A ‘cheapskate’ landlord tried to get away with buying his tenants a new microwave by painting over the rust.

Musician Connor, 22, lives with five other students in a multiple occupancy house (HMO) in Leeds.

He said his landlord often calls him a ‘bloody idiot’ when he raises concerns about the house being unsafe.

And when Connor noticed the microwave had a new lick of paint he phoned him up to complain.

He told Metro.co.uk: ‘He got so defensive and I asked him to cook something and eat it if he felt so sure that it was safe.

‘He put a mug of water in there for two minutes and took it out and said “look no fumes”.

‘It stunk of paint and when I asked him to drink it, he refused and agreed to get us a new microwave.’

It appears the landlord used an emulsion to ‘paint’ the microwave, which had just been used on the walls.

Connor also alleges his landlord refused to give them fire extinguishers, despite there being a legal requirement to have them on each floor in an HMO.

He said: ‘When I told him that it says on the government website that it’s a legal requirement for an HMO to have them on every floor, he told me “shut up, bloody idiot”.

‘I said “excuse me” and he shouts “shut up I said.”’

Connor says it’s ‘obvious’ his landlord has never had a tenant who has known their rights.

He added: ‘Unfortunately for him he’s got a bright bunch of people who’ve just moved in who know our rights and aren’t willing to sit down and take his shit.’

Earlier this year, a Citizens Advice survey of English landlords found half of them did not know or understand their legal obligations.

It also revealed that hundreds of thousands of tenants are living in unsafe homes, and do not know their rights.

Citizens Advice said this could result in tenants living in hazardous homes, and called for a national housing body for private renting to set standards.

If set up, houses could be subjected to an ‘MOT’, while landlords could face ‘fit-and-proper person’ tests.

Do you have a rogue landlord?

If your landlord is failing to keep your home safe, please contact reporter Joe Roberts by email at [email protected]

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