Renting woes

[SueEllen]

This is the issue, I have been to a lawyer and the same conclusions where reached RE habitablity and the next step is to get a definition of "habitable" from LLord and LAgent

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Off course the landlord and letting agent are going to say the flat is habitable they want your money. Don't bother talking to them.

Contact Shelter for advice www.shelter.org.uk and you can, if you or your missus has time, see if your local council has a tenancy relations officer and talk to them.

When you talk to them tell them the missus has breathing difficulties due to the amount of dust in the place.

Personally I would take nice photographs on my digital camera of the state of the property and take a nice photo of the dog. Ensure the date and time stamp on the camera is correct and take some close ups of some of the mess.

Also start sending emails and/or letters to the letting agent and landlord asking them to sort the mess out, keeping copies. Don't just do it on the telephone as you may need the evidence later.

Then after ensuring the landlord lives in the place they actually say they do and owns that property, I would get the solicitor to write a letter to them informing them that if the rental property was not habitable within a month due to the number of people and animals in the property the contract would be terminated and they would have to pay back the rent plus deposit.

After the time limit the contract would be terminated and if the landlord refused to pay up, I would chase them in the courts for the money.

[Mehmeh]

Surely they have accepted that it isn't habitable, since they are paying for you to live somewhere else??? Otherwise they would have just got the builders in and told you to stop moaning.

I would take that stand for sure.