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howlong can your landlord leave you without heating?

hiya , as the title says.... our heating system (coal parkray system) was condemned yesterday and now we cant use it. the council have passed us for a conversion to electric heating but arent giving us a time scale... now bearing in mind i have 3 kids (youngest aged 7 months) how long can they leave us without heating? (ok its not too bad atm but my council (landlord) are very slack and just fob you off and hope you go away..... ) and im concerned long term.... thanks in advance...
does my bum look big in this sig?

Comments

  • I would think the council have similar responsibilities to any landlord, and to leave you without heating is unacceptable. I would email the council so that I have a written reply asking them to give a time scale for the repair/replacement. If they can't do it soon, I would think they would have to at least pay for some sort of temporary heating. I wouold then phone the local citizens advice bureau and arrange a time to pop down
    good luck
  • clutton_2
    clutton_2 Posts: 11,149 Forumite
    landlords have no specified time scale to fix things as each repair job is different - they have to be seen to be doing a repair in a "reasonable time"

    as long as they are actively trying to solve the problem you should give them several days at least - if not a couple of week or more - as they will need to replace the entire heating system and that is a major job.
  • thanks for replying... the council are coming out to meet with us tomorrow. not hopeful though as they seem to think they are converting to gas heating, which would be nice but theres no gas supply to this street and the referral paperwork was for electric heating. so we will see tomorrow eh? the so called temporary heating that was due to be delivered this morning was a no show and i didnt find this out until i got in from work today, so looks like more phonecalls to do tomorrow. knowing my luck they'll hide behind the 'pathfinder' excuse and do nothing as usual... (they want to flatten my house in the next year or so and wont do any repairs on the property...)
    does my bum look big in this sig?
  • clutton_2
    clutton_2 Posts: 11,149 Forumite
    landlord HAVE to provide heating - dont let them not provide it

    if they stall on this, threaten to invoke the HHSRS regulations - that should make them shift
  • Which borough?
    Blackpool_Saver is female, and does not live in Blackpool

  • doncaster...



    theyve been out today and backtracked.. now refuse to install electric heating .. reason? as my house is under pathfinder.. failing that eventual decency if they install electric we wont eventually get gas heating... the old dude wasnt accepting that if pathfinder come in this house is due to be flattened...


    so now they want to reline and drill out my chimney. i am still without heating, temporary or otherwise and no date for completion or start date.... i wasnt here for these negotiations.... and the CAB is only open here mon/tue/wed and guess whos working 11 hour shifts next mon/tue/wed.. can see yet another letter of complaint going in...and my mp being reinvolved..


    what are HHSRS regulations please?
    does my bum look big in this sig?
  • Morglin
    Morglin Posts: 15,916
    Name Dropper First Post Photogenic First Anniversary
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    Shelter are very good at giving advice about landlord obligations and how to make them fulfill their responsibilities:

    http://england.shelter.org.uk/

    Lin :)
    You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands..........for instance, if they are placed around your throat, she's probably slightly upset. ;)
  • poppysarah
    poppysarah Posts: 11,522 Forumite
    They will provide a fan heater if you ask. When I was in council housing my heating broke in November - inside the higher emergency band of winter! and the lead time is still 24 hours plus parts which was a week. And then another few days as they got the wrong part.

    Shelter.
    And then your MP.
    It'd be easier for them to move you now rather than do expensive repairs on something they are (pah john prescott's stupid scheme) pulling down.
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