Here is a question to the blog clinic from Ben who is a tenant
I live in a 2 bedroom flat and is has become mouldy the flat is not heated very well and we don’t have heaters that we can use during the day and as a ground floor flat it’s not safe to leave them open.
I want to give 2-3 months notice as recently as a result of the flat issue my partner has be come unwell and this is causing health issue how can I end the contract? I am only looking after the well fair of my partner.
Damp and mould are big problems, partly because it is not always clear whose fault the problem is down to. For guidance on this issue please read >> this post here. This explains that sometimes the fault is the landlords, sometimes the tenants, and sometimes down to the way the property is built.
It might be an idea to get the local authority round to have a look at the place, they may require your landlord to do works to rectify the problem or provide proper heating.
You could also consult a personal injury solicitor to see if there are any grounds for a claim against your landlord if the property is responsible for your partners health problems.
So far as ending the contract is concerned, have a look at your tenancy agreement and see if there is a break clause which will allow you to end it early.
If not, you will only be able to end the tenancy early if the landlord agrees. However he may do this if he thinks that otherwise he will have the local authority coming down on him for repair work and perhaps a personal injury claim!