Landlord problems - advice needed

Ta, I'll do this when I take my daughter back.

In the meantime, we've emailed someone we've been recommended at the Council and my daughter and her mates have joined Acorn, applied to the university law clinic for pro-bono help and contacted CAB.

I don't get how they can charge rent during the period they've said you/they have to move out?
Is there nothing in the contract that requires provision of somewhere to live, in exchange for paying rent?

"quite enjoyment" means that atleast 24-hours written notice AND you approval should be the norm.

No. It does not.

It’s just their way of showing their power. They don’t want to do the work.

They are taking the view that "if you want the decorating done, you have to move out, if not we won't do it", which contradicts their initial offer to redecorate and that it would take a week. They are essentially pushing it back to term time and tripling the time required, as they know this will fuck with their studies

I'm wondering whether to hand this over to @Dammit as a project, or to enlist the help of my god son whose CV includes "minder to Glasgow cocaine dealer"...

happy to be corrected - it was understanding of it.

Quick update on this.

We took this to the council's environmental health team (via a contact from off here) and raised a formal complaint with the agents, copying in the director of the company with significant control. This escalated it out of the hands of the two useless and dishonest property managers who had been dealing with it and kept contradicting each other, and into the hands of someone more senior in the firm. After a back and forth, they sent the company MD to view the property and draw up a schedule of work to be undertaken, which includes replacing mattresses, which environmental health will follow up. They are still insisting on the tenants moving out for redecoration, but will refund half the rent for that period.

For now, we are going along with it and will accept the money and get the works done, however, we will be going back for:

-A full refund for the period the property was uninhabitable due to a) it not having been deep cleaned in the middle of a pandemic and b) contractors letting themselves in without permission and entering tenants' bedrooms while they slept, making it unsafe.
-The other half of the rent for the period of the decorating, given the agents acknowledge the decorating is required (following a proper inspection) and have insisted that the house needs to be empty.

To this end, we have lawyers working on it pro-bono and expect to get some, if not all, of the additional refund.

My take-aways from this:

-Agents just aren't very bright and are incapable of following an argument
-Escalating it through a formal complaint gets attention of someone who has the authority to take decisions
-The formal complaints process opens up the route to the ombudsman, which we might still pursue
-Get environmental health involved
-Keep a clear and logical list of everything and the chronology, backed up by all correspondence and time-stamped photos - they will make mistakes in their emails, which you can use to your advantage
-Be persistent - they work on the basis that 9 out of 10 tenants won't pursue it, even if they are in the right, so be the 1 in 10 (insert UB40 joke) and don't put up with it just because it is a typical student experience

Thanks for the advice on here and to @furious_tiles

Sounds positive, keep squeezing the bastards!

Quality justice. 10/10 would read again.

Agents just aren't very bright and are incapable of following an argument

Many are also shithouse crooks. Glad this has started to be solved.

Good to hear progress has been made, even though it had to be fought for.

I’ll pass the thanks on to my gf, she deserves it more than I do.

Please do

Er if they want you to move out, they have to pay for alternative accommodation, while you pay rent.

Half rent till 'habitable' even tho they are living there.

Hoping for some advice. Relates to flat in a block managed by a managing agent/ housing association. Our communal front door has been broken for months allowing anyone access to the communal areas. It's a safety risk. We just keep getting fobbed off saying the order has been made for repairs etc. What action can we take? We've had intruders already anti social behaviour, pissing on hallways and breaking lifts etc

Are you a tenant or a leaseholder?

You could probably get a solicitor to take up your case if there is compensation possible on a no win no fee basis. If you are a leaseholder you will be paying for this in your service charge. But this could get a reaction.

Maybe speak to your local ward councillor, and local police liaison (local councillor will have the details)the anti social behaviour/crime might get the officer to contact the managing agents.

Good luck

I'm a leaseholder. Good idea on police rep. Cheers

Will dm you.