Problems with Private Halls
I am currently renting a room in a private halls in London. I have had many problems with the accommodation providers right from the start.
I have had cockroaches and mice in my room (photos for evidence). The staff have entered my room on numerous occasions without my consent, I have verbally confronted them on the issue and they are unable to justify their actions. In addition they have arranged viewings of my room and non emergency maintenance without giving me 24 hours notice (emails for evidence). I have had an item stolen from my room during one of this unauthorised entrances (reported to police)
My room was advertised as being ensuite, but I actually have to share my bathroom with the management so it is definitely not ensuite. I have been speaking to other people in the accommodation and it turns out that after I had reserved the room and been told that it was no longer on the market. The providers still continued to do viewings of the room and told perspective tenants that my room was available, only to then turn around and tell them it had been sold once they tried to reserve it. I have also checked online and found that some of the rooms in the premise do not comply with the HMO license. In addition the residents are told to turn off the fire alarm when it goes off without checking the rooms.
In terms of evidence I have no way of proving they entered my room without notice while I was out, but I am aware they did because items in my room were moved. I also have emails that prove that other tenants were shown my room after it was taken off the market.The room is still advertised as ensuite online, which I have screenshots of for reference.
To further this I received multiple copies of the contract to sign as adjustments kept being made. Admittedly I rather stupidly signed a blank page at the end of the contract, which I now regret. The contract is a fixed term contract but due to Covid-19 I want to end my contract early. I've tried to compromise with the landlord but they reply by sending me the contract.
It is clear that the signature page does not match the contract, the format of the signature page is different to the rest of the document and is incorrectly numbered. This is because the landlord has just inserted my signature at the end of the contract. In addition there is a one letter error in the postcode of the premise on the contract.
Is there anything I can do about this situation? I want to terminate my fixed term contract. The landlord has breached the contract on many occasions and with the final signature page being added in, I'm not sure where I stand.
Many thanks and advice much appreciated
I have had cockroaches and mice in my room (photos for evidence). The staff have entered my room on numerous occasions without my consent, I have verbally confronted them on the issue and they are unable to justify their actions. In addition they have arranged viewings of my room and non emergency maintenance without giving me 24 hours notice (emails for evidence). I have had an item stolen from my room during one of this unauthorised entrances (reported to police)
My room was advertised as being ensuite, but I actually have to share my bathroom with the management so it is definitely not ensuite. I have been speaking to other people in the accommodation and it turns out that after I had reserved the room and been told that it was no longer on the market. The providers still continued to do viewings of the room and told perspective tenants that my room was available, only to then turn around and tell them it had been sold once they tried to reserve it. I have also checked online and found that some of the rooms in the premise do not comply with the HMO license. In addition the residents are told to turn off the fire alarm when it goes off without checking the rooms.
In terms of evidence I have no way of proving they entered my room without notice while I was out, but I am aware they did because items in my room were moved. I also have emails that prove that other tenants were shown my room after it was taken off the market.The room is still advertised as ensuite online, which I have screenshots of for reference.
To further this I received multiple copies of the contract to sign as adjustments kept being made. Admittedly I rather stupidly signed a blank page at the end of the contract, which I now regret. The contract is a fixed term contract but due to Covid-19 I want to end my contract early. I've tried to compromise with the landlord but they reply by sending me the contract.
It is clear that the signature page does not match the contract, the format of the signature page is different to the rest of the document and is incorrectly numbered. This is because the landlord has just inserted my signature at the end of the contract. In addition there is a one letter error in the postcode of the premise on the contract.
Is there anything I can do about this situation? I want to terminate my fixed term contract. The landlord has breached the contract on many occasions and with the final signature page being added in, I'm not sure where I stand.
Many thanks and advice much appreciated
Original post by Evelyn34
Buy a cctv camera, install it in the room and that is your evidence to prove that they enter without permission. You don't need to tell them you bought it. You can buy one of them devices that has a hidden camera in it
I was going to do this as soon as I was aware they were doing it. But everybody I spoke to warned me not to as it would become very awkward if they spotted the camera. I've emailed them to tell them of all the breaches and they haven't replied.
Original post by OwlOfFire
I was going to do this as soon as I was aware they were doing it. But everybody I spoke to warned me not to as it would become very awkward if they spotted the camera. I've emailed them to tell them of all the breaches and they haven't replied.
Like I said get something that has the camera HIDDEN. And also where you made the mistake. You shouldnt have told them you should have got one and not told them. Because now you have put them on notice and they wont do it again, where as if you kept your mouth quiet about the camera and got one that was hidden (like I said) they wouldnt have known and you would've got your evidence there.
Original post by Evelyn34
Like I said get something that has the camera HIDDEN. And also where you made the mistake. You shouldnt have told them you should have got one and not told them. Because now you have put them on notice and they wont do it again, where as if you kept your mouth quiet about the camera and got one that was hidden (like I said) they wouldnt have known and you would've got your evidence there.
I never told the people who work there I was thinking of getting a camera. Other people warned me if I got a camera I would have to legally put up a sign to say CCTV was in operation otherwise the evidence would not be legally obtained
Original post by OwlOfFire
I never told the people who work there I was thinking of getting a camera. Other people warned me if I got a camera I would have to legally put up a sign to say CCTV was in operation otherwise the evidence would not be legally obtained
From your second post you said "But everybody I spoke to warned me not to". Now I DID NOT say to you that you told the work people. I said it was your mistake for telling them, people who YOU SPOKE TO. You said you spoke to everyone about it and that is what I stated. You should not have told ANYONE whether it is the accommodation people or anyone else you live with or your friends or family. Because that will put them on edge, I said to get a device that HIDES the camera to catch the people out. The people who YOU TOLD (as you said) yes they will be on edge and will have and should not have a say on what YOU do IN YOUR ROOM.
You say you have had things moved in your room whilst you are out. How are you going to prove it? The fact you made the mistake of telling SOMEONE meant that you know, meant they could potentially be a WHISTLEBLOWER and tell on you. You need the evidence to prove they are not giving you notice and they are moving things around and you need to learn that some things you NEED to keep to yourself until you get the evidence. Noone likes or want a camera watching them but the people you told does not and may not realise that the camera is ONLY going to be in your room.
What happens if you lose an expensive item? Are you going to say "oh I was going to install a camera to catch the culprit but I didnt because people that I spoke to told me not to"? As IF I was in your situation I would have not told anyone I know that I was installing a camera, because I need to catch them in the act and telling ANYONE would put them on their best behaviour. Now thats what I said to you previously. But I do not think you understood it all because you do seem to think I meant you told the people who work there, when thats not what I said.
As for the cctv sign, guess what? Let me tell you a story, (but I assume you wont get it anyway if you are misunderstanding what I said). I have a friend whose elderly parent has carers coming in to look after them during the day. Now that friend, a few months after getting carers for her parents day to day care, her and the rest of the family started noticing things were going missing eg money. They did not know who been taking the money or whether the parents took the money and mislayed it etc. They set about doing what I suggested. Get a hidden camera and they also got a hidden microphone. They had a few set up, eg some was disgused as a clock, some was just simple things like a fire alarm. Now they DID NOT put up any signs to say there is cctv cameras because they wanted to catch the person stealing and to use it as EVIDENCE. Now the thief was one of the carers and that friend had SEVERAL footage of the one carer doing the stealing. The carer was caught and argued - in court - that the family should have put up cctv signs and it was an invasion of that persons privacy. Guess what happened? Did it go in that thieves favour? NO the judge basically says there was the evidence there that the carer was stealing and the carer not only got sacked by the employer but was also jailed and ordered to repay my friend's family for all the money that person stole.
So if the people you told are saying that my suspicions is that they are the ones that maybe going into your room and moving your things around.
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