Brighton resident, Andrea Player, presented a letter to her landlord requesting a full refund for her last 12 months’ rent. She argued that her property was unsafe to live in and demanded compensation for her discontent.Â
Last Saturday, she led a protest organised by community action group ACORN. The protest took place outside her estate agency, Khalil Properties, on Lewes Road. The group demanded action from the letting agency and a full refund of over £7,000 to cover the cost of a year’s worth of rent.
The group, led by Andrea, claim that the property was unsafe and unfit to live in. The letter stated she was being put in “mortal danger” due to the unsafe condition of the property which breached HMO fire safety regulations.
© The missing fire safety door and pit of debris at Andrea’s house.Â
Andrea rented the property in Preston Road which had “safety issues” and was “in a state of disrepair” throughout the 14-month tenancy. These included an unusable fire escape which lead to a pit of debris and broken furniture and a missing fire safety door within the property. The property also had damp issues, loose live wires and an improper drainage systems which caused a ‘swamp-like’ insect-infested pool by the fire escape.
Andrea said: “For someone renting a home, hot water, heating, a bathroom lock and safety should be expected… They knew the plumbing wasn’t right but I lived with maggots and flies, they knew I had live wires loose in my room and did nothing.”
She consistently asked the landlord for help but got nowhere. Andrea said: “Khalil Properties hired unqualified staff to do vital work on the property; doors would fall on me and others living at the property. They spoke to me like I was a joke for even asking for repairs, I had my tenancy threatened, and I never felt safe.”
A spokesperson from ACORN confirmed that Khalil Properties have a history of property mis-management and in 2018 the agency was found guilty in court for putting their tenants at risk of harm in a fire. ACORN have delivered a letter to Khalil Properties demanding a reply within seven working days.
Khalil Properties deny all allegations made against them and suggest that the property was in a perfectly fit and usable condition. They said:
“Brighton and Hove City Council highlights all safety measures are in place at the property and always have the right to enter the property to ensure that these are being upheld at any time. The council have been in regular communication with the freeholders throughout the term the of licence.
No proof of any breaches of HMO Regulations have been provided.
With regards to the missing fire door- the door was secondary to the main entrance to the flat which means it did not need to be there. The main entrance door to the flat is sufficient.
We have all the safety certificates in place and can be provided upon request.
The tenant had been treated fairly and with manners throughout the tenancy and had received her full deposit back shortly after she had moved out.
Ms Player only made this complaint at the end of her tenancy. She had approved to continue her original tenancy agreement after it had ended – surely a tenant with such bad experiences would not voluntarily agree to stay in the property for an extended term.”
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Featured photo: © ACORN Brighton
