Structural Damage??

Quinnie007

Hey guys having awful problems with a useless landlord and need some advice, apologies for the length of the post.
I think there are some signs of structural problems in our apartment; there is rising damp in the cupboard beside the chimney the plaster is very wet, and the floors are very uneven all over the house.
The landlord blames the quality of the wooden floors but it looks more like the concrete underneath is uneven as there is no gaps between the wood and the floor where it peaks, there is also visible gaps between the skirting and the tiles in the other rooms.
The original house is 100 years old with an extension which was added at a later date and rebuilt a few years ago. It is split into apartments, our apartment is at the back so half is in the old part and the other in the new part.
The last tenants had a leak in the shower, they did not report it and tried to fix it themselves; I am not sure how long it was left but there is a very bad mould problem and some plaster damage as a result of it. Could this have caused structural damage?
The landlord said it is impossible that this would have caused any damage because the foundations in that part of the house are new and water proofed. There would be nowhere for the water to go, and the two parts of the apartment should be looked at as a separate entity; the chimney would not effect the new part and the bathroom would not effect the old part.
I also discovered ants in the hotpress, there was weird gravel stuff and I cleaned it up it up a few days later there was another dustpan full of it, they also come out under a door jam where the old part of the house meets the new. I put poison down it did not help. Could they have damaged the waterproof layer?
A few fixtures have fallen off the walls for no apparent reason and there is paint peeling off the walls in some rooms.
Am I reading to much into these things or should I get a surveyor in, I have asked the landlord to send a professional around but he keeps coming round himself. We are only here 2months having awful problems since we moved in with the mould and damp. And while the landlord is quick to respond nothing ever gets sorted.
Thanks

edellc

Put a call into the environmental health officer they will come out assess the situation and order the landlord to fix the issues

Do not get a surveyor its not your property its the landlords issue and he will not reimburse you from the sounds of him

If all else fails look for somewhere else to live, if he wont give back the deposit you can either go to the PRTB once your out and start a claim or just dont pay the rent for a month then you have your deposit back...its not the proper way to go about things but sometimes the only way to make a shoddy landlord actually do something is to hit them where it hurts most..their pockets

Quinnie007

Thanks edel,
We called them up already they will have no problem getting involved but that will take time we had to send a letter to the landlord and give them reasonable time to respnd etc.
He called around today with a dehumidifier and told me to wash the stuff that was destroyed! Arsewipe. :mad: laptops arent washable!!
Any how I know all my rights and their obligations etc what I don't know is if the signs point to structural damage if they do I would have no problem paying if it would speed up the process.

Pkiernan

Why would you stay in such a place?

I'd be moving out if I were in your situation.

edellc

Thats all well and good Quinnie but pay nothing, so what if it speeds up the process its is not your responsibility and you will not be reimbursed for it and then you will be posting a thread on here asking how to recoup your money?? and the PRTB takes years to come to a conclusion and it can then take years for it to go to court its a nightmare avoid at all costs.

Seriously consider moving out, the only way these rogue landlords will learn is if we as tenants dont take this crap and leave, yes its a inconvenience to you and as I said if you dont want to through PRTB fighting for your deposit back just dont pay the fecker rent he will get the message...its not nice as its not how any of us like to do business but rogue landlords deserve what they get

Ask yourself can you afford to replace all your clothes as I know from experience that mould does not wash out, laptops cannot be washed and your health is not replaceable either, dampness causes illness, lung infections, the black spores are dangerous...also what happens if it is structural can you make a claim when your dead from the roof falling in on you?? Think of the bigger picture, you are your priority not the landlords property or finances