update about landlord :(

[scottishgal]

update well I got home yesterday at 6pm and we came into the house loads of post and house was cold and a funny smell landlord had cut the electric by taking the fuses from the fuse box in the hall!!! I do owe him rent well 2months and deposit of £650 which was paid yesterday anyway we went to a local electrician and spent £12 on getting the fuses for the box and bingo we have light heating etc so we went shopping and came back dp has put nets up etc at the windows that didnt have any and we are going to the council and CAB and social offices tomorrow to see where we stand I know landlord said he had cut services and wasnt putting them back on till arrears were paid but my friend had been checking my house and told me that the electric was on on monday checking my emails my landlord had cut them on the 27th of march that is why my fridge was moldy so dp had to clean that while I made a cuppa I was wondering as I am making an effort to pay etc can he still continue with what he has done and will the CAB etc be able to help me it doesnt state in my tenancy that he can just switch services off. I am so worried as we are staying at my house and the landlord thinks that we are not as he is away till 8th of may and has took the fuses out of the box. any advice I am going go be putting more money in his bank so there should be about £1000 paid and another £300 left. I do not want to go back to england as it took us 7hrs to get up here we set off at 10am yesterday morning and arrived here at 6pm we finally got finished at twenty to one this morning and I have had 3hrs sleep I couldnt sleep

 

[10thSept]

Hi
YOu should definitely contact the CAB urgently.
LAndlords do NOT have the right to cut off services, even where rent has not been paid. There are other ways they can try to get the money from you, but cutting things off is NOT acceptable and as you say, the tenancy agreement does not say this.
The obligation to pay rent is separate form his obligation to ensure things like the provision of heating, lighting an electricity. He has acted in breach of the tenancy agreement and you need to contact the CAB.
Likewise, because the obligations are spearate, the tenant cannot withold rent on the basis that the electricity doesn't work, or the boiler has broken etc...
Hope this helps nand you get it sorted out
xx

 

[spidey]

Different country but I agree with 10thSept! Here in the US it's illegal for landlords to turn off water or power to a house. They have to foot the cost and go thru the process of eviction if they want the tenant out. Not sure what your equivalent is, but here I would call the health department. DH works for the health department and deals with these sorts of tenant/ landlord issues all the time. Hope it gets sorted out soon

 

[scottishgal]

hi girls well i went to the council and she helped me fill out a form for housing benefit an took our id etc and now its going to get sorted with the office the £650 deposit is paid and now its £1200 to pay not £2000 like he said. I have also rang a solicitor and the landlord is in the wrong and has broken the law so I have to ring tomorrow and meet some one to get a case together for my own protection and the solicitor said I am in my rights to stay in the house and I havent broken the law by getting fuses from an electrician to put it all back on. I am going to see the CAB tomorrow morning about 10am to see what they say and then I am going to the solicitors hopefullly I will be able to get a letter or some sort but I have untill 8th of may to pay the rent up to date this in when the landlord gets back from thailand from his month holiday. I have applied for a budgeting loan and I am in middle of filling in a community care grant form and I dont know what else I can do I have to write a back dated rent letter to the council also and get my tenancy amended with just my name on too from the landlord so I am going to be listing on E-bay and saving etc

 

[angelstardust]

Keep the receipt for the fuses and bill him for that and the food he wasted in the fridge

Best of luck!

 

[10thSept]

Good luck
Glad you're getting the help you need
xx

 

[scottishgal]

will do stardust i just feel down to be honest i dont know if i have the energy to fight it all i know i have to but i just dont know where to turn half the time and aye thanks 10th sept were getting there in a fashion

 

[Tsia]

Glad all is going well and you now know your rights as a tennant.

I am a landlady myself and if I accted in this manner the judge in a court would throw the book at me. They are always very very hard on landlords that do not do things legally.

Its not like you intend to stay there for free.. youre showing willingness to pay by already paying over half what was owed.. so whats his problem?

I wouldnt worry too much. Dont be scared by his threats. AND dont worry if he mentions POLICE// they will not do a thing- its all civil matter. (my oh is a cop) THE ONLY PERSON THAT CAN EVER TELL YOU TO GET OUT IS A JUDGE IN A COURT OF LAW. No matter what part of GB you are in.

Goodluck hun in getting the money for the fuses and food.. I would just write that off to be honest.

Good job he hadnt changed the locks!

OH and by the way.. it is illegal to enter the rented property (even though he owns it) without notice to you that he is visiting. And he is legally only allowed INSIDE the property if he was actually invited in.

So.. seeing as he has already gone in and removed fuses.. he has broken another rule and you could have him done if you really wanted.
To get you removed legally from the property if he starts his tactics again would take a minimum 8 weeks. As you have a tenancy agreement.

Hope you can get the remaining money to him soon and you can live in peace again. You dont need this when youre pregnant thats for sure!

 

[BurtonBaby]

I agree with the others hun, landlords rights are very limited. Here, if a landlord attempts to use any unlawful method to evict the tenant, they can be sued for up to $100/day that the illegal action went on. My mom owns a rental home, and had to go to court to get her tenant out, after not paying for months and months. Dont take that crap from him, its your home too!!

 

[tmr1234]

the landlord is not alwod in the house with out giving 24hrs notic in righting. he is not allowd to cut any power as it is up to u to pay that. at the end of the day they cnt get u out if they trued it takes 3yrs