Landlord failing to assist with problems

[rugbyroom]

Dear Forum,

I rent a property for £1,000 pcm from a local hospital trust, but have had so many problems, that I know need to serve notice, as my 12 months is up.

The problems all started when I could not get a phone line installed as the property was still registered as part of the hospital. This may seem trivial, but I couldn't get mail redirected, or have any internet connection, until I was able to resolve this problem. This caused a massive loss in my income, but I would have thought it would have been the landlords job to give me a residential postcode if I was a private tenant.

Other problems inculde a boiler that blows out, every time its windy, because the flue is in a stupid position, but its up to me time and time again to reignite, as the plumber syas he cant control the wind. I also dont have any gas safety certificate, which I'm sure the property would fail on.

The property is surrounded by a building site, as the old hospital has been demolished, by a development between the hospital and developers. Part of this development meant that my front garden had all the hedge row removed, as a new footpath and cycle path was made. This resulted in the wider path being about 8 inches higher than my driveway, which I was informed would be relaid with tarmac, to adjust the height. Unfortunately, the slope on the driveway was originally some weak concrete, that broke up after a week and only went about 18 inches into the drive. As a result my car kept hitting the underside, as did that of my visitors, and its caused no end of damage.

The landlord claim that this is down to the developers to fix, but why should I be running around chasing this up, or asking for dangerous building material or metal spikes be removed from my garden.

I know up waffling here, but I'm about to serve my 1 months notice, and wish to try and recoup some of my losses from the landlord as they have not made right any of the problems left by the developers. They have told me to pursue any claim against the developers for losses or damage, but I feel that the landlord must surely have a role in keeping their property safe.

Rent in England, no certificate for deposit, which was £1,500 + had to pay 2 months rent upfront. The letting agencies have no contact with the landlord, and say there job was simply to find a tenant, but I know they find it bizzare as the landlords have not given them any details for paying them my rent money

[Poppy35]

not really too sure what your actual question is?

If you are looking for compensation then you have a few optioins

either withhold your last months rent (which legally you should not do) or put your request in writing to the landlords and appeal to their better nature.

can you prove that damage has been done to your vehicle?

I personally doubt you will get very far and it might be worth putting this down to experience.

In future ensure the house is up together before you sign the TA.

[Preston]

Hi, you need to give a little more detail I am afraid. In particular, who is your landlord? Is it the hospital trust? or is it a private landlord? How does your landlord describe your tenancy (or do they in fact describe it as a licence?) What kind of tenancy do you think you have? Do you have exclusive possession of your home (a house or a flat?). Does your landlord provide additional services, such as cleaning (I ask because I know that a number of hospital trusts do so).

Some of the questions may seem obscure, but they are all relevant to the question of your security of tenure which in turn will affect such issues as how your deposit should have been handled.

[rugbyroom]

My tenancy was a 12 month contract, which included gas - electrics and water bills. There is also a gardener that came in through the summer months to cut the grass.

My Landlord is part of the old hosipital, and it seems very difficult to pin point who is responsible for the maintenace etc, as every time I have made any request, its either never done or takes months. As an example, my fridge broke just before Christmas, but its still not replaced, but last week was offered a meeting with someone to discuss this.

I rented the property, which shortly afterwards had the back garden dug up to lay water pipes, the trench was very badly filled back in, with broken iron pipes and large lumps of concrete left everywhere, and after the first rain, the trench was a ditch. But it was left to me to fill back in with soil, re grass and repair the man hole covers that were broken.

As a landlord myself, I would never treat any tenant the way that they have, they have simply left me to deal with all the problems caused by developers, and failed to come and check the property.

Should they not have a gas safety certificate and also provide me with a certificate for my deposit.

[Preston]

Sorry, but you do need to answer the questions I have listed if you are to get any sensible answers. To explain a little further, your legal situation will vary substantially depending upon whether or not your landlord is a public body, so the precise identity of your landlord, just as an example, is really very important.

[rugbyroom]

My landlord is called **rrey and Borders Partnership, its not an individual, I'm renting a house that was used by Doctors etc before, but after much work I managed to get the postcode and property status changed from a hosipital to a residential house.

[rugbyroom]

Sorry the landlords are not a public body as far as I'm aware, I rent the property as a private tenant, not like a council rent etc.

[Preston]

My landlord is called **rrey and Borders Partnership, its not an individual, I'm renting a house that was used by Doctors etc before, but after much work I managed to get the postcode and property status changed from a hosipital to a residential house.

If you mean the Surrey and Borders NHS Foundation Trust then I think this is part of a crown department for the purposes of schedule 1 of the Housing Act 1988 and so any tenancies it grants cannot be assured or assured shorthold.

So, my other, earlier questions are still relevant, in particular, what kind of tenancy (or licence) has your landlord given you (or purported to give you)?

[jeffrey]

'Borders' usually mean southernmost bit of Scotland, nowhere near Surrey!
See http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=borders+council&meta=&aq=4&oq=Borders and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Borders

[Preston]

'Borders' usually mean southernmost bit of Scotland, nowhere near Surrey!
See http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=borders+council&meta=&aq=4&oq=Borders and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Borders

Well, not always. See:

http://www.sabp.nhs.uk/

[rugbyroom]

I have managed to find my tenancy agreement which starts with a heading "Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement" The landlords are Surrey And Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

I'm packing my things up and going, as served notice last week to the letting agent in writing, explaining my concerns about the driveway and complete lack of safety or concern for any problems that I've had.

I did receive a letter a while ago about the driveway issue, which they claim I need to chase the developer as it was a problem caused by them. The issue I have, is it must clearly be the responsibilty of the LL if any work is done on or around the property that makes it unsafe. The path is totally safe, but where it joins the LL driveway, the slope is like a speed bump.

I will write again asking for a fridge, as mine broke on Xmas eve, at least Xmas dinner was at my sisters so no food damaged then, but I'm now shopping on a almost daily basis.

I still have no Gas safety certificate nor do I have any certificate for my deposit which the letting agency checked but could not find, as the guy that run the agency before them had a serious admin problem.

I know I want to put a claim against the LL as simply feel forced out of the property which since moving into, has had so many safety concerns caused by developers or zero maintenacy by LL, but dont really know where to start.