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AIBU

AIBU to be upset with my landlord

(38 Posts)
vampirequeen Wed 17-Dec-14 11:23:24

I have lived in my little house for seven years. In all that time I have never been late with my rent and I have looked after it as if it were my own property. The landlord owns this house and the one next door. They are very old and linked by a single brick wall. The other house has been empty for over seven years.

Soon after I moved in it became apparent that there was a rising damp problem. Not a huge issue and the landlord appeared to sort it out. Unfortunately he didn't do it properly and the rising damp returned. Also because next door was cold and our house was warm, damp started to draw through the wall. The agent came every six months and made a report to the landlord. There was also a problem with one corner of the children's bedroom where the wall met the roof. The landlord came a few times, said he was going to sort things but never did.

Last year we reported to the agent that we were concerned about the house next door as the windows were so rotten there was a danger that they might fall out onto the pavement below (we open straight onto the street). He sent in a builder who not only replaced the windows but discovered that the chimney had collapsed inside the property and water had been pouring in. We assumed that this was the reason for part of our damp issue and expected it to dry out. However things have gone from bad to worse. The damp situation has not improved. We have updated the agent on a regular basis regarding the situation and, although they have been supportive, they have been told by the landlord that he will deal with it.

Today he came with a dehumidifier and said that the issue was condensation!!!! Now I grew up in an old house and I know what condensation is like. I also know how to deal with it. I open windows and have air flowing through the house most days. I told him that there was no way it was condensation. Condensation doesn't rise up the wall and have salt forming on it. And that the new section of wet wall was so wet it indicated water ingress as did the problems upstairs. I also said that if he just kept the heating on low next door then the problem of damp drawing through the wall would sort itself out.

He wouldn't listen and insisted that it was condensation. He wanted to tell me how condensation is formed and got upset when I told him that I knew how it formed and that there was no way this was condensation. He got stroppy and said that if I wouldn't listen he wouldn't bother so I said he could leave the dehumidifier and we would try it for two or three months but the only result would be that my electric bill would go up and surely if he wanted to dry anywhere out it should be next door. We then took him outside to see where there were missing bricks. He reckoned he hadn't known about that but I told him that he did know because I'd told him ages ago when the agent told me during a house check and if the agent told me then it must have been on the form he gets after each check. I realised I was getting upset and I didn't want it to turn to a panic attack so I left him to talk to DH. Not long after DH came back in and said the landlord had gone off in a huff because I wouldn't listen to him.

I was very upset and phoned the agents. I apologised for crying and started to tell them what had happened but I became too upset so DH took over and was put through to the manager. The manager is going to phone the landlord and arrange for a builder to visit to assess the damp situation.

Now, of course, I'm in a panic in case the landlord takes his huffy one stage further and gives us notice. I love my little house. It's my safe place and the thought of having to move elsewhere terrifies me.

Tony Fri 19-Dec-14 09:44:31

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Frogman Fri 19-Dec-14 10:06:21

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Anya Fri 19-Dec-14 14:22:53

Someone needs to get a life!

durhamjen Fri 19-Dec-14 19:51:21

"That successive governments have presided over a legislative framework that treats housing as an asset for the rich while pricing out the poor shouldn't surprise us. When a third of our MPs are buy-to-let landlords and prominent cabinet figures such as Phillip Hammond own property development firms, we realise that there is not only an ideological divide between politicians and the public but a conflict of interest too.

Why else would two Tory MPs, one of whom is a landlord himself, fillibuster a piece of legislation designed to stop landlords pursuing "revenge evictions" against tentants that complain about a fault with their property. Why else would we see Richard Benyon MP, whose family property firm managed the New Era estate in Hoxton and planned to increase rents by more than 200%, come into direct conflict with some of the most needy and vulnerable in our society.

Perhaps most symbolic of this divide between them and us is found in the Tory's support for the bedroom tax and their concurrent aversion to any form of mansion tax. Blinkered by self interest and ideology our ruling elite see no problem in pushing one in seven of those at the bottom of society into rent arrears, further poverty and towards possible eviction while refusing to tax the most valuable 0.5% of homes."

This is from an email on opendemocracy.
This is why landlords are able to scare people like vampirequeen.
Anyone in London, Occupy are having an occupation tomorrow. It's on the opendemocracy website.

confusedbeetle Mon 01-Jun-15 18:51:14

I see there have been a lot of deleted comments. It is always a shame when people abuse forums. I am not sure if you have a bad landlord or not but it dies sound as if your house has some damp issues, is it an old house? Certainly an empty neglected house next door cannot help. I wonder why he is letting it run down? It is always worth trying to keep a decent relationship with the landlord so involving other agencies can sometimes not be helpful. I am a landlady and try to maintain my properties as well as possible, they are an asset not to be left to rot! We have had some wonderful tenants and some not so good, the latter have spoiled our houses , and worsened damp issues by encouraging condensation. We have had some old properties that have proved hard to cure despite Damp proofing Companies injecting twice etc. You are wise to get a proper opinion. It can also help to ask your landlord to consider a RenCon or similar background venting de condensation. You may have a problem that needs a multi pronged solution. Your Landlord has no right to evict you because you have a problem. Do everything you can to minimise any condensation. I hope he sorts it. If he is not a good landlord maybe you should consider moving

confusedbeetle Mon 01-Jun-15 18:52:16

PS I would be so thrilled to have the same tenat for 7 years I would move heaven and earth to keep you!

Ana Mon 01-Jun-15 18:57:36

This thread is six months old, confusedbeetle.

I've noticed you're resurrecting quite a few old threads, but if the subject's closed or the moment's passed you won't get many responses.

Why not join in with the current threads on the Active page? smile