Broken washing machine LL responsible

spike2012

Hi all

The washing machine came with our provately rented flat. We have been living here for about 7 months, and in that time, our little baby girl was born :beer: she's so beautiful!

anyway, we had problems with the LL chasing up "thier plumber" to fix the toilet but they eventually did a couple of weeks later so that is sorted.

We now have a broken washing machine. I phoned Letting agency and they asked to give my details to washing machine people. I agreed.

Had washing machine people out to look at the machine, and they have said that it needs a brand new filter. The entire unit will probably have to be ordered and the bloke that came around today said that we are looking at it arriving mid week, so Im guessing he is looking to fit the end of this up and coming week.

As we dont have a car, I am lugging as much washing as i can to the local laundrette, which costs £2.80 a load, and about a £1 to dry per load.

did £40 worth up until tuesday this week, and as of now I am going to need to do about another £30 worth this weekend. I am completely nieve to the situation but please dont jump at me for asking this - is there any way that we can ask for a reduction in rent? Be it anything? As It would have been cheaper for me to purchase a temporary 2nd hand washing machine, but the LL wouldnt allow it as the current unit is plumbed and built into the kitchen units.

Thanks for any help

Spike

poolboy

You can access the filter yourself on most modern washing machines. Take off the lower panel (carefully as the studs can break) or there may be a small square panel on the bottom somewhere.

With above removed, there will be a round hole & a plastic insert. Turn the insert anticlockwise, some water will drain out so put a towel down.

There is probably something stuck in the filter, clean it out. Its designed to stop in the event of blockage to prevent damage.

replace.

5 min job, 50 quid if you are plumber.

If it is not the above its a mechanic job.

spike2012

Thanks for the reply. The bloke that came out today tried that, I was watching the whole time and have tried the above method (successfully) at my mothers, but wanted to see what he made of it. as he took the filter out of the machine as you described, it snapped. He said the whole filter unit is going to need to be replaced...

jrrowleyws

You're doing ~20 loads a week?? Wow!

Though, the landlord is getting it fixed and can't really help if it needs a part. You'd be in the same situation if you were paying for the repair. I'd personally say its totally unreasonable to ask for a rent deduction as it sounds like a repair is being done and was actioned fairly quickly when you reported it.

Old_Git

you have a new baby
you don't have a car
and you have to use a laundrette
OMG the shame .:eek:








actually on a serious note NO you cant get the rent reduced

Sucker_for_sweeties

Do without the drying.....take it home and do what you normally do.
If it's a washer dryer on the blink then it's probably saving you money if each load only costs a £1 to dry.

Lugged the black binbags so many times throughout my life that I'm struggling with sympathy, sorry, and the many times when I couldn't afford the laundrette I've spent many a night bent over the bath, wringing clothes in towels till the blisters pop.

Sucker_for_sweeties

spike2012 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. The bloke that came out today tried that, I was watching the whole time and have tried the above method (successfully) at my mothers, but wanted to see what he made of it. as he took the filter out of the machine as you described, it snapped. He said the whole filter unit is going to need to be replaced...

Can't you pop a few loads round your Mum's? This was SIL's stopgap when she had 9 days without hers.

Wee_Willy_Harris

Well, you can ask, but the LL certainly is under no obligation to compensate you in any way. In fact, he might just think that you are taking the P.

On a serious note, is it teally necessary to do 3 loads of washing every day, 7 days a week??? Seems VERY excessive to me, for a 3 person household. In the longer term, this will cost you a fortune even when the washing machine is fixed, and might explain why it's broken. Maybe this is something you should look into addressing while you have the perfect opportunity.

spike2012

jrrowleyws wrote: »

You're doing ~20 loads a week?? Wow!

Though, the landlord is getting it fixed and can't really help if it needs a part. You'd be in the same situation if you were paying for the repair. I'd personally say its totally unreasonable to ask for a rent deduction as it sounds like a repair is being done and was actioned fairly quickly when you reported it.

It's about 12 loads a week at the moment, the £30 I said is about 10 loads with drying at £2.

I think old git is being sarcastic and I know ill get jumped on for saying that but im sooo tired I;ve probably misunderstood it

I thought as much, thanks for the replies. The reason we do so many loads also, is that the machine is tiny, to fit in the worktop space I should imagine. It holds about 4 large towels and anymore its overloaded.

Yep, will give the mother a ring, be better than the laundrette for washing and will probably dry it at home thanks for the advice.

poppysarah

I still find it hard to see how a baby can cause 12 loads a week.

Re-use towels a couple of times - as long as you air them after use they dry and can be used again. If you get them *that* dirty after one dry then you're not washing properly.

I can see how much washing two teenage girls create compared to a teenage lad - but a baby only wears what you put it in!

I'd certainly ask for compo off the landlord although work it out as (how much it costs at laundrette) - (how much it costs at home) + travel costs.

In the old days women used to regularly lug sacks of washing to the laundrette. We have as a species become more lazy and reluctant to exercise. I'm not saying it's fine - but it is something most of our mothers almost certainly have had to do at some point without thinking anything of it.

iamana1ias

I've had similar happen. My landlord covered the cost of the engineer, the replacement machine and my laundrette costs during the gap. I think these were around £40 over 3 or 4 weeks (2 of us with 1 white load, 1 coloured load, 1 dark load, 1 towel load and 1 bedding load per week).

I really can't understand how you could need to do 12 laundrette loads a week with just 3 of you! Laundrette washers are huge compared to domestic ones!