my house is freezing!

GlasweJen

I need to find some cheap and effective ways to warm my house, the problems i'm having are:

Radiators are under the windows
There's no door between the kitchen, hall and livingroom
Single glazed window which is draughty even when close properly
Tiny bedroom so my bed is located under the window; nowhere else to put it and it's cold at night and hard to get up in the morning.

I live in a rented house, we're not allowed to change the utilities due to the terms of our tenancy agreement. The package we're on charges a fortune when we use the central heating so we're using it as little as possible. We're not allowed to add doors where they are missing. Are there any OS ways to get my house warm on the cheap?

Sagz_2

How about door curtains? And really heavy weight curtains at the single glazed window?

Lokolo

Be polite and ask the landlord for some improvements.

GlasweJen

No just blinds as we're not allowed to fit curtain rails or even use thumb taks on the skirting to hang curtains where the doors should be. The landlord isn't interested he sesms to think that because we're students we have no right to complain.

Lokolo

Then don't pay the rent?

If you really have a problem, see what he says, if he doesn't comply or is being exceptionally rude, refuse to pay the rent. Simple as.

GlasweJen

yeah and get kicked out. you can only refuse to pay rent if the house is in disrepair which it isn't. Draughty isn't on the same level as not having a roof or the place being mouldy. The house is in ok condition it's just been done on the cheap and it's cold.

Meatballs

If you can find a better tariff for utilities, change to it. The contract is with you and the provider. The LL doesn't get involved with that (they dont have to pay if you dont etc).

He probably wont find out, and by the time he does you will have moved out, and I'm pretty sure it was classed as an unreasonable/unfair term in a tenancy contract anyway.

Get a couple of throws, some nice slippers and pyjamas, you will probably be living in freezing accomodation for years after you graduate with rising energy prices anyway ;p

GlasweJen

i never thought of it like that, i'll get onto suppliers tomorrow

tbs624

Meatballs wrote: »

If you can find a better tariff for utilities, change to it. The contract is with you and the provider. The LL doesn't get involved with that (they dont have to pay if you dont etc).

He probably wont find out, and by the time he does you will have moved out, and I'm pretty sure it was classed as an unreasonable/unfair term in a tenancy contract anyway.

Don't do it on the sly - you may find that any utility contract that you sign up to has to be for a set period which outlasts your tenancy. Most LLs *won't* object to you switching - they just need to know who the supply company is. And, yes, a court *may* view a contract term that seeks to restrict a tenant's choice of utility supplier as an unfair term but why start off on the wrong foot when a simple request may suffice? A good tenancy agreement usually has the line about getting the " LLs' agreement/consent which shall not be unreasonably withheld". Even if that line is not in your contract just drop a friendly letter saying something like "as you're aware, energy prices have recently increased: we really need to switch to a new supplier to be able to get a more affordable package,and look forward to receiving your written confirmation that you agree to this. We will of course let you know which company we choose to go with." Keep a copy of your letter, and the LL's response safely with your T Agmt.

On making things warmer generally you can get sprung curtain poles that twist to fit inside a window recess/door frame (no screws holes involved) and you can hang curtain lining or a throw/blanket over them. You can also get a sort of cling film that you shrink to fit across draughty windows using a hair dryer.

Get one of those electric blankets that you can keep on all night, add an extra 4.5tog duvet inside you duvet cover or use good old hot water bottles.

The reason that the radiators are under the windows is likely to be that this was recommended with single glazed properties, the idea being that down draughts from the window would be heated up by the radiator.

Do be aware that if you are not able to keep the property adequately heated and ventilated then you may get mould growth during the winter months (particularly with no door on the kitchen, as that moisture from cooking, washing up etc will spread.)

How many of you are living in this house and how many storeys does it have? If it should be registered as an HMO (house in multiple occupation) then it should have a fire door between the kitchen & the rest of the property.

You Uni accomms office should be able to help you with difficulties like this, and you can also talk to the Tenancy Relations Officer at the local council - they have a private sector rentals team.If your LL is registered with the Uni accomms offcie he would have ot have signed up to a code of practice.

Has your LL scheme-registered your deposit btw? (if Eng/Wales)

dag_2

Yeah - about HMO's:

I live in a rented house, we're not allowed to change the utilities due to the terms of our tenancy agreement.

I think the key words there are "I" and "we".

When you say "we" - who exactly do you mean?

If you got together with a bunch of your mates and rented a fully self-contained flat or house, then, chances are, you will have a joint tenancy where you are all severally liable for a single rent figure, and it will not be an HMO. This means that the rules about the fire doors might not apply.

However, if you moved into a house where there were already other students or tenants, or if you all negotiated your tenancies with the landlord separately and have separate agreements, then the building probably should be a registered HMO. Even if there are couples or whole families rather than just single people living in the house, it doesn't make any difference - point is, if you have to share a kitchen or bathroom with anyone who isn't on the same tenancy agreement as you (apart from your own lodgers, and also assuming you're not just a lodger yourself), then it should be an HMO.

If it is an HMO, then the rule about changing the utilities is more complicated. The rule about not changing anything is as much to protect the other tenants as much as the landlord. It's not unusual for HMO landlords to have a single electricity bill for the whole house, and to install coin or token meters in each of the rooms to ensure that each tenant reimburses them a fair share. If that's the situation in your house, then changing the main supplier to the house without clearing it with the landlord first is a very bad idea indeed!

I'm not sure if landlords are allowed to use those meters to recover rent arrears, but I suspect they're probably not. There are also probably rules about landlords notifying tenants in advance if they want to change the rates on the meters, but I guess some landlords are better at compliance than others.

So it's likely you've got a standard HMO tenancy contract, which has been written in such a way as to allow for the possibility of private meters in each of the rooms, even if your landlord hasn't actually installed such meters, and just lets you and the other tenants pay the bills directly yourselves. If that's the case, then that would explain why the terms of your agreement forbid you from changing supplier.

[Deleted User]

HMOs are no longer classified only on the basis of the type of tenancy, it can be solely the number of storeys and tenants. It is also possible for a local council to extend that definition within it's own area. For example, Oxford City Council are currently doing this.

OP, you could get the local Environmental Health Department to do an inspection of the property and if there are works the landlord must do they will enforce that.

If you are on a joint and severally liable contract, the landlord cannot stop you from changing utility suppliers. The Office of Fair trading have ruled this an unfair term in a tenancy agreement.

Here's the OFT guidance (it's on page 64) http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/rep...rms/oft356.pdf

You should point out to the landlord that this is an unfair term and you will of course inform them of which supplier you move to.

There's also some useful stuff on these threads re: keeping warm

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=531601&highlight=gas+electric

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=247646&highlight=gas+electric