Landlord Attempting to extort money from Mother

Tell him to do one and look for somewhere else to rent. There isn't much he can do if you didn't sign an invoice for work, and if he is going down the route that you caused it he has really only the option to evict which you can string out for months and months.

Look elsewhere and make his life hell and Document everything he does. If he decided to pay some jerk £500 to paint a wall that's upto him.
 
AtreuS said:
Tell him to do one and look for somewhere else to rent. There isn't much he can do if you didn't sign an invoice for work, and if he is going down the route that you caused it he has really only the option to evict which you can string out for months and months.

Look elsewhere and make his life hell and Document everything he does.
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We didnt agree for work to be done he notified by letter came and done it and is now invoicing us.

As per contract they can " gain entry whether we are here or not"
 
Honestly, fight fire with fire, claim there never was any damp, if you don't believe there is anyway of him proving there was. Do it.

But of course, I'm not a solicitor so don't just do this on my word :p
 
Allnamestaken said:
We didnt agree for work to be done he notified by letter came and done it and is now invoicing us.

As per contract they can " gain entry whether we are here or not"
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Is that even legal? when you rent you are entitled to enjoy your home in peace and quiet... you should not have anyone coming into your home unless arranged. I think you could get him in bother for that alone.
 
Landlord would be responsible in this case I would have thought, can we see a pic of the work done? 38 quids worth of magnolia would do a whole room at least, the labour charge also seems excessive.. is there a vat number on the invoice?

Invoice looks like it was knocked up by landlords mate in ms word to be honest..

Any who, I would question weather you are liable at all, and not pay. then the ball is in the landlords court to do something about it.
 
Allnamestaken said:
I dont know how.
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They need to give notice of access, preferably at a mutually convenient time. Unless an emergency such as flood or insecure premises.. I don't think damp would qualify.

In reality there not a massive amount you can do, but when you do move, make sure you with hold the last months rent because it sounds like they definitely will try to keep the deposit.
 
Speaking of hilarious things that landlords say, I once got told by an agent that "the landlord prefers tenants to take out buildings insurance". I'm sure they do love, however I'm not an idiot so I won't be.
 
Reading these horror stories makes me so glad I rent with a housing association.
no bodge jobs and they have their own repair teams/call centres

painting over damp with "stain block" is just LOL
most stain block even say on them
will not prevent stains caused by water damage unless the fault has been eradicated and the substrate allowed to dry.
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her landlord is having a laugh!
It's worse than those landlords that paint over mould....
 
mattyfez said:
They need to give notice of access, preferably at a mutually convenient time. Unless an emergency such as flood or insecure premises.. I don't think damp would qualify.

In reality there not a massive amount you can do, but when you do move, make sure you with hold the last months rent because it sounds like they definitely will try to keep the deposit.
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Notice of access was given for them to "survey" my mother wanted to be there and asked whether it could be changed they said they would be there whether she was or not. As per the contract they have right to enter but nothing to do with work done without authorization.

Literally all they did is paint the wall the same color as the rest of the wall. Th amount of wall they painted is akin to 3 sheets of A4 paper.
 
If it's damp, it is his responsibility

If its mould, then you can wipe it off with a damp cloth. If you failed to do this and went complaining to him about "damp" asking him to fix it, you can see why he wants you to pay as you are too lazy to look after it yourself.

I have a tenant who refuses to open windows and the place is covered in mould.. i pleaded with her to wipe it down, and she said she didnt have time (unemployed)... i then licked my finger and brushed it down the wall to show how easily it would come off, she then went on a rant about how her deposit was there to pay for the cleaning when she left....
 
Showboat said:
If it's damp, it is his responsibility

If its mould, then you can wipe it off with a damp cloth. If you failed to do this and went complaining to him about "damp" asking him to fix it, you can see why he wants you to pay as you are too lazy to look after it yourself.

I have a tenant who refuses to open windows and the place is covered in mould.. i pleaded with her to wipe it down, and she said she didnt have time (unemployed)... i then licked my finger and brushed it down the wall to show how easily it would come off, she then went on a rant about how her deposit was there to pay for the cleaning when she left....
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We wiped mould off, I and her clean the house every day or other day we are OCD like that. I dont like to live in horrible environments I would not let things fester like that.

Please do not compare me to an unemployed potatoe I deal with them everyday at work.

As I said above we wiped the mould off the damp was what we obviously couldn't get rid of no matter what was involved.


Either way he undertook work without our approval and as far as I am aware he cannot do this. Also those over inflated costs are just :eek:
 
Allnamestaken said:
and im inexperianced in this
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Which is why I asked you what you had done with all the advice from the other thread. If you are a bit out of your depth then don't stress but people need to know what you have and have not done otherwise we end up with the same good suggestions being made and not implemented.

Go back to the old thread and say what you have done with the advice from it. You need a degree of ammunition to fight this - I remember that thread you had some really good advice in there. What did you do with it so we know what to tell you.
 
Speak to shelter, they offer preliminary legal advice.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/complaints_and_legal_action/advice_and_representation

Also this

Landlord's responsibilities

Your landlord cannot pass on responsibility for their legal repair obligations by putting clauses in your tenancy agreement.

Depending upon the type of tenancy you have, your landlord will be responsible for most major repairs, for example to:

the structure and exterior of the building, such as the walls, roof, external doors and windows (but not necessarily the garden area)
some common areas, such as entrance halls and drying areas
sinks, baths, toilets and other sanitary fittings, including pipes and drains
heating and hot water
all gas appliances (eg gas cooker, water heater, gas fire)
pipes, chimneys, flues and ventilation
electrical wiring and some electrical appliances
Your landlord is also legally responsible for keeping gas and electrical appliances in safe working order, and arranging for an annual gas safety inspection to be carried out by a registered Gas Safe engineer on all the gas installations and appliances provided by the landlord. (The tenant is responsible for making sure any appliances they own are in good safe working order.)

Landlords also have an obligation to ensure that your home is free from any hazards that could affect the health and safety you and your family.

Your landlord is also responsible for putting right any damage to internal decorations that are caused by repair problems or while repairs were being carried out.

Your landlord will not be responsible for problems he is not aware of.

Once told about a problem, it is the landlord's responsibility to start repairs/maintenance within a reasonable time
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http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_a...s_in_rented_homes_-_whos_responsible_for_what
 
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Realistically I would be looking for another rent ASAP, not paying the invoice and withholding final payment.

It's a bit naughty but the landlord sounds like a right sort, and you have to look out for your own interests, and this way you'll hold all the cards. Final months rent in lieu of bond, and he can whistle for the invoice, which sounds grossly overestimated based on what you've said and probably aren't liable for any way.
 
Xordium said:
Which is why I asked you what you had done with all the advice from the other thread. If you are a bit out of your depth then don't stress but people need to know what you have and have not done otherwise we end up with the same good suggestions being made and not implemented.

Go back to the old thread and say what you have done with the advice from it. You need a degree of ammunition to fight this - I remember that thread you had some really good advice in there. What did you do with it so we know what to tell you.
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I will have a look back at that tonight and post back here fast. The damp is not a problem at the moment has not been for months the work done was literally a paint job that was all.

Also guys what would constitute "REAL" evidence of a tenant causing damp.
 
mattyfez said:
Realistically I would be looking for another rent ASAP, not paying the invoice and withholding final payment.

It's a bit naughty but the landlord sounds like a right sort, and you have to look out for your own interests, and this way you'll hold all the cards. Final months rent in lieu of bond, and he can whistle for the invoice, which sounds grossly overestimated based on what you've said and probably aren't liable for any way.
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In response to that you are right in your thinking but as far as I know we are contracted and would have to pay out the remainder of the contract to leave would we not.

Forgive my ignorance.
 
I don't think it's possible to cause damp, other that if you were to build a wall outside and fill it up with water. A tenant could cause mould to form on the walls but as said earlier this just wipes off.
 
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