council house boarded up

morvel

October last year i was given a council bedsit. This is the first time iv had the opportunity so i took it as home is overcrowded. I called up EDF who are giving me a very hard time connecting fuel because they keep talking about the previous tenancy and their arrears. Im still staying at parents home but sorting the electricity out. At this point its been 2 months and im slowly moving in but have a few mental issues hence being so slow plus im all on my own.

Forward to 18 dec i have a row withh my parents and decide to go to the flat, nearly done up all my own on a tight budget. To my horror the council have boarded up the flat with no prior call or warning despite me speaking to the housing officer about a different thing but maybe it got boarded up a day after. I try and call all the numbers i have including the emergency council number, all say call next week when they are open.

The bedsit is still boarded up, the council say it could be the fire dept, that its my fault because i wasnt there when they sent a letter and then they said its because the roof is leaking and the neighbours downstairs have seen smoke come out of the flat. The tenant downstairs did come up to me saying water from the bedsit is going down to his bedsit and causing blackouts i told him to use my phone and get it sorted. At this point i stopped decorating and stuff as didnt want anything to happen.

The flat is still boarded up as off now, and they say im liable to pay rent even though it is a bedsit i have no access too. I havnt even moved in properly but have decided to give the property back as family say its too stressful for me right now. What can i do about the situation that iv been asked to pay rent till tenenacy finishes. I have no access to the property and to collect my stuff they say i have to call them and they will take the board out to allow me to collect my stuff. Can i do anything ?

morvel

Hii thank for the response. So have i got this right, while the bedsit is not in my posession as in cant get in or cant go out, i still have to pay rent ?

poppy123456

You need to find out why it's boarded up. My advice is to contact shelter to see if they can give some expert advice on this situation. https://england.shelter.org.uk/contact_us as you're named on the tenancy agreement you could still be liable for the rent.

morvel

poppy123456 said:

You need to find out why it's boarded up. My advice is to contact shelter to see if they can give some expert advice on this situation. https://england.shelter.org.uk/contact_us as you're named on the tenancy agreement you could still be liable for the rent.

Thanks for that il give them a go. Iv tried finding out but the council wont give me a straight response. Im going to have to call them again but i cant pay rent on a bedsit i dont have access too. Iv cancelled the tenancy but being liable for a months rent iv got no access to is money i dont have

morvel

can i ask, if the property is deemed unfit to be habitable could the tenancy agreement become void as iv not moved into it yet but. I halfway stopped renovating the bedsit when the neighbour came in and asked if he could call the council form my phone as the bedsit im in is leaking with water that runs down to his property causing a blackout. Having anxiety and finding this out i swiftly got out and have been reluctant to go back in. The council wont even tell me if it has been boarded up due to this.

poppy123456

I'm afraid i don't know the answer to that. If you ring shelter they should be able to answer all your questions (apart from why it was boarded up)

morvel

woodbine said:

It would seem that all you can do is as they say and arrange for the boarding up to be removed so you can remove your belongings social housing is in very short supply and they will need it for someone who intends to live in it, I would also assume that you are liable for the rent for the time you have been a tenant.
@morvel hi and welcome to scope, I suspect that isn't what you wanted to hear.

I did intend to live in it, iv spent near 500 that i dont have doing it up. The only reason why i gave my notice is because no  one told me why it was boarded it, no emergency accomodation was offered and iv spent a week or so in a cold vehicle. Online it states they have to let me know why they boarded it up, if its deemed unfit they should provide alternative accomodation. Iv been to see the flat and its still boarded up. It makes no sense in paying rent while im out in the streets.

morvel

poppy123456 said:

I'm afraid i don't know the answer to that. If you ring shelter they should be able to answer all your questions (apart from why it was boarded up)

il give them a go thanks