landlord issue

S

hi everyone
I am in need of some advice please
I asked my landlord for a bed (before moving in), this was asked through the agency,
he apparently agreed

it has been already 5 months and no news from the landlord (or the bed!)

the real estate lady is really nice about it, telling me she will call or email the landlord, but then the week passes, and nothing happens.

If I stop paying rent (because he has not sent me a bed!) I will receive bad credit upon myself.
I continue to pay rent and there is no bed.
If this is the case, then a tenant is always at the losing end.

Is it possible for the landlord to agree to something in the beginning, and then change his mind about it and keep quiet and ignore all calls/email from the real estate agency?

What else can I do?

thanks love satchi

Avatar for sneaks

where are you sleeping!? you need a bed Satchi!

THis happened to a friend of mine too - I guess they can do it.

I would buy a bed for yourself on the understanding that you can take it when you leave, or he will pay you a % of the value.

S

hi sneaks
I am sleeping on the floor on my duvet

I dont think the landlord will pay me anything if I leave a bed behind when I leave

I wish he had said no in the beginning; then I wouldn't be waiting

I feel like a beggar every time I go see the real estate lady; begging for a bed

love satchi

S

I was hoping that there is some little law somewhere that says the landlord has to keep his promise (!)
because Im keeping mine and my rent is always paid on time
and I keep the place nice and clean....
:-(
still no bed satchi

T

Hmm, it's tricky, if he didn't put that provision of the bed in writing it's hard to prove, but then if the agency are following it up, they must acknowledge it's part of the agreement. I don't think your real estate lady is as nice as she's making out, nice would be getting you something to sleep on! I'd tell her that the bed was part of the agreement and that if the landlord doesn't provide one within the next fortnioght then you'll either have to buy one yourself and deduct it from the rent, or you'll terminate the contract and move eslewhere. Ideally phone her and follow up with an email so you have it in writing (remember to put a read-receipt on the email if you can). If that doesn't give them a kick up the behind....

Also, it maye not apply where you are, but if your university has an approved landlords list you could make sure this guy is blacklisted so no other students get taken advantage of.

T

You shouldn't be begging Satchi! You're a customer, not a servant! Don't ask the agency for a bed, demand it! After all, they're getting a cut of your money precisely to sort this stuff out. If they have a busy office you could even threaten to stay there crying in front of their customers until they fix it 8-)

Avatar for sneaks

what Teek said

Avatar for Batfink27

You do need a bed! That's not good at all!

Unfortunately landlords do manage to get away with lots of things - they shouldn't, but they do! When I moved into my current flat 8 months ago the cooker needed fixing, and I kept on and on at them, phoning them constantly about it, and they finally came to fix it three weeks ago. Gah! Nasty horrible money-grabbing landlords!

Some landlords won't do what they promise no matter how often you ask, but if it's through an agency the agency should be able to influence them, because it's no good for the agency if they start getting a bad name for not delivering on their promises.

Do you have anything in writing about the bed? If so (or even of not, though it's more likely if you have something in writing) you may be able to get other people to put some pressure on for you. The Students' Union is one option, but another option is to go to your local councillor and see what they can do for you. You can usually find out who your councillor is on the local council website - it all depends which street etc you live on, but they should represent you and often a quiet word from them can get things unjammed surprisingly quickly!

Good luck!

J

Citizen's Advice Bureau can help with tenant's rights and also with credit ratings.

I think the fact that it has gone on for so long doesn't help.  Do you have any written records (copies of letters sent to / from the agency)?

You cannot sleep on the floor. Can you tell them that you will buy a bed and withhold that amount it cost you from the next months rent?

S

hi teek
thanks for writing me
how would I get his name under the list of university approved landlords if I got this place through an agent?

the provision of "bed" is listed in the item inventory as "delivered by landlord on 3/2/10".
how good is that?

the problem is that I am still not able to deduct anything for the cost of a bed from my rent.

so it still comes to the same thing, I keep paying rent, and the landlord breaks his promise
what else can I do
love satchi

S

wow thank you so much for your replies
I didn't know about my local councillor or that I could go to the citizen's aid bureau
I should do that

love satchi

S

I dont have copies of email to the agency.
Because I used to walk there every week and see the same lady, and then the week passes
and nothing happens.
I only have my tenancy agreement and the item inventory list.

I think I will check who is the local councillor for this area; hopefully go for their ward surgery meeting or something.
love satchi

S

dont' know how to explain it,
but I still feel like a beggar :-(
don't know how to get rid of this feeling :-(
any suggestions
love satchi

Avatar for sneaks

1) Go see the agents, with the piece of paper that says the bed was supposed to be there in February (don't let them take it unless you have a copy)

2) Tell them that you will be taking the price of a bed out of the next months rent and get them to agree that this will not affect your credit history.

If they don't agree to this, then start looking for a new place.

S

ok sneaks
thanks
I need to pull myself together first
love satchi

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