Martin Lewis' asks experts how renters can get their landlords to fix black mould
11.06.2024 - 05:25
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Martin Lewis, founder of Money Saving Expert and often called the "people's chancellor" by his legion of money savvy fans, has launched a new programme to get people useful advice on topics he is not an expert in himself. Kicking it off, he decided to tackle one of the biggest crises facing Brits today - the nightmare of the private rental sector.
In a new offshoot of his massively successful Martin Lewis Podcast, the financial guru has launched the 'Not the Martin Lewis Podcast', focusing on what advice experts have for consumers on the biggest money issues facing Brits today. For his inaugural show, Martin Lewis chose to tackle some of the problems that millions of renters are currently struggling with, from rent rises to poor maintenance.
As well as how to challenge rent rises and demand repairs from your landlord, the Money Saving Expert and his panel of specialists, which comprised Ben Leonard from ACORN as well as Judy Ford and Emma Jackson from Citizens Advice, tackled what a renter can do if the paint starts peeling off the walls, or if the dreaded black mould has started to take over the property.
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As with many of the questions commonly faced by renters, from how to challenge a no-fault eviction to sopping large rent rises, tenants often have little protection under the law. Explaining to the Money Saving Expert, Mr Leonard said that the "system doesn't really work that well for renters."
After fielding a complex question on freehold, Mr Lewis combined two common audience questions to his panel, asking: "Are you entitled to compensation for issues of severe damp which arose prior to occupation but took the landlord