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Letting property issues

Just seeing if anyone knows of any lawyers or has any advice of an issue I've had with a letting agency.

We moved into a terraced house in chester which smelt very strong of paint which as first time tenants didn't seem much of an issue. Winter soon came and we started to have damp on our outside walls at which point we contacted the letting agent (she even said if it gets worse contact them). We contacted them for 2 months which consisted of 12 emails and phone calls (all ignored). It wasn't till we threatened not to pay our rent someone came round the next day (ironic) trying to blame us but he slipped his mouth saying the tenant before had the same issues. We took action and contacted the council to which they said it was serious and they need to conduct a survey and sort out the issues. The council said the gutters needing cleaning and they were broken. Which we told them several times and the fact there's no down pipe either side of house, so it overflows and rain water soaks the walls (rains a lot up north). There was issues with the chimney with black soot dripping down through the walls. The council said this was a priority to be sorted....nothing's been done. So we're coming to the end of our year rent and shock they don't want us to stay. So we're just seeing if anyone knows if we could claim back from the rent we've paid as the issues we raised almost 10 months ago still haven't been sorted. It clearly states in a contract that they will rectify any damages or water leaks in the property as soon as reported.

Cheers.

Comments

  • I'll send you a PM mate
  • Can't help you with the legal problems but beware of what you describe as black soot......it's most likely a fungus( or spores), which can be very harmful to ones health over an extended period!
    It has a well known name but I've forgotten it.
  • I'd just forget it & move on. As long as they don't give you a bad reference I can't see the point in moaning about it. You're not going to be staying there so its not an issue for you.
  • I dont see if you have lived there for nearly a year why you would be able to claim back any rent, you were aware of the problem. I'd say if you had valid grounds if you wanted to get out of your contract and not subject yourself to living there, but as your time is up anyway doesn't really seem you can claim back any rent. Unless you have health problems as a result of this? and have been to doctors etc and want to claim some form of liability.
  • As above, get out and move on. However if it was me I'd make damn sure the council were aware these issues hadn't been fixed. My experience is most come down hard on slum landlords but need the tenants help to do so, take photo's etc before you go!
  • What you should have done is withheld the rent until it was fixed and then they would have had to take you to court for the money. Having evicted tenants for failing to pay rent on more than one occasion I can tell you that, based on the legal advice I received at the time, if there is the slightest justification for tenants withholding rent a judge won't evict them.

    If you could prove that you were out of pocket then you might have a case but I doubt that is the case, As Golfie says, move on. If the house was that bad to live in I assume that you want to find somewhere else to live anyway.
  • Rob7Lee said:

    As above, get out and move on. However if it was me I'd make damn sure the council were aware these issues hadn't been fixed. My experience is most come down hard on slum landlords but need the tenants help to do so, take photo's etc before you go!

    This. I was going to say the same.
  • Cheers for the comments. Yes we do just want to move on etc but the fact they have yet to provide us the report and nothing being fixed just seems like they just want it to just be forgotten about. Then the next person moves in and has the same problems. We did threaten to not pay rent but legally we can't not just pay. Many personal possessions were damaged and they just didn't seemed bothered.


  • You could possibly take them to a small claims court for damaged property, but is it worth the hassle ?
  • I'd continue with the complaint. You may not get anywhere but hopefully the next tenant will not experience your misfortune.
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