Tenant Landlord dispute

[joek210185]

Hello,

Ive recently been renting a house for a few months, there where lots of things wrong with it, toilet wasnt working, no water, just general bad upkeep of the building.

The landlord had recently purchased it and done it up himself, obviously just trying to make a quick few ££'s, anyway most of these things have been sorted now but i still didnt move into the property despite paying a few months rent.

I had to leave my furniture in a hold as i didnt want it in a place where i was unable to go to the toilet or have a shower!! i also couldnt attach a washing machine due to the water problems.

Then to my utter disbelief, i stay over one night and can just hear lots of scratching an running....yes....rats....big fat rats underneath the house. Now i informed the letting agent who duely sent out an exterminator, he came a few times, the problem died down untill, hundereds of flies over every single window in the house. I was not living there of course and to show how bad it was, another neighbour phoned the police as she thought there might have been a dead body in there!

Now there is no way they (the rats) have only just got there and after seeing a neighbour in the street they informed me they have been there since before i moved in. What i want to know is do i have a case to terminate my lease and reclaim my deposit?

As far as im aware the lady across the road phoned the Environmental Health, they came round and said it needs fumigating before anybody moves in, i wasnt told!

I just want to know where i legally stand as the landlord has told me (throught the letting agent of course) that we can cancel the last 3 months of the lease, but hes keeping my deposit?

I dont see how he can do this as the house is inhabitible and im just looking for where i stand in a legal sence, any help would be aprechiated

Thanks.

[www.infoebookstore.co.uk]

I thought that legally the letting agent or someone similar has to hold the deposit now. I think it depends when you started the let though.

I would suggest that the letting agent has some responsibility in this case. If they are a reputable company they should help you out, but at the end of the day it is the landlord who pays for them.

Do you have a letting agreement? It should make sure the Landlord maintains the property in a habitable state.

Sorry I can't advise legally, but as a Landlord, I must say this sort of thing is just not on.

Good luck sorting it out.

Jim

[joek210185]

Yes Jim the deposit is in with a holding company, but what i need to know is am i en-tiltled to my deposit/and or any monies back as the building isn't in a habitable state, and as far as I'm aware, wasn't when i very first moved in.

Do you think it would be an idea to get the neighbour who first called the Environmental Health to give me a statement or something stating she did see problems before or just as i moved in?

thanks

Joe