thanks in advance for any advice given on this matter! I appreciate your help.
Story in short (oops.....it ended long....sorry!):
Entered into AST on 21 January 2009 and paid full months rent and deposit in advance. One year with 6 month break clause. Was supposed to be from 15th Jan - but i was left homeless for a week due to agency not doing the checks they were supposed to do. Holding deposit was paid in November already. I was away on holiday and was supposed to move in upon my return on the 15th Jan. Agency said our request for a power shower (there was NO water pressure at all in the shower) will be seen to by the time we move in. They put it in writing on the "receipt" received when paying the holding deposit.
Upon moving in, we learnt that an electrical shower had been installed - still leaving the problem of no water pressure!! We were told our landlords name was "Alan". The agency refused to give us any further details. When signing the contracts (we were rushed as they closed at 18h00) - they had put a management companies details on there. We didn't check that, so our fault. Upon noticing it - i contacted the agency and requested the landlords details - upon which they said the management company will give it to us. We wanted it to discuss the issue with the shower. Upon calling the company - they told us his name was Alan. They refused to give us his surname. We said we need to discuss the shower matter and would appreciate if the "landlord" could get back to us. This never happened - no one contacted us. We were sent around in circles all the time. We also stated that we would like to meet our landlord at some stage when it's convenient for him. This was also not allowed for some reason.
In the meantime, the next month's rent became due. We had signed standing orders at the agency the day we signed the AST. For some reason unknown to us - the rent never went off. We were accused (by people from the management agency shouting and swearing at us!!) of stopping the orders. We gave proof that we signed what we had to and that the problem was not from our side. AFTER several abusive calls for the rent to be paid and been sworn at by members of the management agency, they accepted that this was not due to any fault of our own.
After insisting to meet the landlord to resolve these matters, some guy - claiming to be the director of the management agency -rocked up at our house - very aggressive in his approach to us. We sat him down and explained a few issues. We told him that we only asked for two things: 1. Who is our registered landlord and 2. Installation of the power shower we were promised. On several occasions we had to calm him down and insist that he speak to us in a respectable manner as we were treating him with respect.
He told us that "the registered owner is none of your business", "i hope your rent is not a case of you not having money to pay" and accused us of withholding the rent due to the shower matters. We told him it has nothing to do with that and that the fault was with their incompetent agency they use. He then said the company owns the property and that they are the registered owners. I did a search today and they are indeed NOT the registered owners as he claimed. I have printed it off from the land registry. We explained that if we knew we are renting from a company, we would not have entered into the agreement. Both my housemate and I are home owners and have good relationships with our tenants. We were simply seeking same. He offered for us to give two months' notice PRIOR to our break clause which would only be 21 July 2009. We told him we appreciate the offer and that based on his decision regarding the shower, we will then make our decision whether to stay or to go. He said he would think about the shower and let us know what he decided within two days - as i was leaving the country in two days time and my housemate and I wanted to discuss the matter prior to my departure. Needless to say we heard nothing from him untill two days ago - making it more than a week later. He informed us that they decided to not go ahead with the shower as "it will not be cost effective given the current situation." I returned from abroad yesterday and got the mail. My housemate and I have not had time to sit down and discuss the matter yet. Now my big problem - as yet another month's rent now became due in the week while i was abroad - we were called today by the management agency and threatened with death. His exact words were: "You better pay your f**n rent today or i will f***n smash both your heads in tonight you stupid c**nt. You useless piece of sh*t. Your sh*t will be out of that house tonight." This is not all, but it was enough. We did not respond - we simply put the phone down - as we have on several occasions asked them to stop swearing and yelling at us. To say the least I called the police and made a case of harrasment and abuse. Both my housemate and I have both months outstanding rent in cash to give to them - it is no problem. However - after all this - i truly don't feel to pay them anything. They breached contract on more than one occasion too by entering our house without our permission or knowledge. We returned to our property yesterday to find an item of clothing on the lounge floor not belonging to any one of us and it sure wasn't there when we left for work the morning. When we mentioned this to the agent today - he said "i don't give a f**k what happens there."
We decided we will vacate the property on the 10th May 2009 based on these threats. Considering them breaching contract, threatening us with death and eviction - should we pay them any rent or what? sorry for the lenghty letter, but there is so much going on!
Story in short (oops.....it ended long....sorry!):
Entered into AST on 21 January 2009 and paid full months rent and deposit in advance. One year with 6 month break clause. Was supposed to be from 15th Jan - but i was left homeless for a week due to agency not doing the checks they were supposed to do. Holding deposit was paid in November already. I was away on holiday and was supposed to move in upon my return on the 15th Jan. Agency said our request for a power shower (there was NO water pressure at all in the shower) will be seen to by the time we move in. They put it in writing on the "receipt" received when paying the holding deposit.
Upon moving in, we learnt that an electrical shower had been installed - still leaving the problem of no water pressure!! We were told our landlords name was "Alan". The agency refused to give us any further details. When signing the contracts (we were rushed as they closed at 18h00) - they had put a management companies details on there. We didn't check that, so our fault. Upon noticing it - i contacted the agency and requested the landlords details - upon which they said the management company will give it to us. We wanted it to discuss the issue with the shower. Upon calling the company - they told us his name was Alan. They refused to give us his surname. We said we need to discuss the shower matter and would appreciate if the "landlord" could get back to us. This never happened - no one contacted us. We were sent around in circles all the time. We also stated that we would like to meet our landlord at some stage when it's convenient for him. This was also not allowed for some reason.
In the meantime, the next month's rent became due. We had signed standing orders at the agency the day we signed the AST. For some reason unknown to us - the rent never went off. We were accused (by people from the management agency shouting and swearing at us!!) of stopping the orders. We gave proof that we signed what we had to and that the problem was not from our side. AFTER several abusive calls for the rent to be paid and been sworn at by members of the management agency, they accepted that this was not due to any fault of our own.
After insisting to meet the landlord to resolve these matters, some guy - claiming to be the director of the management agency -rocked up at our house - very aggressive in his approach to us. We sat him down and explained a few issues. We told him that we only asked for two things: 1. Who is our registered landlord and 2. Installation of the power shower we were promised. On several occasions we had to calm him down and insist that he speak to us in a respectable manner as we were treating him with respect.
He told us that "the registered owner is none of your business", "i hope your rent is not a case of you not having money to pay" and accused us of withholding the rent due to the shower matters. We told him it has nothing to do with that and that the fault was with their incompetent agency they use. He then said the company owns the property and that they are the registered owners. I did a search today and they are indeed NOT the registered owners as he claimed. I have printed it off from the land registry. We explained that if we knew we are renting from a company, we would not have entered into the agreement. Both my housemate and I are home owners and have good relationships with our tenants. We were simply seeking same. He offered for us to give two months' notice PRIOR to our break clause which would only be 21 July 2009. We told him we appreciate the offer and that based on his decision regarding the shower, we will then make our decision whether to stay or to go. He said he would think about the shower and let us know what he decided within two days - as i was leaving the country in two days time and my housemate and I wanted to discuss the matter prior to my departure. Needless to say we heard nothing from him untill two days ago - making it more than a week later. He informed us that they decided to not go ahead with the shower as "it will not be cost effective given the current situation." I returned from abroad yesterday and got the mail. My housemate and I have not had time to sit down and discuss the matter yet. Now my big problem - as yet another month's rent now became due in the week while i was abroad - we were called today by the management agency and threatened with death. His exact words were: "You better pay your f**n rent today or i will f***n smash both your heads in tonight you stupid c**nt. You useless piece of sh*t. Your sh*t will be out of that house tonight." This is not all, but it was enough. We did not respond - we simply put the phone down - as we have on several occasions asked them to stop swearing and yelling at us. To say the least I called the police and made a case of harrasment and abuse. Both my housemate and I have both months outstanding rent in cash to give to them - it is no problem. However - after all this - i truly don't feel to pay them anything. They breached contract on more than one occasion too by entering our house without our permission or knowledge. We returned to our property yesterday to find an item of clothing on the lounge floor not belonging to any one of us and it sure wasn't there when we left for work the morning. When we mentioned this to the agent today - he said "i don't give a f**k what happens there."
We decided we will vacate the property on the 10th May 2009 based on these threats. Considering them breaching contract, threatening us with death and eviction - should we pay them any rent or what? sorry for the lenghty letter, but there is so much going on!