Hello,

Thank you again for your help.

Since my last post we have made a little progress. Last week we covered the staircase with thick tarpulin as previous dust sheet cover got ripped quickly. The tarpulin covering made the stairs pretty challenging to use, plus rainwater gathered in places making it slippery. We warned the tenants upstairs and encouraged them to complain the owner about it. The girls were bombarding the owner with texts and photos saying how dangerous the set up is and we were quite glad about it as it is another party helping us to get the owners action.
However on Monday we had to take the tarpulin out as it was too dangerous for the tenants and my partner used expanding insulation foam to patch up some obvious cracks and holes in the stairs. It looks pretty terrible now with bubbly green mass, but we do not care.
So Tuesday late evening, the landlady knocks on my door without any notice, how nice. I was trying to get my little child to sleep so you can imagine I was a bit annoyed.
Anyway, she came with some man to do a quote for stairs repair and they wanted to see the storage and how the water comes through.
After 1h of debating where to water goes through (pretty pointless conversation as whole staircase is so crackled and it was patched up before - so there was a problem before clearly) that man said he does not know how to fix it?? Where did she get him from? We suggested that the top layer (which was against regulations in terms of steps height) should be removed, the cracks and holes filled and then the entire staircase covered in some waterproof material. I do not know what that could be as I have no building knowledge but fixing a step or two will not make much difference.
The landlady kind of agreed with me, but not sure what the builder will come up with. I told her on a side she should get another quote as this builder did not seem to be extremely knowledgeable but I suspect it is another 'friend of a family' they tend to use for all works. Then she wanted to shoot off so we stopped her and asked for a chat while she IS finally here. She could not stay of course, so we just mention we need to talk about this, other works needed to the property as well as the excess money she said she would cover.
She said that one thing at a time as of course the staircase if her priority! And left...
Yes, we would like to resolve this amicably if possible without using the courts as we would be moving at some point, but I am also wary this woman is cheeky and will want to get away from as much responsibility as she can.
No, we do not have her word for paying the excess in writing
I did mentioned this in an email to her but in her reply she did not acknowledged that point. So I guess this is not confirmed by her in writing.
Thanks for the info on ground rent - I wonder if they ever send us a request/invoice. Perhaps they know the regulations and hence opted for no claiming it so they do not reveal an address.
Yes, indeed, only two flats in this house.

Google searches that I tried to run found the landlady (the granddaughter of freeholder and possibly the actual leaseholder of upstairs flat) as i finally have her surname but it only links to the address upstairs based on electoral roll and to an article that she was a friend of a woman who gave birth and strangled her newborn while they were holidaying abroad!!!! Not a nice story there.
Anyway.

I think that if we do not have any further action and works starting within a week we will seek solicitor's help to draft letters and to demand a meeting and payment of money due along with proper address.

Thank you all, you are great.