Hi
I live in a tower block, high up, & rent privately from a landlord via a letting agent, and due to a recent operation, am unable to use stairs-yet the lifts are broken (again!) and will be unfixed for a month and more.
I wanted to see if I am within my rights to request reduced rent for at least some of the period the lift is not working as this means I am unable to leave my home-and either way, it severely affects my right to “enjoy my home in peace”.
I have contacted the local council (useless-they say no experts available on relevant law, and huge backlog so would take months to look into), meanwhile the letting agent is dragging their feet, and the “management company” are literally con artists, who keep changing name, pretending to be new company to avoid fines.
You aren’t entitled to reduced rent. Your landlord is responsible for fixing things in a timely manner but he isnt responsible for lift so if you owned your flat you would be subject to same delays. The fact you aren’t able to use the stairs isn’t your landlords fault.
You can still ask for a discount, some landlords may be sympathetic and want to keep tenany happy but they are under no obligation to give you one
Lifts in flats break often. It is not the fault of the landlord, nor is the delay in fixing. The landlord is not responsible for your inability to use the stairs. It will be the freeholders job to fix.
I doubt an individual landlord in a big tower block is responsible to fix the lift, it will be the freeholder, which may be the council if an ex-council flat. you can chase your landlord to chase the freeholder as you have absolutely no way to contact the freeholder but the landlord does.
posters are trying to debate the landlord being responsible, or the lift being out of action in a high rise a substantial impact on the right to enjoy ones home as per the standard tenancy contract-these issues are not up for debate, these issues have been proven as I stated, precedent has been set many times in court cases.
they are responsible for the lifts. faulty lifts in a high rise does count as severely impactful.
so.
my question remains-when such rights have been breached, am I likely to be able to get a discount or compensation for it?
no court case has said a landlord of one flat is responsible it is the FREEHOLDER .if you want to call HIM a landlord then fine . The council may even be the freeholder . Do you know who the freeholder is ?
theres a building management company, and a letting agent operating on behalf of the landlord for this flat. theres a number of properties in the block the letting agent is responsible for. the management company and the letting agents are fraudulent, literally, always using their links to pass responsibility anywhere but themselves.
@symphony1111 Proven where. Please provide details of case.
Your contract will almost certainly say “rent to be paid without deduction”.
As already answered, the landlord may discretionally agree to a reduction.
An individual landlord of one flat (or even several) does not control communal lifts, the freeholder does who often appoint managing agents. The estate agent should liaise or report issue to the management company.
at the top of all this there is a freeholder whopays for repairs and then all the owners of the flats will be given a bill for maintenance encompased in a service charge