Can we end tenancy early due to these problems?

mirri2h

Hi all, this is my first post here, apologies if it's a bit long.

Last November, a friend and I rented an apartment that was advertised as ready to live in. When we came in we noticed that some doors didn't close (including the main bathroom door), there were some cables hanging from the wall where lights or outlets should've been, and the property had no security aside from one guy patrolling outside, but whose job does not include security inside the building as well.

A couple months ago, one of the apartments here got burgled. Landlord did nothing despite the outcry, and sure enough one week later two more apartments on the same floor got burgled, one of which was ours. After much back and forth, we finally got CCTV in the building, but our entrance door is still flimsy (the whole frame would have to be replaced at this point, a few good kicks could knock the whole thing down), and the individual alarms that we were promised were never installed.

To top it off, we have constant leaks from the boiler and pipes in the floors and walls, appliances keep breaking down (the latest being a leaky dishwasher), and lately we've started seeing mice in our kitchen and bathroom and hearing them scurry around at night. You can imagine how disturbing that is.

The landlord has referred us to the foreman on the premises every single time, and the foreman has been reasonably helpful when dealing with most of these problems. Still, every time something gets fixed, something else happens or something breaks down.

My question is this: Given all of the above, are these reasonable grounds for us to end our tenancy early?

hanna200

tbh not really and i would put it as follows:

- doors didn't close, cables hanging from the wall where lights or outlets should've been - report this to landlord to rectify the issue, assuming you allow him/her to organize repairs

- apartments/houses may get burgled (unfortunately) - this isn't landlords fault
- the whole frame would have to be replaced at this point - it depends as it is your own opinion, again report it to landlord and give appropriate time to respond.
- leaks from the boiler and pipes in the floors and walls - report it to landlord and let him/her to deal with it

- we've started seeing mice in our kitchen and bathroom - mice will be present where food is easily accessible, so what you need to do is:
block entry ports to the apartment, install mesh type screens on the vents, and remove food residues, make sure you keep apartment clean and tidy.

Todd Toddington III

Talk to the ptrb or a solicitor

hanna200

@todd-
culture in this country is funny, with the smallest problem people don't know how to talk and run crying for help to solicitors... if she is unhappy let her draft a letter to landlord to rectify the issues, allow appropriate time and then if not rectified contact whoever she wants.

newacc2015

You took the property in the current condition. Having a few loose wires and a faulty bathroom door are not grounds for breaking a lease. I dont know if you are non-national, as security is the not norm in apartments/housing developments unless they are student accommodation.

What exactly were you expecting the LL to do with break ins? A break in is not the fault of a LL

Appliances break. What are you expecting the LL to do? Replace all of them so they dont break down during the term of your tenancy? Unless the LL isnt replacing them, it is not an cause for breaking a lease. Expect the foreman has been fixing issues. What more do you expect from the LL exactly?

The mice are being caused by you. If didnt have food in the place, you wouldnt have mice. You need to empty your bin regularly and store food in lunch boxes

None of the above are grounds for breaking a lease. Things break, you just need to get on with it. The fact is if you move, things will break down there too. You just need to get realistic expectations. You are blaming the landlord for things out of his control.

Todd Toddington III

hanna200 wrote:

@todd- culture in this country is funny, with the smallest problem people don't know how to talk and run crying for help to solicitors... if she is unhappy let her draft a letter to landlord to rectify the issues, allow appropriate time and then if not rectified contact whoever she wants.

If they want to know where they legally stand re the problems, talk to a solicitor or ptrb, what exactly is wrong with that?

davo10

Todd Toddington III wrote: »

If they want to know where they legally stand re the problems, talk to a solicitor or ptrb, what exactly is wrong with that?

Common sense, if you want to hang a picture, you don't need to hit the nail with a sledgehammer to put it in, a small hammer will do

hanna200

Todd Toddington III wrote: »

If they want to know where they legally stand re the problems, talk to a solicitor or ptrb, what exactly is wrong with that?

at so early stage there is no need to above if the landlord:

agrees to the repairs or agrees to allow them to move

My point is that people should talk to each other first, and there are letters too to put requests in writing.

We (adults) don's ask our mommy/daddy to do our daily shopping or dishes, we are expected to be able to communicate at certain standard (unless some of us thinks differently)

mahamageehad

While I agree that the OP is being a bit unreasonable as things seem to be being fixed, just wanted to comment on the mice thing. In an apartment block sealing off your own food may not be enough, you're relying on everyone else to do it too. There is a possibility that's not the op's fault. Not the landlords either though.

mirri2h

Thanks for the replies, everyone. It really helps to put things in perspective, since this is the first time renting for both of us.