Is hot water a 'right' in a rental property?

fimonkey

I viewed a rather random but lovely barn conversion to rent today. However, the catch was that the only heating in the place came from the aga, and there was no hot water other than from an electric shower. Apparently the landlosr expects the prospective tenant to boil the kettle to wash up etc (either that or do the washing up in the shower which is upstairs next to the bedroom).

Out of curiosity, is this legal? Is an electric shower, as the only source of hot water allowable? Plus having no heating other than an aga, is that legal too?

thanks in advance

PasturesNew

I have an immersion heater and an electric shower. I've been here 15 months and have not used the immersion heater once. I boil a kettle to wash up. It seems such a nuisance to run a whole immersion heater for so long just to wash up some dishes! A nuisance and a waste of energy. The maximum I ever use is 3 kettles full... that's when I've started with the bowl full and have just done a big baking and cooking session.

As for heating, I have a storage heater, never used it - it scares me. I use a thermostatically controlled fan heater.

fimonkey

If you ever facny moving to Dorset Pastures, then I 'll send you the link to the property. There's definitely room for the great big mattress you need to hide your millions under. ;-) (joke, I just read your posts so have a certain impression of you which is probably a million miles away frm the truth)

a night owl like me eh?

beingjdc

If I had a shower curtain and the washing machine was cold fill, I'd agree with PasturesNew on this one... though do have a cold fill dishwasher so

PasturesNew

fimonkey wrote: »

If you ever facny moving to Dorset Pastures, then I 'll send you the link to the property. There's definitely room for the great big mattress you need to hide your millions under. ;-) (joke, I just read your posts so have a certain impression of you which is probably a million miles away frm the truth)

a night owl like me eh?

Dorset is on my list of places I'd be fine about moving to, but it sounds a bit out of my pricerange to be honest.

I'd be far too frugal to go paying out for somewhere that sounds like an aspirational lifestyle property.

Debt_Free_Chick

Worth checking that there definitely isn't an immersion heater and that the AGA definitely doesn't heat the water - some do, many don't.

An AGA can't fire a CH system and you'll only get a "warm glow" in the room where the AGA's located - it certainly won't heat the whole house.

poppysarah

It'll save you tons of money not wasting hot water. I watched in horror as someone helped fill the dishwasher running the plates under the hot tap!!! I told them I didn't do that here and dishwashers are designed to clean dirty dishes.

I had kettle and shower setup in Manchester as the immersion heater would have been too expensive just for a few pots.

neverdespairgirl

As debt-free-chick says, the Aga might well heat the water.

fimonkey

hey, thanks for all your replies. Apparently the aga doesn't heat the hot water. I used to be a hard northerner, but now I can;t contemplate the idea of living in a place with only an electric shower for hot water. Here's the link for Pastures, and anyone else interested in living in the New Forest.http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-24001472.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=rent&mam_disp=true looks bigger in the link than real life.

Unfortunately I'm not going to go for it. Two of the walls are less than 5 meteres away from 7 livery stables. From my own experience, I know how noisy a bored horse in its stable can get, .. kicking a door repeatedly with metal shoes can be worse than water totrure! Plus, having a vague knowledge of horses means I'd feel responsible for them overnight (there is no yard manager, and the main farmyard is not directly next to the stables unlike this wee lil barn thing). .. I think the owner of this property ideally needs to advertise for a hardy type who loves horses.

MrExample

I start to go crazy if I'm without hot water for even a few hours! I don't know how you folks wash your hands, etc., with cold water.

Geenie

fimonkey wrote: »

hey, thanks for all your replies. Apparently the aga doesn't heat the hot water. I used to be a hard northerner, but now I can;t contemplate the idea of living in a place with only an electric shower for hot water. Here's the link for Pastures, and anyone else interested in living in the New Forest.http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-24001472.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=rent&mam_disp=true looks bigger in the link than real life.

Unfortunately I'm not going to go for it. Two of the walls are less than 5 meteres away from 7 livery stables. From my own experience, I know how noisy a bored horse in its stable can get, .. kicking a door repeatedly with metal shoes can be worse than water totrure! Plus, having a vague knowledge of horses means I'd feel responsible for them overnight (there is no yard manager, and the main farmyard is not directly next to the stables unlike this wee lil barn thing). .. I think the owner of this property ideally needs to advertise for a hardy type who loves horses.

I am stunned by the asking £500 pcm for that place!! It looks like a very basic conversion with no attempt to insulate the walls inside or do anything apart from stick an Aga in and a sink!! It would be freezing in winter if only a brick wall of a few layers. You were right to walk away.