4 weeks STILL NO HOT WATER

TallulahM

We moved into a rented house at the beginning of March, we were familiar with the house and letting agent as we took over the tenancy from my sister.
My sister told us the boiler occasionally played up, a plumber (sent by the letting agent) has been out to repair it 3 times previously.

Anyway, my sister lived alone and had one shower a day, so I guess she wasn't subjected to the total unreliability of the old combi boiler.
Over the easter weekend, a leak started in the downstairs bathroom, it flooded the living room, the letting agent was incommunicado over the entire easter period, so we spent 4 days without any water at all. Sodding wet carpet etc.

When a plumber eventually came on the Tuesday, he found that the shower had been plumbed in with a HOSEPIPE, which had burst hence the leak, he capped the shower pipes, and said he would need to remove the jacuzzi bath (which is old and disgusting) to install new pipes to the shower. Whilst he was here, we also asked him to look at the boiler as it was getting worse by the day - he advised that he had repaired it 3 times already (as my sister had said), and it needed replacing.

Since then NOTHING has happenned, despite repeated requests, both verbal and written, to the the letting agent, the shower still does not work, and the boiler breaks down within 3 minutes of the hot water running, we then have to wait a minimum of 45 minutes before we can reset it - sometimes it doesn't reset for up to 2 hours.
In addition, the letting agent sent someone to clean the carpets, though because the leak came from underneath the floor, the water stain (which spans some 7ft in diameter) still remains, and there is a constant damp musty smell.

I should also add that the plumber was supposed to call on two occasions, on both days I took time off work to be here, and on neither occasion did he turn up. I called the letting agent several times during those days and they kept saying they would call me back, but didn't.

We are a family of 5, and for 4 weeks I have had to ferry my children back and forth to my parents so we can wash and bathe. Needless to say, this is becoming so very stressfull. At the weekend, the boiler cut out before I could even fill a sink to wash the dishes!

I called the letting agent again on Saturday, this time crying my eyes out cause it's all too much now, and he promised me someone will be here tomorrow to fix the shower and "look" at the boiler. I would be surprised if they even turned up, let alone fix the boiler.

Am I within my rights to withold rent until these repairs are done? Is the letting agent/landlord even liable to repair them? Could I claim compensation for the month without hot water?
What can I do to get them moving on this? I am at the end of my tether - looking at other rented properties hoping to find somewhere else but could do without the upheaval.

Ditch_Crawler

check out PYUECK's thread about 11 ways to beat your landlord (para 7)

clutton_2

the proper way to do this is to read Shelter's legal advice - there is a set procedure for with-holding rent for repairs, and if you do not follow it you could be evicted for non-payment of rent.

it is the landlords responsibility to fund repairs - so the agent can only sanction repairs if the landlord has the money...

but - you could also go to Environmental Health officer at yoru local council they - or the Private SEctor Housing Officer - will be able to remind your landlord of his repairing responsibilities... and if necessary they do have the powers to do the repair themselves and then bill the landlord but this would only happen after months of negotiations

sounds like you need others to help you right now - so i would go to EO first and see how they can help..

b w