Battered and Bruised

Property Sparrow has been very quiet for a while.

She's terribly embarrassed, almost too embarrassed to tell you that she's had a void since before Christmas.

It's a first floor flat and she's waiting for the freeholder to mend the roof. Every time it rains, water drips down the chimney and causes a water mark on the chimney breast in the living room. No one will move in until they know that the roof has been repaired.

Back in December when it was first void, the Lettings Agent referred the flat to the local Council's sponsorship scheme in which students are matched up with landlords. The flat was to be inspected by the Council, then offered out.

Then it snowed on the day the inspector was due to go round and he couldn't get there, then it was Christmas, then it snowed again in January on the day the inspector was due to go round, then there was an appointment for a sign up made with a student but he didn't turn up, then the Lettings Agent saw the water leak on the wall (probably caused by the last bout of snow and ice), then Property Sparrow had a bad cold and lost her voice, then the Lettings Agent asked the freeholder's agent to organise a roof repair, then the Council's inspector saw the water leak and declared that the flat could not be let under the sponsorship scheme until the roof leak has been repaired, then the Lettings Agent asked the freeholder's agent again to organise a roof repair, then Property Sparrow asked the freeholder's agent to organise a roof repair, then a roofer went round and reported back to the freeholder's agent, then the freeholder's agent still did nothing, then Property Sparrow had another bad cold and sore throat, then the Lettings Agent made more enquiries and requests of the freeholder's agent to act, then the weather improved, then Property Sparrow went down there and saw that it wasn't too bad, then the flat was advertised as normal on Rightmove, then there were several viewings, then someone wanted to take it pending confirmation that the roof had been repaired, then he changed his mind, then Property Sparrow contacted the Director of the freeholder's agency but he was on holiday, then someone else wanted to take it pending confirmation that the roof has been repaired.

Why is this so hard?

Free property management software, Free tenancy agreements