Struggling With Private Landlord & Repairs

Mikeb2102

Ok so I suffer with ADHD and autism (Undiagnosed autism, awaiting diagnosis). Last November was bittersweet. I won my PIP Tribunal and in the same week I received an eviction notice as my landlord of 10 years wanted to sell the place. Eventually I found a place in January 6th 2023. It's a studio flat so is a lot smaller than my previous 3 bedroomed flat. I have made it work though and thought I could be happy here. Cosmetically the flat looks lovely. The communal hall leading to my flat is horrible and the communal front door is damaged badly and badly boarded up. I mentioned this to the agent showing me around and he said he hoped it would be fixed. When I moved in I was back and forth moving boxes for a few days and all I wanted was a nice hot shower. I turned the shower on and it was lukewarm. I messaged the landlord and told him and he said "The builder said the shower works fine". I said "It does work fine, the water coming out of it is not hot though". I thought maybe it was on some timer thing so I tried the following day at a different time and still the same. The whole week was spent arguing back and forth with the landlord. I even found the manual for the shower online and discovered it wasn't even wired up properly. I showed the landlord proof and he still stood by "The builder said it works fine". I then discovered that the actual shower box had brown parcel tape around it. So I told my landlord there is no way that would have passed an electrical safety check. He said he would replace the shower, so far in 5 weeks I have had "I've ordered a shower, the company will be in touch to fit it", "The builder is going to order you a shower and he wanted a good one so he will fit it in a few days", "the builder is working on a flat upstairs and will have a look at your shower today", "I will fit the shower on Wednesday, can you take a photo of it so that I can order the same one". I have had to stand in the kitchen and clean myself at the sink for 5 weeks (there is no bath). I also mentioned about damp in the bedroom/living room. The Landlord said he was unaware of the damp and had ordered an inspection by a company who he deemed to be the best. The inspector came out and told me that it looks like the damp has been painted over rather than fixed before he rented the place. I emailed the company yesterday as they said they would be sending the report to the landlord. They told me they sent the report two weeks ago and hadn't heard anything back. I emailed the landlord and he told me he wanted a second opinion so was looking around for another company. This morning I received an email asking if I would be in on Thursday as this other company wanted to inspect the place. That was the moment that he hit my breaking point and I lost it on the phone to the landlord.

I have been in touch with the council and they have appointed an enforcement officer to my case. They told me they were already investigating this building but at the time didn't gain access to my flat (Probably before I moved in, as the tenant upstairs told me they had been around and did nothing).

I just find all this frustrating. I have gone from living under a landlord who would fix things in the matter of days if they were urgent to dealing with this landlord who has no regard for my wellbeing and thinks 5 weeks is an acceptable amount of time to go without a shower or bath. I don't think I can settle in here. It is a lovely flat but my landlord has just made things unbearable and I am always going to be on edge wondering if an eviction notice is going to come through the door. I know my rights etc with all that and I am prepared for that to happen but at the same time I thought this was going to be another long term let and I just feel sick thinking about it now.

I also don't think my landlord has put his real name on my tenancy agreement. I am trying to get the housing benefit sorted and I wanted the money paid directly to him. The council said that the bank details and the landlords name on the tenancy are different and they needed to see proof that he owned that bank account. So, I asked my landlord for a bank statement for that account with his name on it. He sent me a bank statement with The Secretary as the name. I then went on companies house and couldn't find the name on the tenancy under his company. I found the director of his company had the same first name and also held 12 other directors posts. Mu landlords emails to me have never had a surname on them in the company details section at the bottom of the email. Maybe there's something in that, maybe it's just me overthinking. Things just don't add up at all.

Sorry for the rant, I just don't know what to do and I don't have the mental strength or energy to deal with this anymore

L_Volunteer

Hey @Mikeb2102. Thank you for reaching out to us. I appreciate the courage it takes to reach out, especially when finding things difficult. 

I am really hearing about the rollercoaster you have been on since November. It sounds tough that your concerns about the shower haven't particularly been validated and the long wait has. 

You have mentioned your well-being. Would you feel comfortable sharing a little more with us about where you, and your well-being, are currently?

Please don't apologise for the rant. We are all here for you and listening to you. You can rant to us any time you want to and feel comfortable

Mikeb2102

L_Volunteer said:

You have mentioned your well-being. Would you feel comfortable sharing a little more with us about where you, and your well-being, are currently?

Things have changed a lot since I posted that post. My mental health is not great at the moment, there's just so much going on. I live in Tottenham, North London. Sadly my 13 year old daughter's mother passed away 4th March so my daughter has moved in with me. I have got social services involved and they are going to be helping me because I live in a studio and sharing a bed with a 13 year old girl just isn't practical. Also switching from ESA Support Group with Enhanced and Severe Disability Premiums to Universal Credit is draining because they have asked me to supply a fit note and I am getting told by some organisations like CAB and Mind that I don't need one and other people are telling me I do. In my journal during my identity meeting today the DWP advisor put down that I am not receiving ESA, so maybe she's put the incorrect information in there because I checked with Universal Credit and they said that my ESA claim is still active until 6th April. 

L_Volunteer

Thank you for updating us @Mikeb2102. It sounds really difficult that your mental health is not great at the moment and we are here to support you through this.

Would you feel comfortable sharing a little more with us about how your mental health is looking at the moment? That does sound like a lot to deal with.

Have social services shared a little more with you about the types of support they may be able to provide you with?

The conflicting information sounds particularly difficult, especially when added to the difficulties you are already experiencing.

Do you feel able to challenge this with the DWP advisor? Please don’t hesitate to let us know if there’s anything we can do to support you 

Mikeb2102

L_Volunteer said:

Do you feel able to challenge this with the DWP advisor? Please don’t hesitate to let us know if there’s anything we can do to support you 

I managed to get UC sorted. CAB told me to show them Regulation 19 and I had printed that off along with the email from them and I also took in my ESA and PIP letters. I didn't feel comfortable about challenging them, so by using the CAB email, it was kind of CAB challenging them and not me. It was a different advisor as well and she was really helpful.

My mental health is up and down at the moment. Today I feel OK.

I'm sick of having to ask my landlord to fix things over and over. I moved here as my previous landlord was selling and she was a great landlord. Any repairs that needed fixed she would have them fixed either the same day or the following day. I think she set the bar too high, as this landlord takes months to fix things.

Social services visited a few days ago and the woman was really helpful. They've recommended us for housing and counselling for my daughter and a few other things that will help us.

rebel11

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/what_to_do_if_your_private_landlord_wont_do_repairs#:~:text=Consider legal action,carry out the repair work

L_Volunteer

It sounds really positive that you were able to get UC sorted @Mikeb2102. I am hearing this was supported by using the CAB email and having a different advisor who was really helpful. 

You have mentioned your mental health is up and down at the moment. It is positive to hear you were feeling ok when you posted but I am wondering if you would like to tell us a little more about this?

I can totally hear your frustrations in waiting months for the landlord to fix things. Do you feel comfortable chasing them? I can hear the conflict may not be easy but it might help speed things up.

I can hear you are having a mixture of things and feelings at the moment, with good and not-so-good things happening. Nonetheless, it is really positive to hear the woman from social services was really helpful to you and your daughter. 

Is there anything that might help at the moment, particularly whilst you are waiting for things to be fixed and access to housing and counselling for your daughter? Please don't hesitate to let us know if there is anything we can do to support you and your daughter, even if that's just extending a listening ear 

L_Volunteer

Thanks for the link @rebel11. I am sure this will be super helpful, particularly if the landlord refuses to do repairs and is not just slow 

Mikeb2102

rebel11 said:

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/what_to_do_if_your_private_landlord_wont_do_repairs#:~:text=Consider legal action,carry out the repair work

Thanks, I've gone through all that. Because I'll be moving soon, and because the landlord has been giving me excuse after excuse why he hasn't repaired stuff I'm just trying to get him to fix stuff now for my own amusement really, so I can leave after he's done them "thanks for the repairs but I'm moving out now, see ya!"

Mikeb2102

@L_Volunteer

Yeah I'm fine challenging my landlord. He knows I'm going through a grieving process but he's exhausting to deal with. Thursday I sent him an email asking about the communal door and he gave me the same excuse. He also rang me because he wanted to know if I knew when my daughters mums funeral is because he wanted to book the damp proofers in. So I emailed him and told him that I would appreciate it if he stopped pestering me about a funeral date because if he wanted the damp fixed "as soon as possible" then it would have been done in the three months since I've reported it. He replied and apologised and said he would wait until he hears from me. I emailed back and said "you heard from me yesterday, now fix the communal door!".

Then on Friday I got a date for the funeral so I emailed and told him the dates so they can work around that (I didn't want to be moving stuff out of the room or back into it either side of the day of the funeral). Later on Friday he emailed to say a surveyor is coming round on Monday, would I be in. I said "I don't know, what does it matter if I'm in or not and what is he surveying?". He said "will I just give him a set of keys?", I said sure give him a set of keys for the communal door", he said "He will need access to your flat". I went away and did a bit of research then I emailed and said "what is he surveying", he didn't reply. Then Monday I got another email to ask if the surveyor could come round that afternoon. I said "what is the surveyor visiting my flat for? I told you already, now is not a good time, my kitchen is full of boxes as I've moved most of the stuff out of the damp room, I've got lots of things to sort out, I've just lost my only friend and my daughter has just lost her mum, without having you make arrangements for people to come and visit my flat". He didn't reply.

A few hours later my phone rings. He had given my number to the surveyor without asking if that would be alright first. I asked the surveyor what he was surveying and he said "The landlord wants me to do floor plans". I said come back in two weeks, I just need some space right now. He said he would ring the landlord. I emailed the landlord and told him that he either hasn't read the Housing Act or he thinks it doesn't apply to him. I told him I'm entitled to quiet enjoyment of my home, harassing me every day is not quiet enjoyment. I said "as this is an HMO the only 2 reasons you have for gaining entry to my home is either to do repairs (and we can safely rule that one out) or to carry out an inspection. As floorplans are neither of those two things then I would appreciate it if you give me two weeks to grieve or I will be forced to consider reporting you to the council for enforcement action". Haven't heard from him since. My social care worker said he would happily speak to him and said I could give him her number, I haven't done that yet.

Mikeb2102

@L_Volunteer

With my mental health, I'm fine if I don't have to deal with things, like the landlord for instance. Because this was a recent move and I've never felt settled here, I'm just hoping I find somewhere where I can settle again. I've been in here since 6th January and I've still been living out of boxes. I was going to buy wardrobes but wanted the damp fixed before I started putting furniture in the room now I have to wait until I find another place. When I got the eviction notice in November from my previous landlord (she set the bar high as far as landlords go I think), I started packing, so I've been living out of boxes for 6 months now. Because I've been so busy trying to sort things out and dealing with that idiot, and helping my daughter, I've not had a chance to sit down and grieve properly or relax, it still doesn't seem real. I've not cried since she died, I cried river's at the hospital when I was there everyday and some nights and I know the funeral will hit me because that makes it final.

Cher_Alumni

Hi @Mikeb2102

How are you doing? I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your daughter's mum. This must be an especially sad and difficult time for you both so I'm glad to hear you have the support of a social worker and your daughter is being referred for counselling. Do you think you would benefit from some too? Perhaps, look at contacting CRUSE, the bereavement support organisation, if it's something you'd be comfortable with.

Our thoughts will be with you at the funeral. Do let those tears flow if you feel them coming, they say grief is the price of love and she sounds to have been a wonderful friend to you 

If we can do anything more to support you at this time, please let us know. Take care and wishing you a peaceful Easter.