What rights do i have for occupancy???

Question

i have been renting a property for 2 1/2 years . I signed a shorthold tenancy agreement for 6 months.The landlord has let the house fall into disrepair and has no certification for the gas/electric.I want to try and force him to bring the house up to standard but do not want to be thrown out on the street.I live in England and am need of help so any advice would be appreciated.I am due to have a meeting with him this afternoon . Also at present i have no rent book although h e has been promising one for some while. I pay him cash each month and am sure he does not declare this.

Answer 1

Hi,
Your initial tenancy agreement was for 6 months, that was over two years ago. Since then you have NO proof that you are the official tenant of that property and you have NO proof that you have paid any rent since taking over the tenancy.

Do you ever get a receipt for the rent money you pay each month?
Before you start kicking back at the landlord and demand that he upgrade the property, make sure that your case is water tight. YOU MUST SEEK LEGAL ADVICE!!!!!

I wish you luck for this afternoon as your landlord could get awkward.
Have you a friend that could be a witness at the meeting this afternoon?
The fact that he has let the property, fall into disrepair tells me all he wants out of this property is MONEY and as long as someone is in it and paying why should he care,
Take care x

Answer 2

Hi Jim,

Naughty naughty, your landlord is potentially in all kinds of trouble.

Tax evasion, failing to maintain the building, which should be in the tenancy contract. Failure to provide a rent book or statement of rental payments, which he is obliged to do and probably an assortment of legal niceties that the courts would skin him alive for.

This gives you a strong bargaining position. Tell him he has 28 days to get the work done or the authorities will become involved. If he threatens to throw you out then you can mention the Landlord and Tenant Act, The Protection from Eviction Act, The Housing Act and theUnfair Contract Terms Act.

Unless he has had some kind of formal legal training he will not have a clue what you are talking about. I don't mean A-level Law either.

Go and see a solicitor as well.

Hope this helps

Good luck.

Answer 3

i had a very similar problem to this a few years ago you should never give your rent money without either a rent book or a receipt, all maintenance should be carried out Barr a few things like changing a light bulb decorating (if you have permission and it does not fall to your landlord) do you have a rental agreement that you both signed???? if so have a look at this and see what your landlord is supposed to fix? if not then you really are up the creek without a paddle i would immediately stop paying him cash in rent but give him a check and tell him you will not pay cash until you get a rent book or unless he starts giving you receipts and if he complains at this go citizens advice or actually get a solicitor as i got kicked out cos once they serve you notice and you have no proof of rent there is nothing you can do so yeah get a solicitor and go see citizens advice.

Answer 4

Your first stop should be Environmental Health - they can check the property and compel him to make any repairs. He's also breaking the law by not having the gas/electricity supplies regularly checked.

Don't worry if he gets shirty about this - no court would grant him an eviction order simply because you forced him to meet his obligations.

Re: the rent book. You can buy one yourself from WH Smiths for about £1. It's important that you do this and get him to sign it everytime you pay - otherwise he could claim that he hasn't had the rent.

Good luck - he sounds like a scumbag.

Answer 5

Hi it's ilegal not to have a certificate issued for gas once a year, that's a hefty fine and possible sentence, if your tennancy agreement has expired he can ask u to vacate, if still in date then u have until the end date. I would seek a new property now.....

Answer 6

Hola a todos los usuarios de yahoo respuesta.

Les deseó toda la suerte del mundo en su intento de obtener la mayor cantidad de puntos.

Hi for all the users than yahoo Answers. Les deseó all the luck of the world in her intent than obtain the larger quantity than stops.

Answer 7

I would get advice on this from maybe Citizens advice,I think you should probably have been given a rent book for you to be safe but not certain of my facts.

Answer 8

Call the gas company and say you THINK you can smell gas, best to do this just before you go away for a while

Answer 9

Try your local Citizens Advice Bureau. They are VERY good.