Landlord problems - advice needed

Nothing to add in specific terms for this case, but you and my daughter have my sympathies.

As a student I rented with (as it turned out) a notoriously dodgy landlord and estate agent (they were in fact the same people).

It was not uncommon to see their shopfront windows smashed, presumably by aggreived previous tennants and similarly there were reports of previous tenants going back into properties to balance the books so to speak after their deposits hadn't been returned on leaving.
Removing staircases or bricking up behind the front door etc. Good work.

I echo those on this thread that say try and get out of the contract asap.
This landlord has always been rubbish and will forever be

Removing staircases or bricking up behind the front door etc

Lift a floorboard and stick a roast chicken under there.

I think you're right, but the three things that grate are a) not taking responsibility for minimising the risk of infection through proper cleaning, controlling contractors, allowing a clean break between tenants, b) deliberately delaying decorating, which could have been done over the summer and c) the piss-take £50 offer.

Finding somewhere where they can all live together will be very difficult, so the best outcome is probably to push to get the decorating done sooner and get a better rebate. Tactics for this?

They're 2nd years, my daughter is just young...

Tactics for this

Withholding rent payments. Though of course that comes with risk

It frames your legal rights as a tenant not just what's in the written document so worth reviewing and / or getting Citizens Advice guidance.

Depending on how much the deposit is, it may be best to figure an exit strategy as the LL and agent sound crap.

Also, make notes of time and dates of the fuck up's and take time stamped photo's.

Change the locks.

Absolutely get that the safety stuff with CV19 changes the situation.

Not that it's any consolation, but one of our group of uni mates were told that their place would be renovated over the summer. It was. Unfortunately they didn't finish it. So when they rocked up in September it was a building site with no kitchen etc.

Tactics for this?

Write a list of all the points of leverage you have and try and then work out a way to sell the estate agent that this will turn into an absolute nightmare.

Maybe get the LL to up the offer to £70 to cover the cost of the small claims fee? For eg what were the costs for your DD to get back home?

Also if the LL runs this through a company find out all the details on it. CH is now pretty open. Then maybe see if anyone has a premium subscription to something like creditsafe to get more intel on him. Same with the LL.

Do you know if it is classified as an HMO? Not claiming to be an expert but there are tighter regulations if it is an HMO so if you can show that the LL is in breach of those requirements you might have stronger grounds to claim the contract is not being delivered, or complain directly to the council on safety grounds.

Is it possible to ask the University, and separately the SU if they have a Housing support team or something along those lines.

Thanks for the advice all, I will spend this evening going through it and devising a straegy with my daughter. Ensuring the other tenants are happy with the way forward if important too.

Any other suggestions, keep 'em coming.

They do and we're looking into that. They aso have a list of recommended agencies/landlords, which would have given leverage, but this mob weren't on it...

Are the agents members of ARLA?

Still got my number?

According to their website they are

Yeah I agree with your sentiment.

Not meaning to sound petty but due to the lack of sanitising between tenants and with contractors is there someone you can report them to? Public Health England?

Just to make their life harder/stop them from repeating it with others.

We'll look into that, maybe the local authority. Need to do some digging around.

Just mentioned this to my gf who’s from Bristol and she’ll message her close friend who works for Trading Standards in Bristol and will she if she knows anyone you can contact.

Loving the pile-in of good advice here. Seems that everyone hates a bastard landlord/agent!

Thanks for the advice all, I will spend this evening going through it and devising a strategy

Poor LL has no idea he's crossed the daughter of a member of a bunch of nerds on the internet the lufguss massif

Can't suggest more but you have my sympathies, had 2 kids through uni so a total of 7 years of dealing with landlords, regularly tearing my hair out! At about £400 plus a month that's 30 odd grands worth of grief!!

Nice one, Tim, thanks

Thanks, I have three and am only at the start of it!

As regards just clearing up and getting out ASAP, if that’s your choice then make sure the LL knows that you’re considering him to be in breach of contract. A contact is between two parties, and if he says you’re in breach of contract by withholding rent, then tell him he’s in breach of contract by failing to provide what you’re paying for, namely habitable accommodation. Stalemate.

This wasn’t in Leeds, was it?! My son was at Leeds Uni some years back and we got stiffed for the return of the deposit by the agent/landlord who was also the same person. He had a nice black Range Rover, which got trashed on three separate occasions. Never did get the deposit back, mind.

Thanks, I’ve told the agent that I consider them to be in breach of contract on four counts:
-unannounced and unauthorised entry by contractors
-failure to provide habitable accommodation on numerous grounds (mainly risk of Covid-19 infection)
-failure to provide inventory at start of tenancy
-pressure on tenants to pay earlier than set out in schedule in the agreement

I have also repeatedly pointed out that the tenants bear no responsibility for the state of the house, which they acknowledge, and that they have acted in good faith by paying their deposit and rent in line with the schedule

This was Norwich in the late 90's/early 00's.
I won't name the estate Agent, just in case, but they were absolutely shocking.
A good education really.

Yeah I guess it's just standard throughout the land with these b*stards exploiting students