Hi all, I’d like your advice and thoughts on my recent experience in renting an All Inclusive ground floor apartment in a new build property which I feel I am paying the full agreed amount in rent each month yet not having what I am paying for.
Basically I chose to proceed with this property as advertised as follows:
Ground Floor Spacious Apartment with Ensuite Shower/Toilet
Patio Doors with outside patio area.
All Bills Inclusive (Gas, Electricity, Council Tax, TV Licence, Water rates, etc)
Free Fast Internet
Full usage of brand new fully equipped kitchen upstairs
Full usage of separate utility room with washer dryer upstairs
Additional benefits such as garage storage space at side of building
All of this for £550 per month !
That said here are the problems I have encountered and mentioned but NOT put forward as a complaint:
Upon moving in beginning of March there was no washer/dryer nor fridge freezer for 3 weeks
No internet for 6 weeks
Had 2 sets of blinds renewed on patio doors because they were fitted wrong
Still no patio door key to allow me to sit outside in the nice weather plus the patio doors are a fire escape (there is a fire hazard light above the door with a green light)
And now I have waited 5 weeks with no Ensuite available due to a pipe blockage that stank the place out, and only now has the plumber has started major work and they now have to dig up the main room floor extensively and I am being told I cannot sleep in the room anymore and have been offered a much much smaller room upstairs for the next few weeks until my room is completed.
In addition to this I now will have great difficulties in having my 12 year old daughter staying with me twice overnight which was one of the additional reasons I chose this property in the first place.
The question is…
Am I being unreasonable asking my landlord for some compensation against all of this inconvenience and not getting what I am paying for each month? Yes he has offered an alternative but that is not my fault that I have to suffer yet still pay the full blown rent every month and not getting what I am paying for?
In short his reply was “No I can assure you there will be no compensation, the job needs doing whatever, if this happened in your own house it would still need to be done”
I have bitten my tongue here as my contract is only for 6mths and ideally I wanted to extend to longer but haven’t said anything in view of looking like I am a complainer and they may not renew my contract.
I would then have to go to all the ordeal of finding somewhere suitable that allows my daughter to stay overnight with enough space for the same money - I love the apartment its fab, but at the end of the day the “Teething” problems I have are not my doing yet I am paying the full amount still.
If you like it so much then you’ll have to grit your teeth and hope no more teething problems turn up
No landlord will give you a reduction in rent if they are dealing with the problems and accommodating your needs
It gives a precedent to reducing the rent for every problem that turns up
Keeping a weather eye out for suitable accommodation might be a good idea
Would moving be more hassle than you’re experiencing now?
I pretty much concur with Janice1 except that the problems do seem quite extreme, so your landlord is probably in breach of consumer law if you want to take it that far. I would be more concerned about a locked fire escape, though, than a faulty ensuite. Frankly if I were you, I’d look for another place and consider bringing a claim against the landlord. Citizens Advice might be worth chatting to.
Thanks everyone for your replies, I have asked but been told there definately would be no compensation or rent reduction as if this was my own house the job would have needed to be done regardless!! - words fail me on this explanation.
Open rent do not seem to be responding either as they should on either of my posts I’m losing all faith here now.
Exact words from the landlord - ‘the job has gotta be done regardless, and if it was your own property you’d have to deal with it’ - I bit my tongue so not to lose it quite honestly - but it’s still being done now been 9 weeks and not progressing very fast. I’m in a much smaller room almost a third the size consequently but still paying the full premium. Yes I know there’s a communial bathroom but that’s not the point.
Hi Rob, apologies if you felt ignored! Often when people on the Community ask for advice, I try and leave it for other users to offer their experiences than jump in with an ‘official answer’ that might put others off from revealing some very insightful comments.
@Colin3 has expressed a view that is closest my understanding. If part of the property becomes uninhabitable during repairs, then the tenant can claim for reduced rent. The tenant can even claim retrospectively, so do consider this fully, @Rob2.
Here’s more information for you — especially the last section on this page:
Rob Hi I forgot to say take some pictures with date on them if poss and keep a diary of events witnessed by a 3rd party if poss Let us all know what happens.
Thanks Colin, I have taken some but will keep as many as I go along as evidence with dates, I have now delayed my rent payment in lieu of something being done.