Landlord Repairs
Landlord repairs are something which grates on Tenants for the same reason up and down the country. Some Landlord’s never want to put their hands in their pockets and pay for anything, so Tenants are usually left with trying to complete non urgent repairs by themselves and then try and recover the costs without much luck.
Their are plenty of stories about rogue Landlords and Landlords from hell, but they all shouldn’t be tarnished with the same brush. If your Landlord does not carry out important Landlord repairs then their are steps you can take to rectify this.
Tenants should always keep correspondence to the Landlord/Agents about any Landlord repairs problems or issues in writing or by email. This is basically the only way to keep a correct timeline of events and ensure that all the evidence is collated which will indicate times and dates of correspondence.
Landlords know that keeping their property in a good state of repair keeps the value of their property. If for any reason you believe something isn’t working, then it’s your duty as a tenant to report it to the Landlord as soon as possible. Give him/her a chance to rectify these issues in a timely manner without any obstruction. Any concerns should be sent by email or letter to the Landlord with evidence of photographs to substantiate any Landlord repairs that you think should be undertaken.
Environmental Health Department
The courts usually will require evidence when tenants substantiate their claims. This can be by way of reporting issues to your local borough council’s Environmental Health Department. They will usually ask you to send evidence to them and then they will contact the landlord. The landlord will be asked to rectify the issues in a timely manner. If the landlord ignores this department, they will then decide to enforce court action on the tenants behalf.
We at Pinnacle Property Services would advise any Tenants to collect photographic evidence or video evidence to substantiate your claim, as your case will be much stronger against the Landlord/Agent should court action be required. Also be aware that complaints against your Landlord could result in other problems for tenants like eviction. Landlord repairs are important for the family living in the property. If the Landlord repairs aren’t carried out in a timely manner then this is breaking the rules of the tenancy agreement as tenants have a right to quiet enjoyment, which is usually disrupted by a property in disrepair.