I desperately need advice about how my landlord have dealt with situations to the extent I a female of 52 with disabilities may be put on the street with absolutely no where to go at the end of next month. Also knowing about my disabilities have refused to fix an overflowing and blocked up toilet that’s so bad it can’t be used, literally upon having to call them again this evening, said we’re back in the office Monday, bye and put the phone down on me. Also after moving in on Friday30th may , and them asking us can we ask UC to pay direct to them the rent, which first thing Monday morning I went in the job centre and did all required. Only let us know beginning of September they’d not been receiving any rent. Telling us even though we’d obviously obviously paid the first month’s rent in advance, that as of the beginning of Sept we had to find £1800 which would then as of 30th Sept would be £2400. And now although texting them this afternoon (so I could see when it was delivered and read) I’ve had to ring a mobile number off their website and although they know also that this is a reoccurring problem (as its one of those saniflow boxes behind the toilet) the boss answered listened to part of my situation, talked over me although she heard I can’t use the toilet problem, just said back in the office Monday, bye and put the phone down on me. She also knows I’m bedridden a lot with my disabilities so knows now I don’t even have a toilet to use and no alternative. Not to mention the shower drainage hole is putting water up into the shower tray with excrement in. Also as this is a reoccurring situation and the plumber has told them the saniflow box is past it and needs replacing, with nothing ever being done. Also there is nowhere in the kitchen at all yo have a cooker at all, nothing ot washing machine, but the cooker is a major issue. So there is so many issues and it wasn’t even told us we had a 6 month tenancy to begin with, so I now feel she’s behaving in this manner especially about the toilet as she’s holding us over a barrel. That if we complain about the toilet situation in any way they’ll start eviction proceedings. We’ve tried so many times to contact them to discuss about the rent they never answer or return our calls. And now I’m so suicidal cos I’m so scared in this winter I’ll be out on the street, my partner and I have no close friend’s or family around and so no support bar each other, he’s also my carer. And all this is worsening my disabilities especially the severe pain so much I’m really struggling, and it’s obviously putting so much pressure on my partner it’s affecting his mental health so badly. I don’t know what to do. And advice would be so gratefully appreciated
To summarise, the landlord has not received any rent beyond the first month since you moved in, so you think they are preparing to evict you once the 6 month fixed term part of the contract comes to an end at the end of november. First up, you signed the contract and it probably contains a 6 month fixed term and then a rolling contract after that, so you should go back and read the contract first so you know what you are actually committed to. Second, regardless of whether or not you are evicted the saniflow is an emergency problem that should be treated like an emergency, and the agent should have arranged for an emergency plumber to come out. It looks like it will cost around £1,000 to get a new one installed. You need to take photos and videos, send to agent in an email and tell the agent you will be reporting them to the council’s environmental health team. Give them one working day to respond to this email, but if no satisfactory reply then contact council’s environmental health team and send the information to them, cc-ing the agent. Third, you don’t make it clear, were you receiving the UC housing and not handed it over to landlord, or not? Was it just a delay on the council side in getting the UC payments made, and are they now being made? Have you e.g. received 2 months of the UC but then had a letter from council saying that from now on the UC will be paid directly to the landlord?
Hi @Debra6
Sorry to hear about your problems and we’ll done for reaching out
First, and most importantly, there is help for people feeling suicidal Help for suicidal thoughts - NHS
Second, sounds like maybe you should contact the landlord direct, not the letting agent. It is the landlord who is legally responsible for ensuring the facilities work and the property is habitable. Eviction for a legitimate complaint about the facilities would be illegal. Agree with @Graham document the problem and say you’ll contact the council if not treated as an emergency. Contract should provide emergency contact details and say what the landlord’s responsibilities are. Also ask OR support.
Third, perhaps consider if you can help - maybe also ask /offer to help if you can to ensure the UC is paid to landlord by contacting DWP. Ultimately you are responsible for paying the rent and that is much more likely to be a reason for eviction. The landlord may have a mortgage and letting agent fees. So if you can help them get the income coming in they will be less likely to want to evict you and more likely to actually have the £ in their bank account to pay for a repair or a new saniflo unit. Eviction is expensive they also then have a void period while they find new tenants if you can get the rent payments sorted it’s better for LL and you.
Good luck and take care