Warped floor boards

nermal15

I'm renting an apartment that seems to be cursed with the amount of things that have gone wrong in the two months I've been here. Nearly three weeks ago, a leak appeared from the upstairs apartment into two rooms in my place- the spare bedroom and the sitting room. The carpet in the spare room was sopping and caused a pretty vile smell. I've since used a dehumidifier to dry out the room and it's not as bad.

The real issue is in the sitting room- I have a timber floor and the floorboards have completely warped. There is essentially a huge hill running down the centre of the room.

I have obviously informed the letting agent of the whole issue and have sent pictures etc but they have been slow to move on the issue, I feel. They sent a plumber to find the cause of the leak but I have yet to get his report. All that was said about the floor, after a lot of prodding, was that it would have to be claimed through the property insurance.

Basically I'm wondering what is a timely manner for a problem like this to be dealt with? I feel like I'm being left in the lurch. I've been advised by family to tell them I'll have to move out if they don't sort it soon but I think that's fairly drastic. However, there is no way they could re-let the apartment in its current state if I were to move out because it looks horrendous. Thoughts appreciated!

davo10

nermal15 wrote: »

I'm renting an apartment that seems to be cursed with the amount of things that have gone wrong in the two months I've been here. Nearly three weeks ago, a leak appeared from the upstairs apartment into two rooms in my place- the spare bedroom and the sitting room. The carpet in the spare room was sopping and caused a pretty vile smell. I've since used a dehumidifier to dry out the room and it's not as bad.

The real issue is in the sitting room- I have a timber floor and the floorboards have completely warped. There is essentially a huge hill running down the centre of the room.

I have obviously informed the letting agent of the whole issue and have sent pictures etc but they have been slow to move on the issue, I feel. They sent a plumber to find the cause of the leak but I have yet to get his report. All that was said about the floor, after a lot of prodding, was that it would have to be claimed through the property insurance.

Basically I'm wondering what is a timely manner for a problem like this to be dealt with? I feel like I'm being left in the lurch. I've been advised by family to tell them I'll have to move out if they don't sort it soon but I think that's fairly drastic. However, there is no way they could re-let the apartment in its current state if I were to move out because it looks horrendous. Thoughts appreciated!

This is probably taking time because the damage was caused by the apartment above. They have to get on to their insurers and get it assessed. If your LL goes ahead and spends a lot on getting wood floor/carpet/ceiling replaced without the owner above agreeing to cover it, your LL is left in the lurch.

Be aware, if you live in an area of high demand, the LL may be happy enough for you to leave, the renovations will be done, he gets compensation from insurance and the apartment goes back on the market at a higher rate while you have to look for another home.

claimshandler

Hi Nermal15, I agree with your family's suggestion about threatening to move out. This would certainly get your LL moving with getting damage sorted.

Re insurance claim, your LL should report the claim to his insurers as quickly as possible as failure to report the claim immediately on notification could jeopardise postion. There are some insurers out there that would refuse the claim if they thought it wasnt reported straight away.

With "escape of water" claims the important thing to remember regarding damage is being able to identify the obvious damage as well as the hidden damage/damage that may not show up for a few weeks or months, so make sure a full thorough inspection is done on your apartment.

Hope this helps in getting your LL to move things on

tradesman

Hello Nermal15,

You should let your LL / Letting Agent know of the problem straight away. AFAIK you can take photos of all the damage & you can dispose of the carpet (keep a small section for confirmation of quality purposes) You shouldn't have to live with the smell! Your LL should contact an insurance assessor (not loss adjuster) who will work for him & he will also let you know if you have any claim for damage to your property.

Don't sit back, keep onto the Letting Agent / LL otherwise these things tend to drag on. Hope you get it sorted soon.

davo10

tradesman wrote: »

Hello Nermal15,

You should let your LL / Letting Agent know of the problem straight away. AFAIK you can take photos of all the damage & you can dispose of the carpet (keep a small section for confirmation of quality purposes) You shouldn't have to live with the smell! Your LL should contact an insurance assessor (not loss adjuster) who will work for him & he will also let you know if you have any claim for damage to your property.

Don't sit back, keep onto the Letting Agent / LL otherwise these things tend to drag on. Hope you get it sorted soon.

Do not dispose of the carpet, it may be damaged but it is not yours. It is the owner of the apartment above who is liable for the damage, not your land lord.

nermal15

I have been giving my letting agent (I don't deal with my landlord) all the details and they have yet to offer any real assistance. I emailed twice last week and received no response. Feeling quite fed up at this stage.

seagull

If it's really unpleasant, contact the letting agent, and tell them that the apartment is not fit to be lived in, and you'll need to check into a hotel at their expense until it's resolved. You should also look to get the expense of the dehumidifier back from them.

newacc2015

nermal15 wrote: »

I have been giving my letting agent (I don't deal with my landlord) all the details and they have yet to offer any real assistance. I emailed twice last week and received no response. Feeling quite fed up at this stage.

Im sorry but IMO you have unrealistic expectations. You are expecting a plumbing report and all the info on what happened etc. Why should you get one ? Its not your apartment and you arent entitled to it. You are expecting the landlord to refurb the place while you live in it? That isnt possible for health and safety reasons.

The only thing I think you can expect from the landlord is an eviction notice for refurbishment.