Weary and cold with oil heating not working

spinningsheep

I really do sympathise with your situation, but, all this dead money you have spent on repairs on this aged system, why not bite the bullet and install a new one? If you are planning on staying there long term surely it will work out cheaper in the long run? I personally think it is a very strange arrangement to be funding these major works in return for a cheap rent, after all, any increase in rent per annum would probably equate to the money you are spending out on repairs. You do not state what sort of tenancy you have other than "long term". Depending on the exact terms, your landlord could serve you notice to quit at any time, meaning any money spend whether it be on repairs or a whole new heating system, or as in your friend's case, an extention, would all be for nothing. The whole idea of a rental property is that you are responsible for general upkeep and day to day odd jobs, but anything major is the landlord's. On a side note, you say that YOU pay for the system to be checked over once a year, do they provide you with a safety certificate? Only I thought this was a LEGAL REQUIREMENT for the landlord?

Eliza_2

Thank you for these replies.

Spinningsheep it is only a legal requirement for gas, there are no requirements of any sort for oil. I agree it's an odd arrangement, I think my neighbour might have an agricultural tenancy though I doubt he or the landlord are aware of any different kinds of tenancies, cash is handed over once a month and that's it. Mine is an ast and I do have an agreement of sorts, and pay by cheque. I also know what my rights and responsibilities are and if living in a city I would probably exercise them. It's a very different world up here, it really is, and as I have always intended this to be a long term home have made a range of alterations to make it my home not my landlord's short term rental. The arrangement suits us both despite the risks.

Mary your post was interesting on a number of levels, as Clerk to a very rural parish council, I know that rural poverty is a huge issue and mostly hidden as the cash economy is alive and well up here. It's also a real pastime to find ways of getting one over on the authorities! Another report about rural poverty appeared a couple of weeks ago, and fuel is a major issue, if not the main one, but there was no action plan to go with it so again it has just died a death.

This house is around 350 yrs old, stone built (solid walls obviously) on top of a hill getting wind from all sides, though obviously few windows on north side. It would be a brilliant place both for solar roof panels as well as a wind turbine and if this was my house both of those would be done!

The galling thing about my heating problems is that I have over half a tank of oil! Amazingly enough the heating has been working since I reset it at 8 ish this morn!! However when the oil runs out I will probably just do without. I do have an open fire, and would love a woodburner but unless I fork out, it's not going to happen.

And Bob, thank you so much for your post, I shall work my way through those one by one. I do have an itemised receipt, but it just says that a nozzle was replaced as you would expect, plus service/labour charge. Nothing abnormal there.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, it's helping me to focus down on what I need to do about this.

Liz

bobmedley

Final thoughts - just getting a receipt with the nozzle cost added isn't really good enough. After a service I get a 'Service Engineer Work Record' that shows the combustion test results (pump pressure, smoke, draught, CO2, flue gas temperature, efficiency, nozzle size/angle/pattern and CO).

It then covers air supply, oil tank, flue, electrics, combustion chamber, PJ burner, ignition etc, etc.

How do you know these have been done and everything is set up correctly? As you can see from the checklist this is one potential cause for the malfunction.

I would get them back and insist they show you their test results (if they actually did any;))

Last tip - do not let the boiler run out of oil, as that can cause even more expensive problems.

Johnhowell

Eliza,

It is generally the landlords responsibility to maintain the installed heating system in their property. Also they should NOT put up the rent just because your requested repairs! You need to read your tenancy contract - if you have one.

I recommend you look at the following forum:
www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?65-Residential-and-Commercial-Lettings

and get some advise on your rights as a tenant pronto.

We also have oil boiler and has running issues with the unit locking out. After many revisits by the serviceman (free), eventually we got a new burner installed ~£400.

Good luck,
John

tbs624

Johnhowell wrote: »

Eliza,

It is generally the landlords responsibility to maintain the installed heating system in their property. Also they should NOT put up the rent just because your requested repairs! You need to read your tenancy contract - if you have one.

I recommend you look at the following forum:
www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?65-Residential-and-Commercial-Lettings

and get some advise on your rights as a tenant pronto.

Yes the LL is responsible for keeping the systems for both space and water heating in safe working order.

Unfortunately, many Ts are faced with a similar scenario to Eliza's regardless of what the tenancy agreement or statute might say.. Many Ts will continue to foot bills that are not their responsibility as a quid pro quo for continuing to occupy the property at a lower than average rent and/or because they are concerned about being slapped with a Notice of Intent to Repossess.This is especially so in areas in which rented property at reasonable rents is in short supply.

Unless there was statutory provision for retaliatory rent raises/retaliatory S21s to be "outlawed" if the T has made justifiable repairs requests then the situation will not change. It would be hard to legislate for though: LLs are clearly entitled to make regular rent reviews and this has to take into consideration all outgoings for the LL that may arise under the rental.