Minimum temperature in rented flat?

Radsteral

I know its harsh but stoping payment for a while will make things move .
I dont mean withholding payment.. just delay it as a protest.
And if you are on all inclusive basis, i wouldnt bother with complaining but spend some 30-40 quid of couple of electric blow heaters and let then on till they stop working.
I hate when i am forced to suffer in silence just because landlord wants to save 20 quid.

Fire_Fox

DO NOT delay or withhold payment, that is a breach of your AST which is a legally binding document. Please do not advise people to take the law into their own hands, there are procedures to be followed and public agencies who will support the tenant. Nobody is forced to suffer in silence that is why we advocate starting with a recorded delivery letter. :rolleyes:

daska

You might find this useful. Housing Health and Safety Rating System Guidance for Landlords and Property Related Professionals Amazing how many LLs and LAs claim not to be aware of the HHSRS remit.

clutton_2

""
You might find this useful. Housing Health and Safety Rating System Guidance for Landlords and Property Related Professionals Amazing how many LLs and LAs claim not to be aware of the HHSRS remit.""

even in this short thread THREE landlords have already suggested OP research this..... or has daska not bothered reading the rest of this thread... ?

Pitlanepiglet

I've reviewed the guidance (note it's called guidance...) and I don't think that this says, or that there is anything in law that says that a LL must provide a heating system, let alone a central heating system for a tenant. The property has electricity so it is open to the tenant to do what many thousands of other people do which is to use electric heating.

If the tenant rented a flat with heating and now it's failed then the situation is different but if the flat is still in the same condition that it was rented then I don't see that the LL is in breach of anything. The tenant rented a flat with one heater and that's what they've got? They are in the same position as when they started.

The tenant should talk to their LL to see if he has some heaters to provide but otherwise they will need to provide their own heat source and perhaps vote with their feet by going elsewhere.

Bongedone

If the home is not insulated then it can also be enforced by environmental health. A home must be above SAP 35. Portable heaters would not count towards the SAP rating.

clutton_2

Bongedonen - please tell us more about SAP 35 - thanks

chappers

Pitlanepiglet wrote: »

I don't think that this says, or that there is anything in law that says that a LL must provide a heating system, let alone a central heating system for a tenant.

But essentially it says that a rented property must be fit for habitation

In short, a dwelling should be able to supply the basic needs for the everyday life
of the range of households who could normally be expected to live in a dwelling of
that size and type.

The dwelling should not contain any deficiency that might give rise to a hazard
which interferes with, or puts at risk, the health or safety, or even the lives, of the

occupants.

the second clause states that it should not contain any difficiency that gives rise to hazard.

It then goes on to specificaly mention excessive cold as a hazard and then mentions heating as a method of reducing this hazard.

clutton_2

i am certain that a LL has a duty to provide heating - Environmental Health will be most interested in this as cold is now a far worse killer than fire (since HMO regs came in)

Pitlanepiglet

The tenant can provide heating though, there is electricity in it so there is no reason for the tenant not to have heating.

I'd be interested in what Environmental Health say on the subject as it's an interesting point.