Updating post from Reddit.
As a Landlord……
Fxxk him. Go for him with everything you’ve got.
Txxts like him give us all a bad name.
Seconded.
Millionthed. These landlords are the cause of all our troubles as landlords. Go for his metaphorical throat, sue him for every penny.
Thirded. Believe it or not, the council are quite hard to shock. (They get all sorts ….including their own housing associations 🤣). If theyve advised, having insoected and seen the evidence then absolutely proceed. This behaviour will merely continue with the next tenants otherwise. Good luck.
What more are you looking for here? I thought the overall consensus was reasonable; take the Council up on their offer because at the very least that's what the LL deserves and start looking for somewhere else to live just in case.
I felt it was a little biased when I only asked other tenants.
Yep already on the lookout for other properties but there is very little available in my area at the minute 😞
As a landlord and as others have mentioned ; fuck him.
As a lawyer (retired) be cautious of both the financial and mental costs of pursuing a contentious matter.
Yes it seems the local authority is going to support you through this but frankly in my experience I don’t trust them as far as I can throw them.
I don’t want this to put you off doing what is right and pursue the landlord but equally have boundaries in place and an idea of what goal posts you want to achieve (/an exit plan).
Unfortunately what is right doesn’t always weigh heavily in litigation. You may find the courts rule in a favour which doesn’t reflect your own moralities, the council may drop out of supporting you (I find this likely) and the landlord may defend themself in ways you don’t suspect such as counter claims, dragging the matter out, appeals, getting evidence dismissed, trying to place undue pressure on you etc.
Take him to the cleaners. We need to make examples out of shitty landlords.
LL sounds like a piece of work. Do what’s right for you but ensure the council are able to keep you safe throughout this
Fair play getting all points of view. But anybody can see you should pursue this. Nobody should be treated that way, and no landlord should act that way. This type of behaviour is what highlights the need for tighter regulation, which nobody wants as rents will just go up. Instead, let’s get rid of scummy landlords like this, and the only way to do so is if people like yourself follow through with things like this .
more regulation in a LL thread??
OP if it was me I’d litigate, but you need to weigh up a moral victory vs’ how much of your time and peace of mind it is going to cost you.
Yes get the council to prosecute him.
Are you seriously saying you were without hot water for over two years?
How much do you value personal peace vs being proven right and the possible rent back payment?
If you sue your LL the case could go on for ages and you won't be able to move on until it concludes. Is it worth it for you? I don't know the details, Indont know how likely your claim is to succeed, how much money you're talking about and how big of a difference that would make to you. But it needs to be worth it to dwell on it for however long it takes.
The council suggestion seems entirely sensible, if the evidence shows what you claim (sorry, slight cynicism here as some tenants do not always tell the truth!) You may also want to consider making a criminal complaint and allowing the police / CPS to review the evidence too.
However, the council may also condemn the building as being unfit for habitation, meaning you will have to leave fast. Start finding somewhere else ASAP.
You should take legal action. Remember a lot of good landlords are going to be on your side for many reasons.
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What these people do can affect legislation that can in turn harms a good landlords income
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Good landlords dont like seeing people ripped off anymore than a tenant, theyre people at the end of the day and it makes it much harder for them to run a property.
And its like that with anything. I used to work at PC World (shh) and I was not a good salesman but I was in college and knew my product - but the amount of horrible people I had to deal with because other PC worlds or salesman had mugged people off, it made it worse for me to help them (they stopped commission many years before so I had nothing to gain by overselling things people didnt need)
Even if you don’t want to do this for yourself, do it for the next people this scum bag might end up renting to.
Follow council. They are the legal backing you need.
Why would you bother about him and his fam when they intentionally kept looking to harm you? Do everyone a favor and go after him.
Jeeesus, I can't sleep if my tenants lose hot water for 24hrs.
The landlord is a criminal, he has taken your payment for accommodation which comes with basic rights, and not provided the service. It is theft.