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Formal legal correspondence
Ref: TD-9281/RR
02 July 2026
Mr J. Harrington
Harrington Lettings Ltd
18 Ashfield Road, London N4 2BQ
Re: Failure to carry out statutory repairs — Flat 12, 44 Sandringham Road, E8

Dear Mr Harrington,

I write further to my correspondence of 6 May, 18 May and 11 June concerning persistent damp and a non-functional boiler at the above property. To date, no substantive repairs have been carried out.

Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, you are obliged to keep the structure and installations for the supply of heating and hot water in proper working order. Your continued failure to do so constitutes a breach of that duty.

I require that the boiler be repaired or replaced within 14 days of the date of this letter, and that a qualified damp surveyor attend the property within the same period.

[Letter continues — full version prepared for your case…]

Sarah Whitaker
Draft ready
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Case #UK-9281

Urgent

Flat 12, Hackney · Periodic assured tenancy

Legal strength8/10
Evidence strength6/10
Negotiation leverage7/10
Risk level4/10

Recommended next stepIssue a formal repair request under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, with photographs attached.

Draft letter ready
Formal repair request · 2 pages
Ready
Urgent

Illegal entry

Landlord entered without 24h notice on three occasions in May.

Action

Rent increase

Section 13 notice received. Proposed increase exceeds local market rate.

Stable

Deposit

Verified as protected in the DPS within 30 days of payment.

Action

Disrepair

Damp reported 4× in writing. Landlord has not responded within a reasonable timeframe.

Unfair clause found

Clause 4.2 · Professional cleaning fee

UNENFORCEABLE

"The tenant must pay £150 for professional end-of-tenancy cleaning regardless of the property's condition on departure."

Why this is wrong:

Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, landlords in England cannot require professional cleaning as a default charge. You need only return the property in a similar state of cleanliness to when the tenancy began.

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