User Profile

[DPT57]

People change their minds but at the end of the day its your risk. You wouldn't be subletting....

[DPT57]

Have the other students paid rent for the period he would be occupying? If so then I dont think you can just assume its ok to give him one of their rooms.. what if the students return for resits or just decide to come back to the house....

[DPT57]

Is it a joint tenancy with other students? If so then I think its mainly a question for them. If you do, dont be tempted to take any rent or let him pay toward bills or he may acquire tenancy rights and the you have a bigger problem. The other isdue that would worry me as a landlord is overcrowding...

[DPT57]

At 7 occupants the property may be a sui-generis HMO requiring planning permission. Without this its illegal and liable to a fine of up to £30,000 from the local authority and possibly 12 month rent repayment order for each of the tenants. Add that to the cost of paying the tenants to leave, since...

[DPT57]

As above, if the fridge is not mentioned in the tenancy agreement, inventory or original advert the landlord has no obligation to replace. Most do so negotiate

[DPT57]

You should arrange an inspection before serving notice if you can and take lots of photos of the condition and ask the tenant in writing whether everything is working as it should. Tenants are usually advised to claim disrepair in defence of s8.

[DPT57]

By negotiation, yes. Most landlords would accept that although they don't have to....

[DPT57]

The threat of it might be enough to persuade the landlord to negotiate. He will of course say that the AST prohibits it but in practice there is nothing he can do to stop you and there would be no point suing you as he would suffer no loss....

[DPT57]

If you can prove that it isnt fibre optic and that it was advertised ad such, you will have some come-back under consumer protection legislation, maybe even to unwind the tenancy. Consult with a proper solicitor who understands the Act.

[DPT57]

We have fibre optic broadband and are in dispute with our ISP at the moment as we only get around 9 Mbps. You can't tell solely from the current speed whether it is fibre optic or not. You may have no case if the landlord can prove that it is. I think you should take a different approach and start negotiating...

[DPT57]

You also cant guarantee that the child will be resident in the area once the school term starts. If the tenant doesnt move out when you return it takes on average several months to evict them through the courts. If you need to be in the property by a particular date then the usual advice is not to rent...

[DPT57]

I think you charge the tenant £10 now and if they lose the fob you claim the £90 from the regular deposit at the end of the tenancy or you sue them for it....

[DPT57]

I agree. I predict a steady stream of future posts from landlords who don't now the difference between 6 weeks and 1.5 months and now cant serve a valid s21 notice...

[DPT57]

I dont think the landlord is legally obliged to fit locks even on individually rented rooms. It might be a licence condition if its a licensed HMO but otherwise try asking for permission to fit it yourself

[DPT57]

Get an inspection done asap so that you know whether there are any other costs. If it exceeds the deposit then consider MCOL

[DPT57]

Rentguard referencing is only £20 per tenant. If you just ask for a bit more information in advance in future, (prev landlord contact, bank statements etc) there shouldnt be many fails. I dont think this will be much of an issue for most landlords, although I accept the costs may go up a bit for HMO...

[DPT57]

Peridottt, I dont think the question was so much whether it should be fixed as who will pay. Whilst I agree with some of your points, the default position in a case like this must be that the tenant is liable unless they can show that they are not

[DPT57]

You made a number of mistakes in the last tenancy. This will likely keep happening unless you learn a bit more about landlording and stop putting all your faith in the agent. If youre not already a member I suggest joining RLA/NLA as a start.

[DPT57]

I am not sure that a property with such a big maintenance responsibility is really that suitable as a rental property except for avid gardeners....

[DPT57]

I would be careful how hard you push this just at this moment. The landlord is still clearly taking the Agent's advice and if you make waves the Agent may suggest evicting you. In your shoes I would do what the Agent says and then raise it again at the end of the next 6 months. This landlord is already...