UK Landlord Forum / Life

I've been renting a place for 5 months and approximately 2 months ago the stove stopped working. I called my landlord and he told me that he would send someone here to fix it in a few days. I waited for a week and no one showed up. I then went on holidays for 3 weeks and when I came back things were the same.
So I tried calling the landlord but he never picked up. I've called him several times during the last month and left him a text message but I still haven't heard from him. What I'm supposed to do in this situation? I thought about not paying the whole rent at the end of the month. Maybe that will bring him back from the dead. Is this acceptable?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

You don't have the right to withhold rent in the way you are thinking about, so be very careful with this.

If you wanted to follow the correct procedures, then take a look at this link, but it can be quite onerous and might break any relationship with your Landlord (not that there seems to be one to break)...

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/tenants_repairs_and_improvements/tenants_doing_repairs

Thanks for the reply. I'll not withhold any rent.

I read the link that you gave and it seems like it takes a long time to get the problem fixed. I'm going to action my break clause this month which means that I'll be out of there in two months so I guess it's not worth going through all that trouble.

Why not go and buy your own stove?

Keep the invoice, the landlord may buy it off you.

You are then at least not inconvenienced and you can cook.

You move you are looking at fees of £300 you could get a cooker for £250. Plus you'll have your own cooker!

Quote from: boboff on October 18, 2014, 07:33:32 AM
Why not go and buy your own stove?

Keep the invoice, the landlord may buy it off you.

You are then at least not inconvenienced and you can cook.

You move you are looking at fees of £300 you could get a cooker for £250. Plus you'll have your own cooker!

My latest post might have been a bit misleading. I'm not moving out because my landlord won't fix my stove. I'm moving because my place is expensive and I'm looking to save some money.

Quote from: trafagar on October 18, 2014, 09:32:50 AM
My latest post might have been a bit misleading. I'm not moving out because my landlord won't fix my stove. I'm moving because my place is expensive and I'm looking to save some money.

Wow are you joking.

Reread your original post. Three paragraphs, and not once do you mention this.

How on earth do you expect people here to help.  Telepathy ?

When your landlord isn't picking up, or they downright ignore you, contact the local council. They will enforce the responsibility of the landlord and will also arrange you to be reimbursed for your expenses. (e.g. if you're staying at a hotel because your flat is flooded, you might get some money back - I've never used it, so I'm not entirely sure how it works) 
You can check on your local council here ->  https://www.gov.uk/find-your-local-council
Withholding the rent will only make you break the law and the tenancy agreement JUST LIKE your landlord. That is probably one of the worst courses of action I can think of.. A big NO NO in any tenancy matter or dispute.
If you're just leaving the flat, I might not be worth the trouble of going around and  chasing your landlord for repairs, unless they're life threatening or make the property not fit for life. A broken stove is neither.
However, since you're going to move and I assume you want your deposit to move with you as well, keep all the communication and evidence about the broken equipment in a safe and easy to get place. The TDP will want to know about that stuff, if there ever is a dispute.
I also advise you to contact the local council just in case. You might not care about it, because you're leaving, but landlords like that shouldn't be left with their attitude and lack of responsibility. -> personal opinion
Reading about your landlord, I can imagine them trying to get some money out of the bond, just because they can.
Make sure you've covered things like end of tenancy cleaning (check in with your contract if you have to use a company or you can do it by yourself ) and getting all your belongings out of the apartment before you hand in the keys, cause these are the most common things to get charged off of the deposit.
Regards, Bob Tenant @ Bob's Tenancy Cleaning London

Quote from: Bob Tenant on October 24, 2014, 12:28:15 PM
When your landlord isn't picking up, or they downright ignore you, contact the local council. They will enforce the responsibility of the landlord and will also arrange you to be reimbursed for your expenses.

That is interesting.  By what legal instrument can they do this ?

A magistrates Bassoon ??

A Solicitors fiddle??

An Adversaries Glockenspiel??

It must be one of those boboff.

If my council started chasing landlords who had lost their mobile/been ill/been on holiday I would want a rebate on my council tax.

Not forgetting though, when you read it through, that the tenant was actually away on Holiday as well for three weeks during this period of abject negligence by the landlord!

Certainly one for the council to pursue as well as I hope the local MP and probably the town crier needs to be informed and stand outside the landlords house shouting of his inadequacy at all hours