Landlord Obligations / Regulations – The Law
Written by The Landlord on 19 Feb 2007
As a landlord there are a number of legal obligations you MUST (and should) abide by. These are all necessary obligations; failing to comply with these could result in prosecution.
Please note, regulations vary depending on the type of property. The regulations discussed in this article are for private residential properties, which may not necessarily apply to mixed use premises such as houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) where unrelated occupiers, who live independently from one another, share common areas of the same building.
Gas safety appliances
The Gas Safety Regulations 1998 place a statutory duty on all landlords of residential property to ensure that all gas appliances, pipe work and flues are maintained in a safe condition.
A inspection of all gas appliances that is provided with in the property by the landlord must be inspected annually by a Gas Safe Registered Engineer. After inspection a warranted Gas Safety Certificate will be issued for proof of inspection; both tenant and landlord should keep a copy.
Fire Safety, Housing Act 2004
Fire Safety in Rental Property
This area of law is covered by both the Housing Act 2004 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Landlords are under a common law duty to ensure that the property they provide is safe. All residential properties in England and Wales should comply with building regulations.
Fire Extinguishers
There is no legal requirement to provide fire extinguishers or fire blankets in single occupation tenanted properties, but again, this may be a wise precaution, at least in the kitchen area.
Having made the decision to provide fire extinguishers though, the landlord or agent must then arrange for regular servicing – usually on a 12 monthly basis. They should also not be used by untrained persons.
Fire alarms
The building regulations require that all properties built after June 1992 must have a mains operated inter-connected smoke alarms fitted on every level of the property. Although older properties do not have to comply, it is advised for landlords to provide at least battery operated smoke alarms in the property.
It is important to determine who is responsible for testing and maintaining the smoke alarms – the landlord, agent or tenant.
The Furniture and Furnishings Regulation 1993
All furniture a landlord provides must be fire resistant. Furniture must meet the fire resistance requirements in the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.
These regulations require that the following furniture supplied by the landlord in let properties meet fire safety standards:
- beds, headboards of beds, mattresses
- sofas, sofa-beds, futons and other convertibles
- nursery furniture
- garden furniture which is suitable for use in a dwelling
- scatter cushions, bean bags, window seats and seat pads; pillows
- padded stools and padded chests
- put-u-up beds and garden loungers/seats
- loose and stretch covers for furniture
Furniture manufactured since March 1989 will comply with these regulations and most will be marked with a label showing compliance.
The regulations do not apply to:
- sleeping bags
- bed-clothes, duvets and pillowcases
- loose covers for mattresses
- curtains and carpets
- furniture and furnishings manufactured before 1 January 1950 as the inflammable materials were not in use prior to 1950
- properties let continuously to the same tenant since prior to December 1996 until there is change of tenancy
Non-compliance with the above regulations is a criminal offence and carries penalties of a £5,000 fine, 6 month’s imprisonment, or both. In the event of a death, charges could extend to manslaughter.
Repairs & Maintenance- Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
The landlord is responsible for the structure and exterior of the property; baths, sinks and other sanitary items; heating and hot water installations. However, this only applies if the tenant has a fixed tenancy contract for under 7 years, else these issues become the tenants responsibility. The landlord is not responsible for damages caused by the tenants.
This legislation requires landlords to:
- keep the structure and exterior of the property in good repair, including drains, gutters and external pipes
- keep installations for the supply of water, gas, electricity and sanitation in good repair and proper working order
- keep installations for space heating and water heating in good repair and proper working order
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994
Every electrical appliance supplied by the landlord must be safe to use; the electrical installation in the house must be completely safe.
Unlike the Gas Safety Regulations, there is no mandatory requirement for the equipment to undergo any safety testing, but that should NOT be an incentive to be careless.
Although there is no requirement for equipment to be checked, it’s recommended for every landlord to check all electrical appliances and electrics before the start of a tenancy and regularly thereafter.
The following guidelines apply to all electrical appliances supplied for the tenancy:
- live parts should not be accessible
- leads should not be worn or frayed and be complete with no joins
- trailing leads and the use of multiple plug adaptors should be avoided
- correct plugs (marked ‘B SECTION 136’) should be fitted and correctly fused
- plug sockets should be firmly fastened to the wall or skirting
- any moving parts should be guarded
- electric blankets should be serviced according to the manufacturer’s instructions
- microwave doors should be clean, free from corrosion and effective
- washing machines, cookers, etc, should be serviced and in good working order
- electrical heaters and central heating appliances should be serviced annually
- fireguards should meet BS3248
- any fire extinguishers should be marked ‘BS6575 1985’.
Plugs and Sockets (Safety) Regulations 1994
This regulation requires that any plug, socket or adapter supplied for intended domestic use complies with the appropriate current standard, and specifically that:
- the live and neutral pins on plugs are part insulated so as to prevent shocks when removing plugs from sockets and all plugs are pre-wired.
Obtaining consent to let a property
Before letting a property, landlords must obtain permission and/or inform the following:
- mortgage lender
- In respect of leasehold properties, the head landlord
- Any housing association or other body which has regulations applying to the property, e.g shared ownership
- Any adult who has been living in the property with the landlord as husband, wife or partner who may have occupancy rights.
- The landlord’s insurance company who must confirm that cover will be maintained if the property is let.
Tenancy Deposit Protection
The landlord must sign up to a Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) scheme in order to provide their tenant with protection. Over the years a lot of tenants have complained that they have unfairly lost their initial deposit; consequently the government introduced this legislation to help apply some moderation to the disputes. For more in-depth details about this ‘landlord obligation’, please go to my Tenancy Deposit Protection Easy Guide article.
Taxation of Income from Land (Non-Residents) Regulations 1995
Any landlord who is considered non-resident for taxation purposes is liable to pay tax on their rental income from letting property.
The details can be complicated depending on your circumstances, so it’s best to check with the Inland Revenue how much tax you’re liable to pay, or if you’re permitted to be exempted from tax.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Landlords must provide an Energy Performance Certificate to all new and prospective tenants.
The certificate will give each building a SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure – out of 100 possible) rating, and this will equate to an energy rating from A to G, similar to those seen on white goods. For those who don’t speak geek, in English it means, it will show the energy efficiency levels of a property.
More information on Energy Performance Certificate
Next Article
Tenancy Deposit Scheme For LandlordsRelated Articles
358 Comments - join the conversation...
Showing 309 - 358 comments (out of 358)
Taz2011-12-07 14:51:35
Thank you
Cardiff Landlord - I was not saying this at all, so please don't label me as a nuisance tenant.
To put this into perspective - Last winter we were without heating for a period of 6 weeks so this is why we thought it would be done.
We are more than happy to pay for it, but didn't know where we stood if we asked for a staggered increase.
Cardiff Landlord - I was not saying this at all, so please don't label me as a nuisance tenant.
To put this into perspective - Last winter we were without heating for a period of 6 weeks so this is why we thought it would be done.
We are more than happy to pay for it, but didn't know where we stood if we asked for a staggered increase.
309
Observer2011-12-07 14:54:26
CL .... cross posting at the same time here! Just a note on the Max issue, its a 38 year let so far. He may be paying £28 per week rent due to the rent board, and his tenancy may hold him responsible for maintenance....... it all depends on his old tenancy. These fall outside of our current AST standards, and are a bugger (from a LL position) as the tenancy may be transferable to children. Defo needs to look at the individual situation IMO :)
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Observer2011-12-07 15:02:19
Sugar babe.......... are you a student? Fair rent assessment? Im sure most tenants are fully aware of the going rate of rentals in their own area, for the standard of property theyre after, and believe me, cheap ones for the area go quick. If a property is overpriced, it wont let. Simple. Tenants feet do the talking. Fair rent assessment will do exactly what a tenant can do, looks next door to see whats the going rate........ This is not some huge issue, major drama or brain surgery. The market, and in effect the tenants themselves, dictate what a property will let at, not a greedy landlord.
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Cardifflandlord2011-12-07 15:03:21
@Observer - LOL! Quiet day here too - just waiting for something else to go wrong! Roof leaks, boiler replacement, bed replacement and slugs were last months issues - just waiting to see what is in store for Christmas now!
@Taz - Wind your neck in pal - can't see anywhere where I accused you of being a problem tenant! If you were without heating for 6 weeks last winter why on earth did you not get this sorted out in the spring/summer instead of waiting for the beginning of the coldest part of the year? Again, not sure why you are asking us when you should be asking the landlord! Only he can agree/disagree to your negotiation and what we say is moot. All energy is expensive and getting more expensive by the day. Observers comment regarding oil filled rads is spot on. They are very energy efficient and are very economical to run so they can be left on 24hrs day to provide warmth.
@Taz - Wind your neck in pal - can't see anywhere where I accused you of being a problem tenant! If you were without heating for 6 weeks last winter why on earth did you not get this sorted out in the spring/summer instead of waiting for the beginning of the coldest part of the year? Again, not sure why you are asking us when you should be asking the landlord! Only he can agree/disagree to your negotiation and what we say is moot. All energy is expensive and getting more expensive by the day. Observers comment regarding oil filled rads is spot on. They are very energy efficient and are very economical to run so they can be left on 24hrs day to provide warmth.
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Sugarbabe2011-12-07 15:16:08
Observer there is such a thing as Fair Rent Assessment officers in Councils...it used to be that after say six months of tenancy you could get this service so say if deterioration in the Property then see if Rent is still fairly priced.
The OP seems as if they are going to be ripped off,although think i'd have moved out before now except it isn't always so easy and house moving very stressful to keep doing...and needs money with which to do so.
The OP seems as if they are going to be ripped off,although think i'd have moved out before now except it isn't always so easy and house moving very stressful to keep doing...and needs money with which to do so.
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Observer2011-12-07 15:17:20
Did you see the Landlord from hell the other night? Oh my, (whilst I do sympathise with a lot of the stuff...head of councils should be held personally responsible and imprisioned) I did fall about laughing at the woman with no overhead lighting as the ring main had gone. She had one lamp that she was plugging in and unplugging to move in the dark to the next room to plug in again. The idiot tv presenter was humouring her, doing the same and falling over stuff in the dark in the hall way. The point was ... "horrors! How can a tenant be left like that?" What an absolute pair of idiots they were. One lazy tenant who on a point of priciple wouldnt spend £2.99 at Argos for a lamp for each room and would rather her kids fall down the stairs, and a tv presenter who was encouraging her to continue with the ridiculous plug in/ un plug routine. This really was a classic example of the 'victim' tenant.
I have lamps all round my house, and hate putting the overheads as it shows up my lack of dusting........
Just passing the time ....
I have lamps all round my house, and hate putting the overheads as it shows up my lack of dusting........
Just passing the time ....
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Observer2011-12-07 15:24:52
Fill your boots sugarbabe. Spend 3 months winding yourself up that you're possibly paying over the odds, to have the rent assessors tell you the market rate from next door......... Youd be well p*ssd off at the end of it.
If issues arent being addressed, there are far more efficient ways of sorting it out, rather than living with it and trying to get £20 knocked off your rent via the rent assessors. Bit of a mis guided route dont you think, when the point is getting the bloody thing fixed in the first place.
If issues arent being addressed, there are far more efficient ways of sorting it out, rather than living with it and trying to get £20 knocked off your rent via the rent assessors. Bit of a mis guided route dont you think, when the point is getting the bloody thing fixed in the first place.
315
Taz2011-12-07 15:26:57
CL - The part where you stated that did we want it installed and not pay any cost. That is where I thought you were saying it.
They were replaced in the spring/summer with new electric heaters which have decided to break again after being on for a few days this winter. That is what annoys me. Our agency just don't seem to treat any concerns with any respect they deserve. For example - the heater in the main bedroom stopped working on 28th November, we reported this on the 29th and the landlords contractor came and looked on Monday 5th December and has removed the heater. So another 2 weeks without heating in the bedroom, surely we can ask for a pro rata rent decrease because of this.
They were replaced in the spring/summer with new electric heaters which have decided to break again after being on for a few days this winter. That is what annoys me. Our agency just don't seem to treat any concerns with any respect they deserve. For example - the heater in the main bedroom stopped working on 28th November, we reported this on the 29th and the landlords contractor came and looked on Monday 5th December and has removed the heater. So another 2 weeks without heating in the bedroom, surely we can ask for a pro rata rent decrease because of this.
316
Sugarbabe2011-12-07 15:33:00
You sound condescending Observer...it may have nothing to do with a next doors rent if individual circumstances arise of negligence from landlord that has nothing to do with next door dwelling.
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Cardifflandlord2011-12-07 15:52:01
Gotcha - Hells teeth. 38 years and the LL has done bugger all (or so it seems).
Are we all becoming soft? Just been re-reading the comments again regarding no heating etc. I lived in a house until I was 18 without central heating (and then again when I was a student at 21 in Manchester but that's a different story) and I survived by - wait for it - putting on an extra jumper or two extra jumpers and a hat. No duvets, no oil filled rads just a single bar wall heater in the bathroom and a single coil fired radiator in the living room. Did I get hypothermia? No. Did I get frostbite? No. Was is pleasant? No - but I did have an electric blanket and a hot water bottle. My parents did not have those luxuries and neither did theirs. OK there was the occasional bought of consumption/TB etc but for goodness sakes there are alternatives.
The UK is not Siberia. OK - it was bloody cold last year and I am sure it was no barrel of laughs but babies wont be harmed if they are dressed appropriately and cared for, children wont perish if they are playing and not spending hours in front of playstation's immobilied.If you are fit or in reasonable health the cold should not be an issue. Just imagine you are an OAP who really needs the heating on but does not do so for fear of running up a huge bill.
Damp of course is an issue but the black mould is once again a problem caused by modern conveniences. Washing being dried on radiators puts so much moisture into the air that not even a top spec CH system will keep up with it unless dehumidifiers are used. The more children - the more washing - the more potential for mould. Most tenants have no idea about damp. Everything is a 'damp issue'. I had one tenant phone me up complaining that there was rising damp in her room, at ceiling level on the first floor!
Lets get some perspective on this. Hot water IS a necessity but CH? Do me a favour. Last year I sponsored two orphans in Belarus. If you want to see poverty then I invite you all to go there and see for yourselves the levels of housing, deprivation and squalor these children live in where the average wage is £2.50 a day compared to £50 in the UK. Their country was poisoned by the worlds worst nuclear accident, they are unable to eat fresh fruit due to contamination by radioactivity, thousands are born with heart defects caused by radiation damage to their parents. The lucky ones go to orphanages the rest who are so badly disfigured by radiation get locked away in asylums where even the hint of the word human rights would be welcomed.
You may think you are inconvenienced by not having heating - these kids are inconvenienced by having no family (because the families can't afford to keep them), a country that has huge inflation and a huge area that will be contaminated for tens of thousands of years through no fault of their own. Their legacy is that they live every day with the constant threat of a nuclear accident 100 times worse than the original Chernobyl disaster because if the containment surrounding reactor number 4 collapses the remainder of the irradiated rubble will be released into the atmosphere.
Apologies for my ranting but its a subject I am passionate about.
Calm thoughts now...............................
Are we all becoming soft? Just been re-reading the comments again regarding no heating etc. I lived in a house until I was 18 without central heating (and then again when I was a student at 21 in Manchester but that's a different story) and I survived by - wait for it - putting on an extra jumper or two extra jumpers and a hat. No duvets, no oil filled rads just a single bar wall heater in the bathroom and a single coil fired radiator in the living room. Did I get hypothermia? No. Did I get frostbite? No. Was is pleasant? No - but I did have an electric blanket and a hot water bottle. My parents did not have those luxuries and neither did theirs. OK there was the occasional bought of consumption/TB etc but for goodness sakes there are alternatives.
The UK is not Siberia. OK - it was bloody cold last year and I am sure it was no barrel of laughs but babies wont be harmed if they are dressed appropriately and cared for, children wont perish if they are playing and not spending hours in front of playstation's immobilied.If you are fit or in reasonable health the cold should not be an issue. Just imagine you are an OAP who really needs the heating on but does not do so for fear of running up a huge bill.
Damp of course is an issue but the black mould is once again a problem caused by modern conveniences. Washing being dried on radiators puts so much moisture into the air that not even a top spec CH system will keep up with it unless dehumidifiers are used. The more children - the more washing - the more potential for mould. Most tenants have no idea about damp. Everything is a 'damp issue'. I had one tenant phone me up complaining that there was rising damp in her room, at ceiling level on the first floor!
Lets get some perspective on this. Hot water IS a necessity but CH? Do me a favour. Last year I sponsored two orphans in Belarus. If you want to see poverty then I invite you all to go there and see for yourselves the levels of housing, deprivation and squalor these children live in where the average wage is £2.50 a day compared to £50 in the UK. Their country was poisoned by the worlds worst nuclear accident, they are unable to eat fresh fruit due to contamination by radioactivity, thousands are born with heart defects caused by radiation damage to their parents. The lucky ones go to orphanages the rest who are so badly disfigured by radiation get locked away in asylums where even the hint of the word human rights would be welcomed.
You may think you are inconvenienced by not having heating - these kids are inconvenienced by having no family (because the families can't afford to keep them), a country that has huge inflation and a huge area that will be contaminated for tens of thousands of years through no fault of their own. Their legacy is that they live every day with the constant threat of a nuclear accident 100 times worse than the original Chernobyl disaster because if the containment surrounding reactor number 4 collapses the remainder of the irradiated rubble will be released into the atmosphere.
Apologies for my ranting but its a subject I am passionate about.
Calm thoughts now...............................
318
Cardifflandlord2011-12-07 15:56:59
@TAz - that's the first problem - you thought! try working with facts.
@Observer - I don't think that Sugarbabe is a Landlord either.
@Sugarbabe "You sound condescending Observer...it may have nothing to do with a next doors rent if individual circumstances arise of negligence from landlord that has nothing to do with next door dwelling."
Sorry - no idea what that means.
@Observer - I don't think that Sugarbabe is a Landlord either.
@Sugarbabe "You sound condescending Observer...it may have nothing to do with a next doors rent if individual circumstances arise of negligence from landlord that has nothing to do with next door dwelling."
Sorry - no idea what that means.
319
Cardifflandlord2011-12-07 15:59:07
Apologies for last rant - got a bit off subject but my point is that CH heating whilst a nice addition is not a neccesity.There are plenty of alternatives.
320
Sugarbabe2011-12-07 18:33:29
Cold Tenant.
Section 10 Fitness for Habitation Act,states;
In determining for purposes of this Act whether a house is unfit for human habitation,regard shall be had to it's condition in respect of the following matter;
repair,
stability,
freedom from damp,
internal arrangement,
natural lighting,
ventilation,
water supply, drainage & sanitary conveniences,facilities for preparation & cooking of food & for disposal of waste water, and the house shall be regarded as unfit for human habitation if, and only if, it is so far defective in one or more of those matters that is not reasonably suitable for occupation in that condition.
Could argue that without sufficient heating then this will cause damp. No heating means the property temperature is not going to rise above dew point.
Balance of heat and air not trapped cold air.
Landlords often provide basics then when things go pear shaped blame issues on the tenant instead of first protecting his/her investment.
See Consumer Credit Support and Letlink, also Shelter site.
See Schedule 1 of the 2005 Health and Housing Safety Rating System under 'Matters and Cirumstances',there are now 29 items.
1. Damp and Mould Growth
2. Excess cold,exposure to. The National Archives Legislation.co.uk
We cannot think like 'oh in other third world countries it's worse', because we have our own legislations to be mindful of. Solicitors can always find ways around anything by being creative with the law.
I had an elderly Uncle who died from Lung condition in a private rented property few yrs ago due to no heat or hot water,silver fish in kitchen cupboards due to damp and water leaking into cellar beneath, also was a collapsed ceiling, 9 gas safety failures and Electric ones and guess what they hurriedly put it up for Auction such can be the state of private rentals.
The Police who had to break in to find he had died said no one should have to live like this in todays Society of 21st Century.
There are other laws too like for Chronically Sick Act.
Children too need extra care and thought.
Cold kills no two ways about it and you cannot properly keep warm with electric fires and fan heaters and they cost a fortune too as does storage heaters,the old types anyway.
Section 10 Fitness for Habitation Act,states;
In determining for purposes of this Act whether a house is unfit for human habitation,regard shall be had to it's condition in respect of the following matter;
repair,
stability,
freedom from damp,
internal arrangement,
natural lighting,
ventilation,
water supply, drainage & sanitary conveniences,facilities for preparation & cooking of food & for disposal of waste water, and the house shall be regarded as unfit for human habitation if, and only if, it is so far defective in one or more of those matters that is not reasonably suitable for occupation in that condition.
Could argue that without sufficient heating then this will cause damp. No heating means the property temperature is not going to rise above dew point.
Balance of heat and air not trapped cold air.
Landlords often provide basics then when things go pear shaped blame issues on the tenant instead of first protecting his/her investment.
See Consumer Credit Support and Letlink, also Shelter site.
See Schedule 1 of the 2005 Health and Housing Safety Rating System under 'Matters and Cirumstances',there are now 29 items.
1. Damp and Mould Growth
2. Excess cold,exposure to. The National Archives Legislation.co.uk
We cannot think like 'oh in other third world countries it's worse', because we have our own legislations to be mindful of. Solicitors can always find ways around anything by being creative with the law.
I had an elderly Uncle who died from Lung condition in a private rented property few yrs ago due to no heat or hot water,silver fish in kitchen cupboards due to damp and water leaking into cellar beneath, also was a collapsed ceiling, 9 gas safety failures and Electric ones and guess what they hurriedly put it up for Auction such can be the state of private rentals.
The Police who had to break in to find he had died said no one should have to live like this in todays Society of 21st Century.
There are other laws too like for Chronically Sick Act.
Children too need extra care and thought.
Cold kills no two ways about it and you cannot properly keep warm with electric fires and fan heaters and they cost a fortune too as does storage heaters,the old types anyway.
321
Benji2011-12-07 22:08:51
Sugarbabe,
The property has got central heating.
Cold tenant chooses not to/cannot afford to use it.
The property has got central heating.
Cold tenant chooses not to/cannot afford to use it.
322
Observer2011-12-08 00:16:28
Wow Sugarbabe, if nothing else, your posts prompt a reaction. Id be utterly ashamed if a family member was neglected in such a manner by our family, and to then see his last days ending up with police having to discover him, is absolutely morally outrageous.
Whilst its an extreme example, it is a very clear demonstration of the utter disregard todays 'modern families' have for their elderly. One call to social services for an assessment, and this may have been avoided. The police were correct. There is no excuse for this. Social services have powers. Councils have powers. But none of that can happen if no one can be bothered to pick up a phone or pop in for a cuppa. This poor man was clearly utterly neglected, by those who should have been looking out for him. Appalling.
Whilst its an extreme example, it is a very clear demonstration of the utter disregard todays 'modern families' have for their elderly. One call to social services for an assessment, and this may have been avoided. The police were correct. There is no excuse for this. Social services have powers. Councils have powers. But none of that can happen if no one can be bothered to pick up a phone or pop in for a cuppa. This poor man was clearly utterly neglected, by those who should have been looking out for him. Appalling.
323
Observer2011-12-08 00:24:45
..... and I meant to add. Sugarbabe, if you have no personal or moral obligation towards your relative, tell me again, who does?
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Cardifflandlord2011-12-08 09:05:16
Morning all - feel so much better after my little rant yesterday!
@sugarbabe; So would you like to tell little Raisa and Tsimfei that their lives are worth less than those in the UK? Send me your email via The Landlord and I will happily pass on their orphanage address to you.
But no. You would not do that would you because you don't actually know what you are talking about and like to spend your time google searching laws and then copy and pasting without any actual clue about what you are writing.
How dare you sit there quoting law like a barrack room lawyer when you failed to intervene in your own elderly uncles life when his living conditions were so squalid? You were a family member for christ's sake and neither you or your family got off your arse's to ensure his safety or health. I bet he was real proud of you lot. You sit there quoting his death like some badge of honour. Or are you lying just to try to elicit some sypmathy?
Perhaps you are on here pontificating because of guilt? Well instead of sitting there writing crap (as is shown in your previous posts all over this site) get off your arse and do something constructive with your life to atone for the appalling way you treated your Uncle.
Your quote "Cold kills no two ways about it and you cannot properly keep warm with electric fires and fan heaters and they cost a fortune too as does storage heaters,the old types anyway." - well put on extra layers of clothing.
Finally - are you actually an adult because your writing seems very immature and pubescent? Hope I've not been to condescending.
@sugarbabe; So would you like to tell little Raisa and Tsimfei that their lives are worth less than those in the UK? Send me your email via The Landlord and I will happily pass on their orphanage address to you.
But no. You would not do that would you because you don't actually know what you are talking about and like to spend your time google searching laws and then copy and pasting without any actual clue about what you are writing.
How dare you sit there quoting law like a barrack room lawyer when you failed to intervene in your own elderly uncles life when his living conditions were so squalid? You were a family member for christ's sake and neither you or your family got off your arse's to ensure his safety or health. I bet he was real proud of you lot. You sit there quoting his death like some badge of honour. Or are you lying just to try to elicit some sypmathy?
Perhaps you are on here pontificating because of guilt? Well instead of sitting there writing crap (as is shown in your previous posts all over this site) get off your arse and do something constructive with your life to atone for the appalling way you treated your Uncle.
Your quote "Cold kills no two ways about it and you cannot properly keep warm with electric fires and fan heaters and they cost a fortune too as does storage heaters,the old types anyway." - well put on extra layers of clothing.
Finally - are you actually an adult because your writing seems very immature and pubescent? Hope I've not been to condescending.
325
Cardifflandlord2011-12-08 09:05:45
Sorry - too condescending!
326
Observer2011-12-08 10:16:26
CL I fear we have been 'flamed' . But sugarbabes post bothered me greatly. Perhaps it's my age. Perhaps it's because I attend far too many funerals now than I should, but theres a very serious point behind this.
Having pandered to a society of 'victims' we have truly failed those genuinely vulnerable who remain silent and hidden. Tenants have achieved what they set out to do. They can now behave as they please behind a properties 4 walls and there is absolutely nothing a landlord can do. If a landlord wished to check on the welfare of a tenant, he may be prosecuted for harassment. If a teacher picks up a child in the playground to comfort him, he may be prosecuted for child abuse.
Tenants pressed for ASTs so they could come and go as they please. They continue to press for more and more 'privacy' protection to avoid personal accountability. Harassment is the buzz word of a generation, yet in reality I know of only 2 cases in the last 10 years where a rogue landlord has forced his way in to a property to threaten a tenant.
Landlords cannot force tenants to heat a property (and what's so ridiculous about this is ll's would love them too, LL's aren't paying the fuel bill and it would ensure the property was kept in a decent condition). Landlords Cannot attend properties under the guise of a 'welfare' visit.
For those in genuine appalling conditions, tenancy law, council powers, social services instant interventions, and a fairly extensive list of charitable organisations are all there too assist.
This indeed should never happen.
Having pandered to a society of 'victims' we have truly failed those genuinely vulnerable who remain silent and hidden. Tenants have achieved what they set out to do. They can now behave as they please behind a properties 4 walls and there is absolutely nothing a landlord can do. If a landlord wished to check on the welfare of a tenant, he may be prosecuted for harassment. If a teacher picks up a child in the playground to comfort him, he may be prosecuted for child abuse.
Tenants pressed for ASTs so they could come and go as they please. They continue to press for more and more 'privacy' protection to avoid personal accountability. Harassment is the buzz word of a generation, yet in reality I know of only 2 cases in the last 10 years where a rogue landlord has forced his way in to a property to threaten a tenant.
Landlords cannot force tenants to heat a property (and what's so ridiculous about this is ll's would love them too, LL's aren't paying the fuel bill and it would ensure the property was kept in a decent condition). Landlords Cannot attend properties under the guise of a 'welfare' visit.
For those in genuine appalling conditions, tenancy law, council powers, social services instant interventions, and a fairly extensive list of charitable organisations are all there too assist.
This indeed should never happen.
327
Cold Tenant2011-12-08 10:22:53
Firstly @Cardifflandlord, thank you. I wasn't sure if Environmental Health were the people I needed to contact on this matter.
@sugarbabe thank you also.
I have re-read my first submission and realise that I should have put that I cannot afford to use the heating IN THE MANNER MOST PEOPLE WITH A HEATING SYSTEM WOULD!
@Observer thank you for your pre-conceived ideas about tenants and especially me and my grubby children! My husband and I both work so DO NOT qualify for ANY benefits other than the disability benefit awarded to my daughter. Receiving this does not have any impact on other benefits as we simply aren't entitled. Our home is not a DSS rental and my children are certainly NOT grubby! As you assume we have no common sense or regard for the property we rent please let me and my ridiculous assumptions on heating and the costs, etc enlighten you.
My rent is a four figure sum per calendar month, my council tax is not cheap either, both of which are paid BEFORE their due date each and every month. If you read my first post I clearly state that ' based on previous consumption levels' it would last 3-4 weeks, meaning we have used our CH system and that is how we know it will cost so much. I phoned for a quote to fill the tank just a few weeks ago and the quote was a few pounds shy of £600, unfortunately we are tied in to our current supplier until next summer. When I said that we can't afford to use the system it is quite simply because for the last 2 winters we have used it regularly but it barely airs the house. Even on full it doesn't give off much heat. The boiler itself IS inadequate for a property of this size and simply cannot cope trying to heat 29 radiators ( we do regularly bleed them to try to improve flow, etc) but they barely even get warm to the touch and yes I have checked that the thermostats are on full, etc! We also have pre-filled oil heaters which we use to heat individual rooms as we need these in winter even when we have the heating on, so our 'Chronically damp' house is just another assumption. We also have open fires.
We had an inspection last week and our agent said she wishes all her tenants were like us and this is why I am annoyed and asked for advice on this forum. I didn't come on here playing the victim card or slagging others off, I came here to find out what my rights as a responsible and respectful ( yes some of us actually are!) tenant are and as I am not a housing or environmental officer, landlord or solicitor I am not sure where I stand or where to go for said advice! Our local CAB is not the best and often struggles to help, which is why they may be closing in the new year.
As I stated in my second post we cannot live in a semi due to the nature of my daughters condition as the neighbours would soon complain about my daughters noise and then we would be deemed bad tenants. It's not that we can't afford to buy LPG, it's just wasted on airing a house and not heating it! Could you afford in the region of £2500 over the next four months for airing a house, if it was having an effect it wouldn't be as bad but it doesn't! The pipes are all unlagged, for some reason go up to the second storey and then work their way down to where they need to be, losing heat along the way thanks to the very small combi that we have and before you say anything about we shouldn't have signed the agreement knowing the boiler was small, etc if we weren't happy about it. We didn't actually see the boiler as we didn't know where it was on our viewing and the agent that usually dealt with the property was off so the lady showing us around wasn't sure of much, apart from it did have an immersion heater when I asked ( since moving in I found out that it doesn't as it doesn't have a tank for starters and then we found the boiler after figuring out what key worked where and investigating where any pipework went).
We do try to combat draughts, etc as stated before with excluder and rolling long curtains onto window sills, I have also asked permission to fit curtain rails above the doors to try to alleviate the remaining gaps ( single glazing and slightly warped wooden exterior doors) I am waiting to hear back. They sent a damp proofing engineer out yesterday who said one outer wall on the extension needs work, I spoke to him about ventilating rooms and also heating them to see if I was doing everything I possibly could ( apparently I am) and on his travels whilst surveying started laughing as he opened the coal shed door, what was he laughing at? The boiler! He said his house was a similar size and his boiler was four times the size of ours! He then proceeded to ask how it could possibly heat the house and so my story began....
I have looked at various comments and questions on here and wondered why some people have no patience, sometimes it takes time to fix things, I understand this but our landlord could have paid a significant amount towards a new, larger boiler with the amount of call outs we have had to have with it not working, I just hope that the letting agents are negotiating with our landlord, who apparently lives in the Caribbean so will have no problem keeping warm, and not just fobbing us off!
We are still looking for another house but it needs to be of a similar or slightly smaller size due to the size and needs of our family. You see a family of 5 Observer but I do have stepchildren who come and stay too as well as parents who don't live nearby that also come to stay on occasion and yes the sofa is an option but for now I am happy that we have a spare room for them to stay in.
There are measures to keep warm and I take these seriously, we cannot sustain a full working heating system to a standard that makes a real difference which is why it is not used as much as others may use theirs and why we are chilly at times, we had it on for an hour last night, we lit one of our open fires, we move our oil radiators around. At bed time when the temperature fall into minus figures the girls have warm PJ's and jumpers on with a hot water bottle and 2 duvets as I have never had heating on at night anyway.
It would have been nice for you to ask a question rather than going in full throttle and insinuating that I am a bad mother, bringing my children up in squalid conditions, etc and likening me to a teenager with a Ferrari! I do a damn good job with my children and want the best for them which is why my husband and I work hard and teach our girls respect and not to judge others. We moved here to get out of a house that needed a lot work, had been tarted up prior to our viewing and tenancy in the summer, fresh licks of paint, new carpets, etc. Now that house was damp, leaked when it rained, flooded when changes occured in the water table, wasn't even on mains water and had 6 weeks during the winter where we had no heating or water as the pipes had burst and the pump providing the the supply had packed up when the pressure dropped so living here IS a step up.
Our landlord is obviously showing some interest since my first post as we have had the boiler serviced, they've sent a gentleman round to quote for lagging and insulation and sent a damp proofing engineer around at my request. Fingers crossed he will finally replace the boiler as according to the agent our LL is getting fed up with engineers having to come out to it, windows I can tolerate as we can get around that (apart from the one falling out in my bedroom). Hopefully he will see the light and find the funds as I know he has owned the house for a long time and we pay a large amount in rent ( which is affordable to us).
As previously stated we do look after our home and do work that the agent has said isn't down to us to do but all that we do is noted as we keep track and not once have I tried to take it off the rent for costs. The landlord is happy with our tenancy which is why we are hoping that we can resolve the heating problem and carry on living in a home we all love and one which my eldest daughter is settled in, in the mean time and just incase nothing happens over the next couple of months I will keep looking for a suitable alternative in this area and also what my rights are if we were to stay here.
@sugarbabe thank you also.
I have re-read my first submission and realise that I should have put that I cannot afford to use the heating IN THE MANNER MOST PEOPLE WITH A HEATING SYSTEM WOULD!
@Observer thank you for your pre-conceived ideas about tenants and especially me and my grubby children! My husband and I both work so DO NOT qualify for ANY benefits other than the disability benefit awarded to my daughter. Receiving this does not have any impact on other benefits as we simply aren't entitled. Our home is not a DSS rental and my children are certainly NOT grubby! As you assume we have no common sense or regard for the property we rent please let me and my ridiculous assumptions on heating and the costs, etc enlighten you.
My rent is a four figure sum per calendar month, my council tax is not cheap either, both of which are paid BEFORE their due date each and every month. If you read my first post I clearly state that ' based on previous consumption levels' it would last 3-4 weeks, meaning we have used our CH system and that is how we know it will cost so much. I phoned for a quote to fill the tank just a few weeks ago and the quote was a few pounds shy of £600, unfortunately we are tied in to our current supplier until next summer. When I said that we can't afford to use the system it is quite simply because for the last 2 winters we have used it regularly but it barely airs the house. Even on full it doesn't give off much heat. The boiler itself IS inadequate for a property of this size and simply cannot cope trying to heat 29 radiators ( we do regularly bleed them to try to improve flow, etc) but they barely even get warm to the touch and yes I have checked that the thermostats are on full, etc! We also have pre-filled oil heaters which we use to heat individual rooms as we need these in winter even when we have the heating on, so our 'Chronically damp' house is just another assumption. We also have open fires.
We had an inspection last week and our agent said she wishes all her tenants were like us and this is why I am annoyed and asked for advice on this forum. I didn't come on here playing the victim card or slagging others off, I came here to find out what my rights as a responsible and respectful ( yes some of us actually are!) tenant are and as I am not a housing or environmental officer, landlord or solicitor I am not sure where I stand or where to go for said advice! Our local CAB is not the best and often struggles to help, which is why they may be closing in the new year.
As I stated in my second post we cannot live in a semi due to the nature of my daughters condition as the neighbours would soon complain about my daughters noise and then we would be deemed bad tenants. It's not that we can't afford to buy LPG, it's just wasted on airing a house and not heating it! Could you afford in the region of £2500 over the next four months for airing a house, if it was having an effect it wouldn't be as bad but it doesn't! The pipes are all unlagged, for some reason go up to the second storey and then work their way down to where they need to be, losing heat along the way thanks to the very small combi that we have and before you say anything about we shouldn't have signed the agreement knowing the boiler was small, etc if we weren't happy about it. We didn't actually see the boiler as we didn't know where it was on our viewing and the agent that usually dealt with the property was off so the lady showing us around wasn't sure of much, apart from it did have an immersion heater when I asked ( since moving in I found out that it doesn't as it doesn't have a tank for starters and then we found the boiler after figuring out what key worked where and investigating where any pipework went).
We do try to combat draughts, etc as stated before with excluder and rolling long curtains onto window sills, I have also asked permission to fit curtain rails above the doors to try to alleviate the remaining gaps ( single glazing and slightly warped wooden exterior doors) I am waiting to hear back. They sent a damp proofing engineer out yesterday who said one outer wall on the extension needs work, I spoke to him about ventilating rooms and also heating them to see if I was doing everything I possibly could ( apparently I am) and on his travels whilst surveying started laughing as he opened the coal shed door, what was he laughing at? The boiler! He said his house was a similar size and his boiler was four times the size of ours! He then proceeded to ask how it could possibly heat the house and so my story began....
I have looked at various comments and questions on here and wondered why some people have no patience, sometimes it takes time to fix things, I understand this but our landlord could have paid a significant amount towards a new, larger boiler with the amount of call outs we have had to have with it not working, I just hope that the letting agents are negotiating with our landlord, who apparently lives in the Caribbean so will have no problem keeping warm, and not just fobbing us off!
We are still looking for another house but it needs to be of a similar or slightly smaller size due to the size and needs of our family. You see a family of 5 Observer but I do have stepchildren who come and stay too as well as parents who don't live nearby that also come to stay on occasion and yes the sofa is an option but for now I am happy that we have a spare room for them to stay in.
There are measures to keep warm and I take these seriously, we cannot sustain a full working heating system to a standard that makes a real difference which is why it is not used as much as others may use theirs and why we are chilly at times, we had it on for an hour last night, we lit one of our open fires, we move our oil radiators around. At bed time when the temperature fall into minus figures the girls have warm PJ's and jumpers on with a hot water bottle and 2 duvets as I have never had heating on at night anyway.
It would have been nice for you to ask a question rather than going in full throttle and insinuating that I am a bad mother, bringing my children up in squalid conditions, etc and likening me to a teenager with a Ferrari! I do a damn good job with my children and want the best for them which is why my husband and I work hard and teach our girls respect and not to judge others. We moved here to get out of a house that needed a lot work, had been tarted up prior to our viewing and tenancy in the summer, fresh licks of paint, new carpets, etc. Now that house was damp, leaked when it rained, flooded when changes occured in the water table, wasn't even on mains water and had 6 weeks during the winter where we had no heating or water as the pipes had burst and the pump providing the the supply had packed up when the pressure dropped so living here IS a step up.
Our landlord is obviously showing some interest since my first post as we have had the boiler serviced, they've sent a gentleman round to quote for lagging and insulation and sent a damp proofing engineer around at my request. Fingers crossed he will finally replace the boiler as according to the agent our LL is getting fed up with engineers having to come out to it, windows I can tolerate as we can get around that (apart from the one falling out in my bedroom). Hopefully he will see the light and find the funds as I know he has owned the house for a long time and we pay a large amount in rent ( which is affordable to us).
As previously stated we do look after our home and do work that the agent has said isn't down to us to do but all that we do is noted as we keep track and not once have I tried to take it off the rent for costs. The landlord is happy with our tenancy which is why we are hoping that we can resolve the heating problem and carry on living in a home we all love and one which my eldest daughter is settled in, in the mean time and just incase nothing happens over the next couple of months I will keep looking for a suitable alternative in this area and also what my rights are if we were to stay here.
328
Cold Tenant2011-12-08 10:48:59
@Observer having just read comment 327 may I add I have told my letting agent they are welcome anytime to inspect the property and they do occasionally 'pop by' whilst passing to see if everything is ok and to check out any works that have been carried out. I have nothing to hide, my house is clean and tidy and I look after it as if it is my own, sorting problems as they occur. Blocked drains, lack of water for a few days, it's nothing and perfectly acceptable that these things may occur from time to time. I once saw one of our agents whilst buying a plunger and drain cleaner. She asked if there was a problem and I said yes but I'll sort it out. Did they hear from me about this? No.
I adhere to my side of the contract I signed and do what I can with regards to maintenance and my heating but no matter what we do we are struggling to heat the whole house with inadequate equipment. The landlord has fitted it out nicely, regularly services the boiler, etc so he to adheres to his obligations.
It's just annoying that he has given the go ahead for quotes for a bigger boiler but keeps saying they are too high, in the mean time having to pay call out charges when it breaks down. With winter fast approaching I can assume I will be calling again to say that it has broken again and he will be given a bill for the call out and repairs.
I adhere to my side of the contract I signed and do what I can with regards to maintenance and my heating but no matter what we do we are struggling to heat the whole house with inadequate equipment. The landlord has fitted it out nicely, regularly services the boiler, etc so he to adheres to his obligations.
It's just annoying that he has given the go ahead for quotes for a bigger boiler but keeps saying they are too high, in the mean time having to pay call out charges when it breaks down. With winter fast approaching I can assume I will be calling again to say that it has broken again and he will be given a bill for the call out and repairs.
329
Observer2011-12-08 10:55:01
Cold tenant. Firstly, I hope you feel better after that. Secondly, you're on a site that was spawned from a blog title "why I hate my f*** tenant". Thirdly, you are here, on a forum, for possibly free legal advice and opinion. That in itself, is lazy, cheap, and irresponsible.
I think CL and I have given out plenty of the free stuff of late (we really should be charging for this CL) but if you truly wish to split hairs, you clearly missed my "?"s in my response to you. If you dont wish for an opinion, dont ask for one. Is your employer paying you to spend so long writing angst filled missives to utter strangers? But there again, hitting a keyboard is easy. Actually getting off your arse and taking action seems to be the common stumbling block.
Just my opinion .............
I think CL and I have given out plenty of the free stuff of late (we really should be charging for this CL) but if you truly wish to split hairs, you clearly missed my "?"s in my response to you. If you dont wish for an opinion, dont ask for one. Is your employer paying you to spend so long writing angst filled missives to utter strangers? But there again, hitting a keyboard is easy. Actually getting off your arse and taking action seems to be the common stumbling block.
Just my opinion .............
330
Cardifflandlord2011-12-08 10:55:58
@Observer Bloody well said girl! We should start a mutual appreciation society!
@cold tenant I do sympathise with your situation but it's unlikely you are going to get a satisfactory solution to this. £600 for LPG is crazy - what are you powering? Te space shuttle?
@cold tenant I do sympathise with your situation but it's unlikely you are going to get a satisfactory solution to this. £600 for LPG is crazy - what are you powering? Te space shuttle?
331
Cold Tenant2011-12-08 11:23:09
@Observer- WOW thanks for that, I ask for suggestions on the best place to go to for advice, get deemed a bad parent and lousy tenant. You get lousy tenants I get lousy patients, I still treat them with dignity and respect regardless. I won't be sitting on my laurels now that I know I have options. I don't want to cause trouble for my landlord as he has always been good to us, apart from the heat situation. I do take offence at the insinuations and assumptions which is why I made my last posts. I came across this site as I was looking for someone to point me in the right direction. Maybe you should look at your own angst filled comments to see why I took offence.
Yes you do appear to have given out a lot of advice recently which is why this is the only site I have posed my question to, I was looking for good advice and didn't want to post all over the place just anywhere, so I do apologize for my lazy, cheap and irresponsible idea one evening, unfortunately I don't know of any advice centres open at the time in the morning when I first posted my initial question! Also my employer doesn't need to pay me on my days off so sorry also for giving you that assumption ( I'm seeing a pattern here!)
@Cardifflandlord I personally think the Space Shuttle is cheaper to run and would probably be warmer right now. Oh well, thank you for your time and efforts in reading my question and responding.
Yes you do appear to have given out a lot of advice recently which is why this is the only site I have posed my question to, I was looking for good advice and didn't want to post all over the place just anywhere, so I do apologize for my lazy, cheap and irresponsible idea one evening, unfortunately I don't know of any advice centres open at the time in the morning when I first posted my initial question! Also my employer doesn't need to pay me on my days off so sorry also for giving you that assumption ( I'm seeing a pattern here!)
@Cardifflandlord I personally think the Space Shuttle is cheaper to run and would probably be warmer right now. Oh well, thank you for your time and efforts in reading my question and responding.
332
Sugarbabe2011-12-08 11:34:59
Cold Tenant maybe you can follow my previous post to assist you..
333
Cold Tenant2011-12-08 11:41:45
@Sugarbabe I shall look into it, thank you.
334
Observer2011-12-09 10:54:57
Morning! :)
Cold tenant, your original post read like a Charles Dickens novel. Your children are constantly ill due to the conditions, and your daily routine was one of iced up windows
and an inability to draw a bath in less than 20 mins. Fast forward several posts reminding tenants of their own personal responsibility, and we now have a lovely landlord who regularly services the system (albeit inefficient), one window thats a possible issue, the lovely open fires are now lit and the home filled with the joy and laughter of happy children. Well Happy Christmas Tiny Tim.
Feel free to be flamed by sugarbabes googling but you would help yourself greatly if you made yourself clear, instead of pages and pages of rambling text which to be frank are almost impossible to read. What was your question again? Can you force your Ll to upgrade the system? Not a hard one sentence is it.
Cold tenant, your original post read like a Charles Dickens novel. Your children are constantly ill due to the conditions, and your daily routine was one of iced up windows
and an inability to draw a bath in less than 20 mins. Fast forward several posts reminding tenants of their own personal responsibility, and we now have a lovely landlord who regularly services the system (albeit inefficient), one window thats a possible issue, the lovely open fires are now lit and the home filled with the joy and laughter of happy children. Well Happy Christmas Tiny Tim.
Feel free to be flamed by sugarbabes googling but you would help yourself greatly if you made yourself clear, instead of pages and pages of rambling text which to be frank are almost impossible to read. What was your question again? Can you force your Ll to upgrade the system? Not a hard one sentence is it.
335
Cardifflandlord2011-12-09 15:30:26
Badabing!
Another slow day Observer?
I see that Sugarbabe failed to take up my offer regarding the Belorussian orphans or make any comment regarding their own lack of compassion! Some people make me sick with their mightier than thou sermonising and then don't have the bollocks to deal with real world issues.
Let me make it clear to everyone on here or who bothers to read this. I am not a solicitor. I am in no way connected to any law firm BUT I make it clear in all my posts that my advice should only be acted upon following consultation with someone who has clear knowledge of the subject and is qualified to give the advice and who can be sued if that advice turns out to be incorrect.
Sugarbabe may be excellent at using search engines but before taking anything they, I or anyone else says on here - check it out.
@Cold tenant - sorry I can't see anywhere in her posts that Observer called or even insinuated you were a bad parent so I think an apology is in order (I do stand to be corrected of course). It was you in post 328 who mentioned .."your grubby children". Don't feel bad about making trouble for your landlord - that goes with the territory! If he is such a numpty then a good dose of property renting reality may have an effect on them (or not).
Secondly Cold Tenant - SugarBabe is writing complete bollocks. She is copy and pasting articles with no idea whatsoever what she is talking about. Perhaps she would care to share with the class her qualifications in the field of tenant law. I am of course assuming she is a she.
Anyway - have a great weekend all.
Another slow day Observer?
I see that Sugarbabe failed to take up my offer regarding the Belorussian orphans or make any comment regarding their own lack of compassion! Some people make me sick with their mightier than thou sermonising and then don't have the bollocks to deal with real world issues.
Let me make it clear to everyone on here or who bothers to read this. I am not a solicitor. I am in no way connected to any law firm BUT I make it clear in all my posts that my advice should only be acted upon following consultation with someone who has clear knowledge of the subject and is qualified to give the advice and who can be sued if that advice turns out to be incorrect.
Sugarbabe may be excellent at using search engines but before taking anything they, I or anyone else says on here - check it out.
@Cold tenant - sorry I can't see anywhere in her posts that Observer called or even insinuated you were a bad parent so I think an apology is in order (I do stand to be corrected of course). It was you in post 328 who mentioned .."your grubby children". Don't feel bad about making trouble for your landlord - that goes with the territory! If he is such a numpty then a good dose of property renting reality may have an effect on them (or not).
Secondly Cold Tenant - SugarBabe is writing complete bollocks. She is copy and pasting articles with no idea whatsoever what she is talking about. Perhaps she would care to share with the class her qualifications in the field of tenant law. I am of course assuming she is a she.
Anyway - have a great weekend all.
336
Sugarbabe2011-12-09 16:16:30
Insulting as ever...what i wrote was checkable.
337
jerry2011-12-09 23:23:05
I bought a home 1 year ago..am now having major plubing issues. Who is responable for main line sewer from he house to the street if our deed is still in escrow or held by a deed company?
338
jerry2011-12-09 23:24:31
this was a land contract purchase
339
Benji2011-12-10 00:41:19
Jerry,
Depends on what it says in your escrow agreement.
Check if its included under the hazard insurance.
Depends on what it says in your escrow agreement.
Check if its included under the hazard insurance.
340
Benji2011-12-10 02:00:34
Jerry,
Do you know anything about ice cream?
Do you know anything about ice cream?
341
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342
cardifflandlord2011-12-10 15:45:16
@Sugarbabe - It may be checkable but you are still spouting rubbish.
Once again I challenge you to provide your qualifications.
I see that you have not had the bollocks to take up my offer to contact the orphanage or state in the forum why you believe "3rd World" lives are worth less than those in the UK? Nor have you commented on your own lack of compassion regarding your relatives unfortunate death which leads me to believe you are actually complete waste of time. You just say that I am "Insulting".
If you want to be taken seriously provide your sources when posting (i.e. where you copied and pasted the info from)it makes life a whole lot easier for the reader to establish whether the site and source are legitimate.
If you want to be taken seriously then grow some knackers and fill us in with your wisdom (or can't you find it to copy and paste)?
Insulting? At least I have the cahonies to say what I think and I am prepared to admit that I don't know everything. Go on, it's christmas - give us all a laugh and give us your missive on the 3rd World. Once again - if you want the address of the orphanage then contact me via The Landlord or better still make a child's life better and send a donation to http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/sponsor-a-child/europe/belarus
(can anyone see I have tried to use as many different words for balls)!
Happy holidays everyone!
Once again I challenge you to provide your qualifications.
I see that you have not had the bollocks to take up my offer to contact the orphanage or state in the forum why you believe "3rd World" lives are worth less than those in the UK? Nor have you commented on your own lack of compassion regarding your relatives unfortunate death which leads me to believe you are actually complete waste of time. You just say that I am "Insulting".
If you want to be taken seriously provide your sources when posting (i.e. where you copied and pasted the info from)it makes life a whole lot easier for the reader to establish whether the site and source are legitimate.
If you want to be taken seriously then grow some knackers and fill us in with your wisdom (or can't you find it to copy and paste)?
Insulting? At least I have the cahonies to say what I think and I am prepared to admit that I don't know everything. Go on, it's christmas - give us all a laugh and give us your missive on the 3rd World. Once again - if you want the address of the orphanage then contact me via The Landlord or better still make a child's life better and send a donation to http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/sponsor-a-child/europe/belarus
(can anyone see I have tried to use as many different words for balls)!
Happy holidays everyone!
343
Craig2011-12-10 15:52:18
@Observer and Cardiff Landlord:
Your right wing misinformed views sicken me. Neither of you appear particularly well informed, you both portray a moral range of a teaspoon and have disgustingly ignorant pre-conceptions about anyone in rented accommodation. You have made this blog excessively off topic and I wouldn't be surprised if the people who seek advice from here (the "lazy, cheap, and irresponsible" people as Observer horrendously dubbed them) are put off by your egotistical upper class and shockingly out of touch with reality views. Sugarbabes comments may not be entirely accurate and she may have the information from public domains rather than experience, but she is at least providing useful help rather than just slating other peoples advice, or the situations of the people who seek it. If this was your goal. Have either of you considered working for the British Conservative party?
Craig - Letting agent (who isn't afraid to stand up for what is right for tenants or for the middle and lower classes, from which I am proudly part of each of these groups.
Your right wing misinformed views sicken me. Neither of you appear particularly well informed, you both portray a moral range of a teaspoon and have disgustingly ignorant pre-conceptions about anyone in rented accommodation. You have made this blog excessively off topic and I wouldn't be surprised if the people who seek advice from here (the "lazy, cheap, and irresponsible" people as Observer horrendously dubbed them) are put off by your egotistical upper class and shockingly out of touch with reality views. Sugarbabes comments may not be entirely accurate and she may have the information from public domains rather than experience, but she is at least providing useful help rather than just slating other peoples advice, or the situations of the people who seek it. If this was your goal. Have either of you considered working for the British Conservative party?
Craig - Letting agent (who isn't afraid to stand up for what is right for tenants or for the middle and lower classes, from which I am proudly part of each of these groups.
344
Craig2011-12-10 15:55:20
@Cardiff Landlord
And if you are after checking qualifications over this too, you will find me on the list of members of ARLA (Association of residential letting agents) and NFOPP (National Federation of Property Professionals).
What qualifications are required to own a second house or mistreat landlords? Yet those are regrettably the ones who can afford professional advice.
And if you are after checking qualifications over this too, you will find me on the list of members of ARLA (Association of residential letting agents) and NFOPP (National Federation of Property Professionals).
What qualifications are required to own a second house or mistreat landlords? Yet those are regrettably the ones who can afford professional advice.
345
Sugarbabe2011-12-10 16:51:57
Thanks Craig.
Online arrogance and bullying was never my favourite topic.
Online arrogance and bullying was never my favourite topic.
346
Observer2011-12-10 17:42:09
Hahahaaha. Havent I turned up just at the right time! Craig what an outrageous statement from a letting agent.
Lets summarise what we know. You are a letting agent and will know this. There are no legal regulations regards letting agents in this country. As it stands that in itself is a scandal.
Anyone can become a letting agent. End of. I have successfully sued two previous letting agents and the total value I can ever sue for is the value of the fees taken by the agent for a service they "failed to provide". Regards the abysmal negligence that then costs me and many thousands of landlords, thousands upon thousands of pounds, there is absolutely nothing, either tenants nor landlords can do. You will know this. You will know that the worst financial damage you as an agent will sustain from our (both tenant and landlord) appalling experiences, caused on the whole by shoddy sub-standard agents, is the value of your fee.
You will also know, as an agent, that you can collect rent on behalf of a landlord, accrue as many months as possible whilst forcing landlords to take legal steps against you to recoup it, and at the last moment possible, close your doors and 'disappear'. All this is due to lack of ANY regulation in the letting industry, or any independant government supported audit powers regards your financila status.
A week later, you can open up a new agency.
ARLAs response to my successful legal action against both agents, resulted in their "pleasure, that the matter was now resolved, and my fees had been refunded in full". They refused to remove the said agents from their registers (as membership is bought by the agent) and they, as you do, refuse to accept any responsibility for any damage that may have occured due to your negligence.
As you will know, agents are not removed from ARLA due to a successful civil action taken against them. Agents ARE removed from ARLA, when they fail to pay their membership fee.
So do keep paying your membership Craig. It means absolutely diddly sh*t.
Coming to your view regards online advice, I absolutely stand by my view that to attempt to illicit legal advice from an open online forum is indeed lazy, cheap and irresponsible, BUT for you, as an agent, to then encourage online legal advice, is beyond any credibility whatsoever.
Not only are you happy to work in an unregulated industry, youre now happy to encourage online, unmonitored, unregulated 'legal' guidance. That is soooo bad, I think even the utterly immoral ARLA may squirm at that one.
The only time I have gone off topic Craig, was to mention the landlords from hell programme. I concede, you're right, and apologise. All other comment I stand by. I suggest you read the trail, that prompted the response.
Whilst common sense does indeed p*ss a lot of people off (Oh youve just reminded me of Cold tenants response a while back... "I didnt come on here for common sense retorts!" or something similar) a huge amount of tenants 'perceived' issues, can be resolved by very simple practical steps. As an agent, you will know this. As an agent, you will have dealt with the histrionics. As a 'decent' agent, you will have advised an awful lot of what we have advised.
Are you actually an agent? .... your post certainly begs enough questions to doubt it.
Lets summarise what we know. You are a letting agent and will know this. There are no legal regulations regards letting agents in this country. As it stands that in itself is a scandal.
Anyone can become a letting agent. End of. I have successfully sued two previous letting agents and the total value I can ever sue for is the value of the fees taken by the agent for a service they "failed to provide". Regards the abysmal negligence that then costs me and many thousands of landlords, thousands upon thousands of pounds, there is absolutely nothing, either tenants nor landlords can do. You will know this. You will know that the worst financial damage you as an agent will sustain from our (both tenant and landlord) appalling experiences, caused on the whole by shoddy sub-standard agents, is the value of your fee.
You will also know, as an agent, that you can collect rent on behalf of a landlord, accrue as many months as possible whilst forcing landlords to take legal steps against you to recoup it, and at the last moment possible, close your doors and 'disappear'. All this is due to lack of ANY regulation in the letting industry, or any independant government supported audit powers regards your financila status.
A week later, you can open up a new agency.
ARLAs response to my successful legal action against both agents, resulted in their "pleasure, that the matter was now resolved, and my fees had been refunded in full". They refused to remove the said agents from their registers (as membership is bought by the agent) and they, as you do, refuse to accept any responsibility for any damage that may have occured due to your negligence.
As you will know, agents are not removed from ARLA due to a successful civil action taken against them. Agents ARE removed from ARLA, when they fail to pay their membership fee.
So do keep paying your membership Craig. It means absolutely diddly sh*t.
Coming to your view regards online advice, I absolutely stand by my view that to attempt to illicit legal advice from an open online forum is indeed lazy, cheap and irresponsible, BUT for you, as an agent, to then encourage online legal advice, is beyond any credibility whatsoever.
Not only are you happy to work in an unregulated industry, youre now happy to encourage online, unmonitored, unregulated 'legal' guidance. That is soooo bad, I think even the utterly immoral ARLA may squirm at that one.
The only time I have gone off topic Craig, was to mention the landlords from hell programme. I concede, you're right, and apologise. All other comment I stand by. I suggest you read the trail, that prompted the response.
Whilst common sense does indeed p*ss a lot of people off (Oh youve just reminded me of Cold tenants response a while back... "I didnt come on here for common sense retorts!" or something similar) a huge amount of tenants 'perceived' issues, can be resolved by very simple practical steps. As an agent, you will know this. As an agent, you will have dealt with the histrionics. As a 'decent' agent, you will have advised an awful lot of what we have advised.
Are you actually an agent? .... your post certainly begs enough questions to doubt it.
347
Observer2011-12-10 18:09:15
Sugarbabe, for someone who wished to imply that private landlords are responsible for the deaths of tenants, your personal outrage is twisted.
The majority of privately let properties in this country are managed by agents. Its a far higher probability that any tenant, experiencing "landlord negligence" (your words) will be managed by an agent. Suggest you too, start aiming your poisoned barbs (accusations of indirect manslaughter are pretty disgusting) at those responsible for the majority of 'sub-standard' tenancies.
The letting agent.
Ill stick my neck out. Where a landlord is managing his own property, you have a far far higher probability of gaining good service and successful resolution to repair/tenancy issues.
Thats because the property owner is directly involved, and is acutely aware that any failing on a 'service' front, directly results in financial loss to themselves.
Agents lose nothing by ignoring you, and as long as that situation continues, tenants will continue to have outrageously appalling experiences.
The majority of privately let properties in this country are managed by agents. Its a far higher probability that any tenant, experiencing "landlord negligence" (your words) will be managed by an agent. Suggest you too, start aiming your poisoned barbs (accusations of indirect manslaughter are pretty disgusting) at those responsible for the majority of 'sub-standard' tenancies.
The letting agent.
Ill stick my neck out. Where a landlord is managing his own property, you have a far far higher probability of gaining good service and successful resolution to repair/tenancy issues.
Thats because the property owner is directly involved, and is acutely aware that any failing on a 'service' front, directly results in financial loss to themselves.
Agents lose nothing by ignoring you, and as long as that situation continues, tenants will continue to have outrageously appalling experiences.
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Sugarbabe2011-12-10 18:56:45
Actually you are very wrong it was private Landlords who let an Octogenarian live in third world circumstances-UK is full of it.
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Observer2011-12-10 19:30:27
Provide the link sugarbabe.. It's a well known fact that the uk elderly death rate is a national disgrace due to fuel poverty. That's a financial cause. Direct your barb in the right direction. Rip off energy companies, inadequate winter fuel payments. A completely different issue.
Landlords cannot NOT make heating repairs, and social services cannot leave any vulnerable tenant in need of assistance. The fact family members can't be arsed checking on relatives and notifying the correct authorities is quite simply disgraceful.
Landlords cannot NOT make heating repairs, and social services cannot leave any vulnerable tenant in need of assistance. The fact family members can't be arsed checking on relatives and notifying the correct authorities is quite simply disgraceful.
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Sugarbabe2011-12-10 19:46:15
You are sounding ridiculous now it was a personal experience of an aged Uncle who died alone several hundred miles away few yrs ago and i did his funeral..shocking even the Policeman who had to break in to find him said nobody should have to live in such terrible Victorian circumstances...gross dangerous failures by landlords with 9 gas safety failures and electric ones too...i had the Council Environmental Health out to do a report on the place hence they got shot of the place qusickly by Auctioning it such was the dire state of the place. No hot water no heating of any sort...and he was old and ill...
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Sugarbabe2011-12-10 19:50:19
If i had known about it beforehand believe me i am a caring person we were shocked at what we found and every time i said i wanted to go see him he made an excuse which sounded like he was ok and active,i found him 50yrs after he disappeared from his family who by that time were deceased...at least he had a good send off is all i can say and i dealt with his debts which were wiped off-he would have been a proud man who worked hard and was ex Army...he had even been robbed with a diversional tactic at his front door so that made him nervous, i later found.
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Observer2011-12-10 19:54:32
And I repeat my point. Plenty of agencies would have assisted way before it came to that if someone had bothered. You can't place welfare on landlords.
Craig, you're a gilt edged agent, what proviso do you make for your vulnerable tenants? ARLA doesn't make any so I'd love to hear yours.
Craig, you're a gilt edged agent, what proviso do you make for your vulnerable tenants? ARLA doesn't make any so I'd love to hear yours.
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Sugarbabe2011-12-10 20:46:29
Landlords have a duty to make sure a dwelling is habitable and brought up to date and could have gone to Court to seek to get in their and re house him,but they didn't bother cos it was cheaper to not bother. I said nothing about welfare it was the failures in the building, unsafe.
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Observer2011-12-10 21:37:42
Where've you made up the "brought up to date " bit from? But if there were failings in the building this landlord would have been jailed.
Landlords are prosecuted almost daily for lack of gas safety certs, or failing to maintain gas installations adequately etc And these cases aren't prompted by a death !
, I'll ask again for the link re this prosecution . The council cannot discover critical failings which you claim they did and then just forget about it, whether the property is subsequently disposed of or not. The offence has already been committed. And they'd be even more vigilant if the circumstances were as you describe!!!
Sorry sugarbabe but the bulls/t alarm is deafening. Link to the prosecution please,, as this is all sounding bollocks.
Landlords are prosecuted almost daily for lack of gas safety certs, or failing to maintain gas installations adequately etc And these cases aren't prompted by a death !
, I'll ask again for the link re this prosecution . The council cannot discover critical failings which you claim they did and then just forget about it, whether the property is subsequently disposed of or not. The offence has already been committed. And they'd be even more vigilant if the circumstances were as you describe!!!
Sorry sugarbabe but the bulls/t alarm is deafening. Link to the prosecution please,, as this is all sounding bollocks.
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Sugarbabe2011-12-10 23:26:30
I beg your pardon i had a Health and Safety Rating System by Tecvhnical Officer for Private Sector Housing and brought him off site as i had done a 400 mile journey and didn't have long to be there done on the property because of death and i have the Report at home it was 13th Nov 2006.
I did not prosecute but i could have taken it to Court with the Report i have but what good would it have done,it would not have brought him back and i had a funeral etc to deal with. Councils hide stuff and fail to do things quite often,non are honest that much. A Notice was secured onto the front door that meant nobody else could be put into the property because a lot had to be adhered to.
It was put into Auction market rapidly and bought by Hotelier next door but one and the place was completely gutted,it had to be.
It is late now but if i have time tomorrow would you like me to detail the failings as written byu the Officer?
I did not prosecute but i could have taken it to Court with the Report i have but what good would it have done,it would not have brought him back and i had a funeral etc to deal with. Councils hide stuff and fail to do things quite often,non are honest that much. A Notice was secured onto the front door that meant nobody else could be put into the property because a lot had to be adhered to.
It was put into Auction market rapidly and bought by Hotelier next door but one and the place was completely gutted,it had to be.
It is late now but if i have time tomorrow would you like me to detail the failings as written byu the Officer?
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carpet cleaners dublin2011-12-30 19:08:10
Thanks a ton. It was indeed definitely worth the read.
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carpet cleaners dublin2011-12-30 19:37:33
Thanks. It has been well worth the read.
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