Hi,
TLDR; flat on top of a commercial kitchen has no working fire alarms and no safety certificates - need advice.
So i live in a previously unlicensed HMO(that’s a whole another story which i’ve shared here before). The previous agency company on rent-to-rent dissolved after the launch of council investigation - which is still ongoing.
The new agency, which isn’t actually new and they were in an arrangement with the old guys in some way according to them, provided section 3 last month stating the interest of this property is now vested on the superior landlord and managed by this agency.
I’m an international student so i wasn’t aware of my rights and the regulations but i’m learning as i go on. Anyway, so the house never had working fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. There’s also no gas and electrical certificates. Upon asking for these fixes before we formally begin our new tenancy they say that they need rent to cover these fixes. After doing some research and with the help of AI i told them that category 1 hazards aren’t conditional on rent and are required by law to be fixed urgently. I then paid rent out of goodwill but they have been stalling for a week by providing a non responsive contractor and just lack of responses in general.
I have documented everything and keep our conversations to email. There are two of us left here and i’m pretty sure the rent we pay combined is still on par with the market value, especially given the condition of the property. This new agency seems just as shady as the last one. There’s a guy coming this saturday but i’m sure he’ll just be here to report the situation back to the agency and will not be a certified professional. I should also note that we haven’t applied for RRO as justicefortenants advised it would be difficult as the company has dissolved. The agency also subtly implied that they are seeking arrears for the 3 months the property was unmanaged and was still an HMO. Isn’t that a contradiction for the fact that they disclaim responsibility for the past breaches but claim to be entitled for that rent? If i do pay those arrears, wouldn’t this agency/superior landlord then be implicated in the unlicensed HMO situation? Oh also, they haven’t provided the RRA guide yet and i’m sure they won’t as they have no understanding of their responsibilities as a landlord. Our deposit was also never protected.
Where do i stand in this situation? Am i being difficult? what to do next?