Really need help. Letting agents/Earthquakes/landlords.

[Kris]

You have to try and stay positive...

Hello everyone btw, my name is Kris.

As many of you may know, Kent was hit my an earthquake yesterday. My flat was right in the middle of it, and has been condemed. My partner and I are now homeless, and living on a friends floor.

I rent the flat through a letting agency, who have decided to shut. We have had no advice, or feedback from landlord, letting agency or anyone. We have lived in this property for two months now, and have had nothing but problems already. We were without hot water for 3 weeks, and it has taken a month and a half to get the whole job completely finished. The plumbers wrecked the place as well.

To be honest, the landlord has done a "lick of paint" jobby with the flat. He doesnt care, and its already falling to bits (literally now!:p )

So, we have to move somewhere else. Even if the flat were to be sorted, we wouldnt want to live there again after all that has happened.

Now, we paid agency fee's and our deposit etc. I know we'll get the deposit back, but does anyone know the situation with the other fee's? This all came to about a thousand punds (£500 deposit, £400 registration fee's, and credit checks etc). This is a lot of money as I cant work full time, as I have a chronic disease. We want to find another agency, but will need to do the same thing concerning agency fee's with our new letting agent. (money we DONT have).

It's been a really really bad couple of months, and the earthquake has just about finished us off. Any advice will be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance...

Kris.

[Poppy35]

firstly, sorry to hear of your troubles but glad that you are ok.

when u say you LA has decided to shut do you mean shut for the day or close down??

well you need to speak to either your LA or your landlord as under their insurance there may be provision to find you alternative accommodation whilst the flat is being dealt with.

with regards to your fees etc the agency may, as a gesture of good will, try to find you alternative accommodation and do you a deal on fees etc.

You say you would not want to live in the flat again but why did you move there in the first place if the landlord did such a bad job?? Its not the landlords or LA fault that the earthquake happened therefore you cant expect them to financially recompense you for something that is out of their control.

standard clause in AST's

i) If the said Premises or any part thereof shall at any time during the said tenancy be destroyed or damaged by fire or other insured risks so as to be unfit for occupation .............. the rent hereby reserved or a fair proportion thereof according to the nature and extent of the damage sustained shall be suspended until the said Premises shall again be rendered by the Landlord fit for habitation and use and any dispute concerning this clause shall be determined by a single Arbitrator in accordance with the Arbitration Act 1996 or any statutory enactment in that behalf for the time being in force

good luck

[Kris]

Hiya Poppy, thanks for your reply!

Ok, no, they shut down for the day. They are very rude and obnoxious anyway, and this is just typical of them.

With concerns to me moving in initially: The flat "looked fine". The boiler worked literally until two weeks into our agreement. The plumber said that it had broken numerous times before, and that is why the previous tennant had moved out.

Everything else looked fine as well. I put some books on a shelf: they fell down. The wallpaper started peeling etc. Just little things.

Kris