Am i obliged to pay rent if bin isnt being collected due to money landlord owes

F

filmfan

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Hi all, when we moved into our house in sept 07, landlord told us his bin was never registered with the county council but they somehow still lift it but he never receives any bills ie the bin is being lifted for free (he hadnt paid a bill in ten years). he told us if she could also get away with that, then great!

As always though it has caught up with us! in October 08, council sent a bill for around 2500 euro for bin charges from 1996 to present and stopped lifting our bins. we paid our portion of the bill (500 euro). the council then started collecting the bin again on the good faith that the landlord would quickly pay his part.

Needless to say he has never paid his share! now our bin hasnt been collected since late February. landlord lives abroad so our main contact with him is email. we have been pestering him with email, phonecalls txts etc but can never reach him. he usually responds to emails after two weeks saying 'oh im sorting it out, ive been talking to the council'. he reckons he has been in contact with the council on a weekly basis to sort it out. but when i rang the council today, they say he has never ever contacted them. A guy in the council mentioned we're not legally obliged to pay rent if there is no adequate means of waste disposal, any ideas if this is true?? im sure the rats are only around d corner!!

thanks for any help you can give me!
 
This is a totally inadequate response from your landlord. He is not dealing with it as he says, dealing with it would be paying the bill and then the collection could restart.

I think it must be 'rates' (normally the cost of bin services and water) which run with the house. In this case it is the one bill that stays with a property so if you owe it from the past it will stay with you until you pay it. For this reason I actually think you were incorrect to pay the 500 for 'your part'. From the Co. Councils point of view they just see it as part payment of the 2500 and they are only interested in getting their money which is probably why they have discontinued service.

Can you suggest to your landlord that you pay the rent to the council until the bill is fully paid. It is not your responsibilty to do this but if it solves it for you that would be a solution, this would also put the landlord in a position of facing his obligations.

I also recommend you to go through the PRTB but they are pretty useless, at least they will tell your your rights, but I don't believe this includes the right not to pay rent. Maybe it's time to give notice and leave, that should certainly get the landlords attention. I speak as a landlord who hates the PRTB but I cannot stand landlords who give us all a bad name.
 
Bronte said:
I speak as a landlord who hates the PRTB but I cannot stand landlords who give us all a bad name.
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Amen.

I think the council are wrong in punishing you the tenant.
Their beef is with the landlord and you have met your obligations and are willing to pay. So why is your service being discontinued????
To me this is an incorrect response.
Can you go through customer service or an ombudsman to get this sorted??
 
Bronte said:
Can you suggest to your landlord that you pay the rent to the council until the bill is fully paid.
Click to expand...

The council is not the OP's landlord and should not be given the rent.

OP the best thing for you to do is go and speak to the council explain the situation and ask for the bins to be collected again and that you want to pay for them yourself. You could go to a different provider of course.
 
Whose name is on the bill?. If it is the landlord's it is up to him to settle his unpaid bills with the council. You dont give your location but there are several private bin collectors operating in the country. Just look around the neighbourhood and you will see bins labelled with their names.
 
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