Patrick's story

Patrick called our helpline worried about losing the home he rented privately.  His landlord was thinking about selling the property and he was also having problems with damp.

Our helpline adviser was able to confirm for Patrick that his landlord still had a responsibility to carry out repairs on the property. We also reassured him that while his landlord could sell the property, this takes time and was not likely to happen immediately. The adviser explained that as Patrick was a periodic tenant, he needed to be aware that his landlord could serve notice to bring the tenancy to an end at any time. We took him through his options for accessing other accommodation and told him important things to look out for like deposit protection, tenancy agreement terms and inventories.

“I wanted to know where I stood if the house was sold. Did I have any rights with the repairs? I was frantic. I was really upset and didn’t know what I could do and what the next step was. I was worried because there are no houses to rent in my area.  I was relieved when I was told that I have rights - they have to give me 28 days’ notice if they were to sell the house.

Before, I was in a panic, but after I spoke to them, I felt a lot better. I knew where I stood. They gave me information and confidence. They were amazing, really, really amazing.”

If you need advice for living in the private rented sector, call Housing Rights helpline on 028 9024 5640