09 Mar 2015

A question about : My Rights as a Tenant

Hi Guys,

Here's the suitation I've been living in my council flat for 2 years, and since day number one my flat has got serious damp coming in via the roof. I've reported it to the council so many times, and they just come back and say it condensation. But now I've literally got water dripping down off the ceiling in my Living Room - Kitchen and Bed room. The other night I was sleeping, and I was woke up half way through the night with water dripping onto my face.

I scrumped and saved a few months ago to decorate my flat to try and make it a better enviroment but everything is ruined. The damp has destroyed everything in my flat including my clothes and furniture, water has dripped down from my ceiling in the living room onto my tv and now it not working. The same thing has happened in my kitchen and my cook has blown from water damage. In a nut shell what are my rights guys, and how can I claim back some of my money.

I've given up on getting the council to sort the problem out because they just make excuses, I'm looking at moving into a private accommodation in the next few months because living in a damp flat for 2 years has also caused me health issues chest wise.

Here is a list of the things that's been damaged - Carpets - Plasma TV - Cooker - Clothes - Furniture inlcuding Sofa's

Any advice guys would be apprecaited Michelle

Best answers:

  • Don't move from your council flat, if you do and rent privately you could end up moving every 6 months, go back to the council and demand a fix. By the way, scrumping can get you in serious trouble.
  • Hi thanks for the response. Ill take your advice, but all my personal goods have been damaged due to the damp am I within my rights to claim back a loss for everything. And I meant to say scrimping and saving not scrumping which I think is another word for something illegal. Thanks michelle
  • Claim on your contents insurance.
  • I dont have insurance
  • is it damp? Or a leak?
  • Water dripping from the ceiling sounds like extreme condensation! But a leaky roof would not normally come in several rooms so that doesn't make sense either. Back to basics:
    - Are you air drying laundry indoors?
    - Are you closing the door and opening the window during AND after showering?
    - Are you opening all the windows every day year round?
    - Have you tried using an electric dehumidifier? If the water has been building up for some time simple ventilation may not be enough.
    Have you been reporting this to your landlord in writing? Contact Environmental Health at the local council and emphasise your health issues, they should come and inspect and enforce repairing obligations on the landlord if there is a leaky roof or encourage them to improve ventilation if there is no sign of a fault with the roof. Contents insurance for damaged possessions - this really is not expensive and it is your responsibility.
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