tenancy help..

[AlanDITD]

Ok this might turn into a bit of a longish post so sorry...

I have been living in a studio flat for around 9 months now, on the whole my stay in this room has been acceptable, no real problems with anything other than mould growing on the walls paint coming off etc...

However my other flat mates and the communial areas do have problems. Flatmate A moved out three weeks ago after the ceiling in his room collapsed for the thrid time in 12 weeks, during this time he refused to pay his rent, and did a runner so to speak....

While on holiday the company that owns the building, sent round a rather big guy looking for Flatmate A. Flat mate B found the guy in the house shouting all kinds of expletives regarding flatmate A calling him a faggot and that if he found him hes going to smash his face in etc.....he then had the cheek to sit in our kitchen and ask for coffees and when my flat mate refused he then asked her for a pound for the coffee machine....she asked him for ID to which he produced the dodgiest looking photocopied thing ever. This guy apparently works for the landord company!

Also i lent a small TV to my flat mate before he left whixh i left in there while on holiday, this has now been locked in there by the landlords and is being sold to recoup there costs, they will not accept that it is my TV.

Also what rights do we have with regards to landlord entry? I was under the impression we had to be given 24hours notice before they can enter, however they enter willy nilly into the property.

The building overall is appalling, when it rains the whole building leaks, there are bare wires in the kitchen which are live etc etc.....

Im more angry about them sending the heavies round and putting my flatmate whos a pretty delicate girl in that postition she was pretty scared...

I want my TV back or the money for it, and i pretty much want the company to end up screwed over, i think its utterly rediculous. Im annoyed i wasnt here the day they sent that guy round and have pretty much had enough....

Lots more than this happens all the time they screwed our backdoor shut as we were using the outside as a bin store and they then brought in the rubbish from five people for a week and left it in our kitchen with the windows shut next to a hot radiator.....

Anyway whats the best course of action, complaing to the company themselves is pointless as they are completely useless, anything that involoves violence im all ears :D

[Nutter_John]

Go to the environmental health department in the local council , is this direct with the landlord or through an agency , if though and agency go direct to them

if you can prove that the TV is yours by showing receipts then you have a chance of getting it back , if not it is just your word against theres .

[AlanDITD]

No agency, i pay my rent direct to a company who are the landlords....

I have no receipts for the TV, but ill get it back ill just kick the door down...

Im so angry about them sending the heavies round over unpaid rent, they allowed this person into our house to comit viloence....is going to the police a possiblity?

If they would do this with one person then surely they could do it again?

[Nutter_John]

There is no doubt that they will do it again and have no issue in doing so , you need to speak with the Env Health people as they deal with private tenancy issues . if the property is as bad as you say then the landlord has a legal obliagtion to make good any issues .

Do not break into the room for the TV as you will end up in deep doodoo

[pedro]

I dont recon the police would do much about it even if you did go to them
Perhaps wait till it happens again and then phone them while the heavies are in the building. If you dont get a response from the police immediately, tell them you thought one of them said somthing about a gun..... Pc plod will pull his finger out then!!

Mean time talk to the local housing agency/council and tell them whats going on. Sounds to me like they dont even know that the place is being rented judging by the state of it....wiring etc.

Also what fire precautions are there in the house?? Fire doors etc

[AlanDITD]

yeah thats a possibility i guess, would be interesting to find out what the building is listed as...im almost certain the stairs dont meet health and safety regs, there arent enough bathrooms per the ammount of people. there are smoke alarms in the rooms though. Not sure on firedoors would have to look about i think there all ok though.