Can my landlord or agent force penalty payments for early termination?

Hi it’s been a month me,my wife and 9 month son rented a studio on 2nd floor , the agreement said 12 month fixed with 1 month notice. But studio drainage have problem and smells very bad, the agency tried once putting chemicals in the drains but still same. I also have to keep using chemicals to ovoid smell but it’s not healthy for my son . It’s very inconvenient so We gave one month notice but the agency says we need to pay remaining months rent or two months penalty is that true.what can we do?

Public Answer

Thank you for your enquiry.

You may have the elements of a claim for disrepair. It is ultimately the landlord’s responsibility to address these issues within a reasonable period and the period of time depends on the severity and urgency of the issue. An objective approach is usually applied to determine what constitutes ‘reasonable’. We can assist with all aspects of housing law and disrepair. Unless you come to a neogotiation, the contractual clauses will persevere and you should check the ‘notice’ section of the agreement. For more information, please contact us on 02039599123 or click here 

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