Boiler not fixed in 1 week

qwertyjjj

We have not had our boiler running for an entire week.
To be fair, the landlord has done all they can to sort out the problem but the engineers have been slow from the insurance company.
However, we pay decent rent for this place and it's not on not having any hot water or heating.
They brought round electric heaters which are expensive to run and the only hot water we have is in the shower, which isn't much good for washing up.
What would be reasonable compensation in this case?

Colincbayley

£0

You say the LL has done all they can to sort the problem.

Do you think, as a tenant you could get it fixed any quicker?

qwertyjjj

Colincbayley wrote: »

£0

You say the LL has done all they can to sort the problem.

Do you think, as a tenant you could get it fixed any quicker?

Well, yes. I'd have a go at the insurance company for not covering it under their 24h guarantee, claim some money back from the insurance company and then I'd ring a different engineer to fix it.
Not to mention that running electric heaters in the meantime is costing a lot.

Colincbayley

There is an Insurance company offering a guarentee to fix boilers within 24hrs??


Great, who are they. Think I will use them for my properties also!!

Oh, hang on. No, the guarentee on those contracts refers to the call out, not the availablity of parts or ability to repair/replace.

Your LL has a duty to arrange the repairs within a reasonable amount to time ( You have already said he is doing all he can )

He has supplied you with electric heaters, you have hot water to wash via your shower, use a kettle to wash up.

poppysarah

A handy tip is to boil the kettle for washing up. Don't boil water fully - just get it hot. Use a plastic bowl too so you don't dilute it with cold water from the tap when rinsing.

Colincbayley

poppysarah wrote: »

A handy tip is to boil the kettle for washing up. Don't boil water fully - just get it hot. Use a plastic bowl too so you don't dilute it with cold water from the tap when rinsing.

Now that's money saving for you :beer:

qwertyjjj

Colincbayley wrote: »

Oh, hang on. No, the guarentee on those contracts refers to the call out, not the availablity of parts or ability to repair/replace.

Your LL has a duty to arrange the repairs within a reasonable amount to time ( You have already said he is doing all he can )

He has supplied you with electric heaters, you have hot water to wash via your shower, use a kettle to wash up.

Yeah, the call out took 3 days, maybe they don't cover it for weekends...I haven't seen the insurance contract...but it wasn't fixed properly because the boiler has problems. So, the insurance company has to come back.
Electric heaters do not really do the job, we're lucky it's not below zero at the moment plus they cost a lot.
It's a case of value for money and a broken boiler for an entire week is not value for money when paying UK rents.
I agree the kettle works for washing up but the shower is only hot due to it being electric.

BitterAndTwisted

Landlords are obliged to attend to repairs within a "reasonable time" and if you are without heating and hot-water they should provide an alternative means. Your landlord appears to have done this and appears to be doing everything they can to resolve the issue. If you were an owner-occupier I doubt the outcome would have been any different except you would have had to buy your own heaters.

Some decent landlords have been known to offer a rent-reduction but they are not obliged to do this. I suspect your attitude will have a profound effect on whatever happens so I would advise you to try and appear understanding and reasonable.

Cissi

qwertyjjj wrote: »

Yeah, the call out took 3 days, maybe they don't cover it for weekends...I haven't seen the insurance contract...but it wasn't fixed properly because the boiler has problems. So, the insurance company has to come back.
Electric heaters do not really do the job, we're lucky it's not below zero at the moment plus they cost a lot.
It's a case of value for money and a broken boiler for an entire week is not value for money when paying UK rents.
I agree the kettle works for washing up but the shower is only hot due to it being electric.

Of course it's not ideal but your landlord seems to have done everything possible. To be honest, it's irrelevant whether the shower is only hot due to being electric - the point is that you have hot water to wash with.

G_M

The landlord has by your own description done all he can to help you.

It is no different for owner occupiers. If my own boiler breaks down (as it has in the past) I have to suffer no heating/hot water for a day, or a week, or whatever it takes.

Plumbers are busy this time of year.

Also they don't/can't carry every spare part for every boiler in their vans. Even plumbers merchants don't/can't stock every spare part for every boiler in their shops so have to order them.

Think yourself lucky the boiler is not written off - a replacement boiler would take longer.

Landlords are not magicians and cannot fix everything instantly. Sometimes life is like that - not perfect. Same whether you are a private tenant, council tenant, or house-owner.

Finally, British Gas policies/boiler insurance policies face the same problems as thoise listed above, except that they have better access to plumbers. The LL has no obligation to have such a policy so you are lucky he does, otherwise you might have been waiting even longer while he phoned round countless engineers to find one who has time. And as long as he was trying his best, you'd just have to wait.

Now if the LL had ignored your complaint, that would be different!

clearing_out_my_pockets

qwertyjjj wrote: »

Well, yes. I'd have a go at the insurance company for not covering it under their 24h guarantee, claim some money back from the insurance company and then I'd ring a different engineer to fix it.
Not to mention that running electric heaters in the meantime is costing a lot.

I am an owner occupier who was without heating for a week and a half and has now been with sporadic hot water for two weeks. I have got money back from the insurance company and have found someone else. I still have no hot water. So your landlord is doing a good job.

As far as the cost of using electric heaters goes - is this not offset by the gas saving due to the boiler not working?