They’re the stuff of nightmares, sleepless nights, endless worrying and a bucket load of stress. No landlord wants to be caught up in a rental void period. Unfortunately, they’re pretty common and easy to fall into. This can be really damaging to landlords with a smaller portfolio. Thankfully, there are a few simple tips you can implement to avoid them altogether. Here are our 8 tips for preventing void periods. If you know of any more that could help other landlords, get in touch on Twitter.
1. Properly Maintain Your Property
So, let’s get this one out the way early. There could be an underlying reason why no one wants to rent your property. Ensure everything’s tidy, clean and in a liveable condition. Bathrooms and kitchens are key selling points of your property – do they need any work? Would a quick renovation boost your chances of attracting new tenants? The appearance of your property matters.
2. Advertise Everywhere (and Early)
It’s surprising to some but landlords do require marketing skills. Especially if you’re privately renting, you need to be able to market your property. Advertise your property everywhere you can, from local newspapers to online sites. If you want to stay away from void periods as much as possible, it’s important to advertise your property as early as you can. Don’t wait till the house/flat has been vacated.
3. Charge Reasonable Rent
Don’t inflate the rent you’re charging for the sake of it. Do your research and find out the average rent for the area. Then question how your property compares to the area’s average. Above all, charge a fair rent. You may be tempted to undercut the area’s average rent to ensure your property is seen as more attractive. Be warned, this could change the type of tenant you let to. Consider a deal including amenities if you want to make your listing more appealing.
4. Pick Good Tenants
This is a tricky one but will save you a lot of hassle in the long run. If you can let to good tenants you’ll reduce the risk of sudden changes in circumstance. Unfortunately even the best tenants can have unpredictable lives and there’s no simple way to get around this. Also, it’s very tricky to tell which tenants are genuinely ‘good’. Screening checks don’t tell the full story. The best tenants are steady and secure in their careers and lives.
5. Be Open Minded
It’s always important to have an open mind with potential tenants. Whether they’re looking to redecorate parts of the property or live with a pet, you may not like it but it’s worth considering. A tenant with a pet is likely to be more stable. Whereas a tenant who wants to redecorate will likely see themselves in the property for an extended period of time.
6. Why Not Try a HMO?
If you rent in an area popular with students or young professionals, it may be worth considering turning your let into a house in multiple occupation. You’ll need to adhere to specific licence rules about health and safety but it’s nothing a reasonable landlord couldn’t keep up with. This way, when one tenant moves out, you’re still making money from the other occupants.
7. Upgrade Your Furniture
Back to what we said earlier about how appearance is everything. If you’re offering a furnished property, it may be worth making a few extra purchases. Upgrading furniture will give your property a new lease of life. It could be the difference between attracting new tenants or not.
8. Be Approachable and Professional
Whether you like it or not, as a landlord you could be the reason between a tenant taking your property or not. If you turn up to a house viewing late, wearing sandals and shorts you’ll look unprofessional. Dress well, be prompt, appear approachable and ensure the tenant knows you’re professional.
When you start renting, don’t neglect the importance of a full and accurate inventory. Remove the possibility of disputes with No Letting Go’s inventory services.
If you’re a landlord in a university town or city, you’ve probably seen the potential in student rentals. There are plenty of advantages in renting to students. Having said this, there are some pretty awful issues you could encounter too. Are students really as bad as people make out? Is your investment safe with them? If you’re sat asking yourself ‘should I rent to students?’ we’ve got a little advice and guidance to help you find the right answer.
The Strange World of Students
Students can seem like an entirely different species. Thankfully, they’re actually pretty simple. For most, this will be their first time living in private accommodation. They’ll need a little hand holding but this tends to come from the parents. They’re often told to ask specific questions, they’ll be informed of what to say and they’ll pour plenty of time over their contract. They may take longer in the initial signing process but remain supportive and up-front – they just want to make sure you’re not a cowboy.
Usually students aren’t too fussy – they’ve heard the horror stories and are happy to find your property clean and warm. If you can offer a tidy and furnished house with warm running water, they’ll be content. However, there are some health and safety requirements that can’t be ignored!
Be warned though, not all students are the same. There are some very obvious cues worth noting. First of all, if you’re renting to a group of eight boys, all of which are on the university’s rugby team – expect lots of parties. Use your common sense with this one. You may well want to rent to a group like this, just know what to expect.
Party, Party, Party!
Right, let’s get this out in the open now. It’s very likely your student tenants will throw a party or at least invite friends over for a night of intoxicated fun. We highly recommend banning parties in the tenancy agreement – this is there more as a deterrent than something to enforce. The sooner you accept that parties will take place, the easier it will be letting to students.
Advantages of Renting to Students
There are some serious advantages that come with being a student landlord, here are some of the more notable points:
- Demand – If you own a property in the heart of a town/city’s student area, there will always be a demand for housing irrelevant of any ongoing economic difficulties.
- Duration – Students tend to rent for 12 month periods. No long term contract obligations.
- Predictability – The student rental market is one of the most predictable, always handy for landlords hoping to rest easy at night.
- Imperfections – The beauty of renting to students is that your property doesn’t need to be perfect.
- Furnishings – There’s no point investing in expensive furnishings. Head to Ikea and buy cheap.
- High yields – There’s often more students living in a house than there would be in a regular tenancy.
- Intelligence – Students by nature are intelligent (there are exceptions). This means any issues tend to be resolved relatively simply with open communication.
Disadvantages of Renting to Students
All sounding too good to be true? That’s because it is, there are some very clear drawbacks in renting to students:
- Furnishings – All students expect a fully furnished property which entails the upkeep and maintenance of white goods.
- Wear and tear – All student properties are more prone to wear and tear. Expect phone calls out of the blue about a broken sofa or bed.
- Repaint – We know plenty of student landlords that have to pay for a fresh lick of paint on the walls every year.
- Wannabee lawyer – Some students can get a bee in their bonnet about the contract. They’ll become adamant you’re trying to mess them over. The wannabee lawyer can be a particularly frustrating student to let to.
- Private halls – Private accommodation for second and third year students is on the rise. Usually students prefer the experience of living in a house with friends but private halls are a real threat that’s worth your attention.
- Maintenance bills – Maintenance bills are usually more expensive than those in a regular tenancy.
- Screening – You can’t reference or credit check students, this can be worrying.
- Finance – Students are notoriously poor with money. Their finances can come from student loans, grants, part-time jobs and parents. This instability can be a little frightening to landlords.
- Summer holiday – Depending on the tenancy agreement, you could experience void periods during the summer holiday.
Student Rental Action Points
So you’ve decided to take the dive and let to students? Here are a few action points to set you on your way:
- Go to a shop like Ikea or Argos to buy your furniture. Don’t spend much money on this at all, you want something cheap and cheerful.
- Get students to provide a guarantor, this will usually be their parents. Do this and you’ll get your money even if the student can’t pay up.
- Become a university approved landlord. There’s often a few checks needed but this is worth doing to market your student let.
- Hold your student’s hands. Remember, they’ve probably not done this before – help them. Reassure them throughout the process. Go a step further and include a welcome pack for when they move in. In this, you can feature a few rules and even instruct them on how to use the boiler, heating, washing machine, etc.
- Consider the possibility of dropouts. It’s worth including a clause in the tenancy agreement which states it’s the tenants’ responsibility to find a replacement housemate if one drops out.
- Licence your property as a HMO (house in multiple occupation). Local councils have differing regulations for this but it cannot be ignored.
Student lets are prone to sudden and dramatic damage. The inventory process is imperative with this type of let. Remove the stress and any potential disagreements with No Letting Go’s inventory services. Find out more about how we can help protect your property investment here.
What do millennials think about the current housing situation? With this infographic – Open Property Group help us better understand the risks and challenges facing the ‘Generation Rent’.
If you’re a landlord, tenant or agency feeling the stress of inventories, contact No Letting Go to see how we can remove the strain.
As of February 1st this year, landlords up and down the United Kingdom found themselves lumped with a pretty sizeable load of newly-assigned responsibilities. For the first time, and for the indefinite future to say the least, it is now entirely the responsibility of landlords to ensure that their tenants are in fact legally entitled to rent their properties. Known as the ‘Right to Rent’ rule, no longer are landlords able to in any way turn a blind eye to the legality of their tenants’ residency in the United Kingdom.
Unsurprisingly, the change ruffled more than a few feathers across the country. Many a landlord and national inventory company alike responded quite strongly to the newly-imposed responsibilities, suggesting that it paves the way for landlords to be punished unfairly when dealing with dishonest tenants. Nevertheless, it’s a change that’s only just come into effect and isn’t going anywhere in the near future, so it’s crucial to comprehensively understand what responsibilities now fall with landlords.
Guidelines for Tenants
One plus point from the landlord’s perspective is the fact that the government has recently published an updated How to Rent guide, which was created to help tenants better understand both sides of the deal. It may assist in the on-going battle against unscrupulous landlords, while at the same time helping tenants understand their obligations.
Whether working alone or in conjunction with landlord inventory services UK, the change basically makes it the duty of the landlord to check their tenants’ right to rent before allowing them to move in. It’s a means by which to enhance the government’s efforts to gain better control over illegal immigration, making it difficult for illegals to find places to live. And in any instances where landlords are found to be housing illegal immigrants without having carried out the necessary checks, they will be liable for fines of up to £3,000 per occupant.
Making assumptions or taking the word of tenants at face value will no longer be sufficient. Instead, landlords are required to make the necessary checks, demand that the required identification be produced and maintain meticulous records for future inspection.
In this video Paul Shamplina – from Landlord Action – gives clear directions on the new Right to Rent immigration checks.
Checking Documents
In terms of going about the document checks, it’s crucial for landlords to know both what it is they are looking for and how to keep the necessary records.
For example, all forms of ID produced to prove residency status must be approved documents, such as passports, visas and so on. No form of ID can be accepted if it isn’t recognised.
In addition to this, the documents must in every instance be the originals – photocopies are strictly prohibited. Landlords must then keep photocopies for their own records, but these should be taken from the original documents only.
If there is any doubt whatsoever as to either the authenticity of the documents or that the image is a true likeness of the individual, additional checks must be carried out before allowing tenancy. Documents should be cross-checked in detail.
All copies must be signed by both parties, dated and stored in a safe place, in case required at a later date.
The Home Office is also providing a telephone helpline to help landlords and tenants understand how these measures apply to them and how to carry out the right to rent checks. You can use this service by calling 0300 069 9799.
If you’re finding tenancy inventories a headache, see how No Letting Go can remove your strain.
Renting with a housemate can be a tricky proposition if the person you intend to live with is not a close friend or family member. And even at that, it is easy to quickly become enemies if housemates are not on the same page. Before you agree to live with someone on a long-term basis, be sure to take the necessary steps to protect yourself. Those steps include interviewing any and all potential candidates.
Here are five questions to ask every potential housemate:
1. What is your current housing situation and why are you planning to move?
Most people looking to move are doing so because of work or life changes that are completely legitimate. Others are moving under less desirable circumstances: they are unemployed, they were forced to leave their previous housing arrangement, they could not pay the mortgage, etc. It is always a good idea to know as much as possible about the housing history of potential candidates so that you don’t end up supporting a stranger. It is no different than getting typical flat inventory in the UK.
2. What is your current employment situation and history?
Anyone you choose as a housemate should have steady employment that pays well enough for that person to cover his or her share of the rent and common expenses. Be wary of potential candidates who seem to change jobs every four or five months. Hopefully, you can find someone with a stable employment history and fairly dependable income. Otherwise, you would again have the potential of supporting a complete stranger in the future.
3. Will you agree to check-in and check-out?
Local property inventories are commonplace among landlords with large property portfolios. If you are renting from a landlord with a smaller portfolio, a property inventory may not be included. Ask any future housemates whether they are willing to agree to a check-in and check-out at both ends of the tenancy. An inventory check of all shared spaces and the potential housemate’s room would be the minimum.
4. What is your current relationship status?
Just like a check-in inventory is necessary to protect your deposit, a relationship inventory might be needed to preserve your sanity. It’s important to know if any potential housemates are involved in long-term relationships that could result in romantic partners spending enough time at your flat to actually become residents. There is room for partners staying over now and then, but having them live with you without being actual tenants is a no.
5. Do you have any health issues or personal idiosyncrasies?
Every potential housemate has his or her own way of doing things. Most of these things can be accommodated. However, some candidates may have particular health issues that could be problematic. For example, food allergies can be very serious. And, of course, there are some people with strange idiosyncrasies that could lead to unnecessary fighting and bickering. As uncomfortable as it is, you need to ask about such things.
Renting with a housemate is one way to reduce your living expenses and enjoy some company every now and again. But choose your housemates wisely. A poor choice could come back on you in ways you never imagined.
If you’re a tenant, landlord or agency dealing with the stresses of inventories, you’re not alone. Find out how No Letting Go can help.
Photo sources: flickr.com/photos/julio_ – flickr.com/photos/serenejournal
Everybody needs a home, right? Some purchase, others rent, and still others are content to live with family for the rest of their lives. It’s all good. Well, mostly anyway. Every housing arrangement has its pros and cons to deal with. Where renting is concerned, there are some unique advantages and disadvantages that only renters are familiar with.
From noisy neighbours to an uncooperative landlord, renters do have to stay on their toes. Here are the ten worst things about renting you may already be familiar with:
1. Absentee Landlords
Landlords are known to use all kinds of professional services to make their lives easier. They include letting agents, property management companies, and rental inventory services. UK landlords may utilise such services but still pay close attention to their properties. The same cannot be said for foreign landlords. Those who are not based here tend to be absentee landlords who do not necessarily put a lot of time and effort into the properties.
2. Risking Your Deposit
Few things are as frustrating to renters than having to fight to get the deposit back at the end of a tenancy. Disputes over deposits arise from disagreements over the condition of the property at the start and end of the lease. Renters can protect themselves by insisting on both a check-in and check-out. The landlord can contract with a flat inventory company to handle the details.
3. Limited Decorating Freedom
Landlords understandably want to limit the number of physical changes made to their properties so as to keep their maintenance and remodelling expenses as low as possible. But this often translates into limited decorating freedom for tenants. Therefore, renters have to be very creative in order to decorate without running afoul of the landlord’s property inventory check.
4. Potentially Obnoxious Neighbours
If there is one thing renters know all too well, it is that you can’t control your neighbours. You might end up with someone who is sweet as pie and a joy to have around. Then again, you might end up with an obnoxious neighbour whose dictionary doesn’t include the word ‘quiet’. These days it seems there are more obnoxious neighbours than nice ones.
5. Laundry Is a Hassle
Unless you live in a flat with an in-house washing machine included you will probably have to leave your unit to do your laundry elsewhere. Back at home, you may be limited in the amount of space you have to hang your wet laundry to dry. The long and short of it is that doing laundry in a flat is a hassle.
6. Limited Outdoor Space
Some people choose to rent because they do not want outdoor garden space to have to care for. For everyone else, a little outdoor space would be nice. Most flats don’t provide nearly enough, requiring tenants to go to parks and other public spaces just to get outdoors for a while.
7. Lack of Natural Lighting
Your average flat is not a wide open space with lots of windows letting in natural light. This is not good for someone who adores the sunshine and blue skies. But, you make do. Keep your blinds open as often as possible without compromising your privacy.
8. Appliances Can Be Questionable
What makes a fun conversation for a group of renters? Standing around and talking about appliances. One renter might be dealing with a cooker and refrigerator from the Thatcher era while another has appliances that are barely recognisable as such. You never know what you are going to get when you move to a new flat.
9. Mail and Packages
Standard mail is usually not a problem for renters on a day-to-day basis, but packages can be a real challenge. When no-one is home to accept a package, it could be left unattended in front of the door or held hostage by a neighbour or the leasing office. There is just no good way to receive packages if you are a renter living in a flat.
10. Limited Storage
The UK is not known for abundant personal storage even in the nicest of single-family homes. Storage is an even bigger problem for renters. They have to be extremely creative, using every bit of open space they can find. Thank goodness for storage beds and modular shelving!
So there you have it – the ten worst things about renting. There are, though, just as many ways to turn it around and make the most of your home.
Who among us does not appreciate the beautiful lights and festive decorations of Christmas? If you are the kind of person who likes to decorate for the holidays, this is the time of year when your creative juices can begin flowing. But wait. What if you rent a flat rather than owning your property, meaning that you have to consider flat rental inventory? Decorating for Christmas can be a bit more iffy.
Before you begin putting up the fairy lights and stockings, take a look at your lease agreement to see what it says. The agreement may include restrictions about how you can attach things to the walls; it might even stipulate whether or not you can bring a living pine tree into your residence. Once you know your restrictions, you have a good idea how to proceed and can rest in the knowledge that your property inventory checks will be okay at the lease’s end.
Artificial Christmas Trees
Smaller, artificial Christmas trees make it possible for you to have a tree without running afoul of restrictions on the living variety. What’s more, today’s artificial trees look more realistic than ever before. Many of them even come with fairy or berry lights already strung within the boughs and branches. You can easily add plastic and paper ornaments that are easy on the budget and much more safe than glass.
Choose LED Lights
Anyone planning to use holiday lighting in a rented property should seriously consider using LED lights. LED technology uses considerably less electricity and significantly reduces the risk of fire hazard. As always, make sure to read and understand the instructions that come with your light sets so as to not overload electrical sockets.
You can hang lights from curtain rails or attach them to larger furniture pieces. This enables you to string lights without having to damage walls. If your lease agreement allows it, you can buy suction cup hooks or adhesive hooks that use temporary, peel-away strips that do not damage walls.
Wreaths and Garlands
Wreaths and garlands are great holiday decorations you can put just about anywhere without the need to attach anything to the walls. Wreaths can be placed on the dining table with a few candles while a garland can be the wound around the staircase railing, a stand-up lamp, or your curtain rails. Garland also makes a very nice accessory for your Christmas tree. You can get it in a variety of colours and styles to suit your preference.
Window Decals and Stencils
Windows makes a great canvas for holiday decorations by way of decals and stencils. Window decals are made of vinyl so they easily stick to windows as long as the panes are clean. After the holidays, they peel right off with no damage done. If you prefer stencilling, you can create some gorgeous designs using a can of artificial spray-snow.
The stencilling idea is a bit more challenging but well worth the effort. And don’t worry about the spray-snow, it will wipe right off with some warm water and a towel. In the meantime, you can enjoy snowflakes and holiday messages glistening in the sunlight as it comes through your windows.
Another good way to put your windows to work is to create silhouette images using white paper. Attach the silhouettes with a little bit of sticky tape and you’re done. During the daylight hours the silhouettes are simple pictures people will enjoy as they pass by; at night they look fantastic against the background lighting of your room.
You can decorate for the holidays even if you live in a rented property. You just need to be a little creative and keep in mind what your lease agreement stipulates without worrying about letting inventories.
London is one of the world’s great cities and has something for everyone. Living in this city is an ambition of many people; however, with the cost of buying a home in the capital is more than many people can afford; therefore, renting is the best option. However, once you have made the decision to rent, how on earth do you find somewhere suitable? London is a huge city and if you are not familiar with the various boroughs, finding a nice property in a good location can prove virtually impossible. Fortunately, we are here to help, so here’s what you need to know about renting in the capital.
Finding a property
London has an abundance of houses, flats, apartments, and bungalows available to rent, so you don’t have to worry about finding something that suits your tastes. What is trickier is finding the ideal property in an ideal area; to do this you will need to consider several factors:
- Time to central London – the chances are you will not find a place right in the centre of the capital, so instead you will need to look for something within close proximity.
- Transport – driving in London is a pretty stressful task, so you will probably need to look for somewhere that has good transport links.
- Green areas – life in the city is not for the faint-hearted, so having parks and open spaces close by will be beneficial.
- Safety – some areas of London have higher crime rates than others. Safety is paramount.
- Cost – the most important factor. Ideally, you’ll want to find a property that meets all of the above preferences at the cheapest possible price.
Recommended locations
With those factors in mind, you can narrow down the search to several areas.
Highbury
North London is considered an established and trendy area to rent. Within 10 minutes of central London is Highbury, in the Borough of Islington. The transport links here are excellent and there are plenty of restaurants and bars with a real multicultural mix of people. Average rental in this area is around £310 per week.
Battersea
Battersea (home of the power station and famous dogs and cats home) is south of the River Thames and is considered an up-and-coming place to rent, making it more affordable. This ‘urban-cool’ area is a buzzy place to live and has plenty of pubs and bars to enjoy. Average weekly rent is around £310 per week.
Shoreditch and Bethnal Green
Over in east London, Shoreditch and Bethnal Green blends corporate lifestyle with bohemia, as bankers and arty types live side-by-side in one of the London’s trendiest areas. Given its location, Shoreditch and Bethnal Green is one of the most in-demand rental areas in the capital, with average weekly rent somewhere in the region of £380.
Renting a home
Before you rent a home in the capital, it is essential that you view the places that you like before moving in. With rental and deposit significantly higher than most other places in the UK, it is also wise to request that the landlord carry out a property inventory, or else have one done yourself. There are several property inventory services in London that can provide you with an in-depth inventory, ensuring that any pre-existing damage is flagged.
While we are on the subject of inventories, you should make sure that one is carried out just before your tenancy ends – this will prevent you being blamed for any damages that are not your fault and will simplify the exiting process.
The final thing to do before you move in is sign the rental agreement. A property inventory will also be part of the agreement, so that will need to be signed too. A tenancy agreement should include:
- duration of tenancy
- rental cost
- your responsibilities
- your rights
- the landlord’s responsibilities.
Remember to always read the agreement carefully and do not sign it until you are happy.
With all of the paperwork in place and the property inventory signed, you will then be ready to move in to your perfect London home!
Photo sources: Julian Osley
Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, letting inventory services in the UK are an essential part of property rental. The idea of an inventory is to catalogue the contents and condition of a property recording details of the home and any items that are included in the tenancy. The compiled report is then used as part of the legally binding contract between landlord and tenant preventing disputes over possible damages between both parties and aiding in a smooth transition from one tenant to the next.
Over the years, inventory reports have traditionally been compiled in writing, text still rules the roost; however, as technology advances and many people now have access to cameras in smartphones and tablets, there are an increasing number of landlords incorporating photos into inventories. There is an old saying that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ and it’s hard to argue with this; but, can this saying really be applied to property inventory in the UK?
Finding the right balance
A picture can add a lot to an inventory, and photographs of large areas of damage such as holes in doors, carpet burns, and damage to worktops will go a long way in building a solid case against a tenant. However, when it comes to providing the perfect inventory report, a photo is only worth a thousand words if the right balance is found.
According to the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC), an overseer of excellence in rental inventory services in the UK, photographs are being used more regularly in inventories. However, they are at the expense of written descriptions and this is leaving landlords exposed to costly disputes with tenants over damage.
In many reports, the AIIC has found that photos no bigger than thumbnails are being used as evidence. Naturally, with a picture being so small, detail is hard to see. Photographs of a decent size and quality though, can be very useful and many of today’s modern smartphones have the capability to produce detailed images.
Only quality photos will do
The comprehensive nature of inventories means that it photos must only be provided if they are backed up by a written presentation. The most common disputes between landlords and tenants are over small damages, such as chips in cupboard doors, scratches in sinks and baths, and knife marks on worktops. Such damages, while minor, can result in financial losses for landlords and tenants if negligence cannot be proved and a photo alone is often not sufficient evidence as details are so fine.
In order for property inventory services in the UK to help landlords win disputes for either side in a rental agreement, it is essential that photos are of a high quality and printed in A4 or even A3. In addition to this, the photo should be dated on camera and only be used to make up part of a written report.
The written inventory may still rule the roost, but the use of photos is definitely here to stay.
Photo source: Paul Reynolds
Mention the word ‘landlord’ to some people and it will yield a reaction of dread or intense anger. Stories of landlords from hell are all too common, and while most are genuine and responsible, a small number of landlords ignoring their legal duties have allowed the few to tarnish the name of the many. If you find yourself in a situation whereby a landlord is refusing to carry out repairs that you feel are his or her responsibility, there are steps you can take.
Build a case
If a landlord is flat out refusing to do repairs or is ignoring your repeated requests, it may be that you have to take legal action; but before doing this you will need to build a strong case, which requires the help of a home or flat inventory company.
An inventory report is generally carried out before a tenant moves into a property and after they move out. However, it is possible to have in-depth reports quarterly, yearly, or at the mid-point in a tenancy agreement. By compiling a report, home or flat inventories can show clear evidence of damage and how a property has deteriorated since a previous report.
In addition to this, you should compile your own portfolio of evidence, by taking photographs of required repairs, copies of medical notes showing proof of your health being affected by the problem, receipts for any money spent on trying to fix the problem, and copies of letters sent to a landlord in relation to repairs.
While building a case, you should continually write to your landlord about the issue.
Contact Housing Standards Team
The next step is to contact your local council housing standards team. Housing standards are committed to ensuring all properties within their borough meet acceptable living conditions. Housing standards will ask for details and evidence of disrepair as well as name and contact details of the landlord. They will then arrange to visit the property and inspect the damage. At this time, the landlord will be contacted and given the opportunity to undertake all repairs. If he or she fails to do so, the council may serve statuary notices, followed by court action.
Taking legal action
It may be possible to take your landlord to court where an order can be given for necessary repair works to be carried out and possible compensation paid to you for inconvenience, damage to personal property and health caused by repairs not being done. Before taking this step though, you should be aware that court action can be a long and expensive process and should always be a last resort.
It is essential that you speak to your solicitor or to Citizen’s Advice before making a decision on legal action, and find out if you are eligible for legal aid. The evidence compiled by a home and flat inventory company and yourself will ensure you stand a good chance of winning in court; however, only ever proceed after having received comprehensive legal advice.
Photo sources: roaringapps.com – everythingsimple.com