Unfit property (so cold) my rights

Ash_Vanguard

Hi all
me and my lady moved into a lovely old style house last summer and all was well till the temperature dropped, the house has been unlivable, you can see your breath in most rooms and the washing up water constantly freezes. The heating does work but it doesn't heat the house at all really, in order to be happy in a room you need two heaters AND the central heating on.
what are our rights? the combined bill is going to be so big and i feel it's unfair on us as the rent is also expensive. We are the first people to live in this property since the owners moved out, i also think we should have been told just how cold the property gets.
do we have any rights concerning shortening the contract and or withholding rent until anything is done about it or only paying partial rent for the last say 2 months? (we have informed the estate agents many times as well)
thanks
Ash

tomitma

You may be eligible for free cavity wall insulation, it is free to people over 70, or on certain benefits, if they live in there own home or a privately rented home. We have a 3 bedroomed detached bungalow, and my God was it cold, but since the insulation, we only have the heating on for a few hours a day.

martindow

Is the CH not working properly? If so the LL is obliged to repair it.

Geenie

Were you shown an EPC, Energy performance Certificate, which should state how good the central heating system, insulation and running costs of the house should be?

Also how long is your AST for, as it could be wise to give notice and look elsewhere?

missile

You are entitled to move <LOL>

Ash_Vanguard

Sadly no we werent shown a certificate and we arent entitled to anything as im a student and my girlfriend works and we are both in our 20s, missile what do you mean? we had a 6 month contract that finished and now since we haven't signed anything further im guessing its switched into a rolling contract. its just so annoying though, ive never lived in a 'pretty' house before always modern carpeted ones not these hip wooden floors/old style sash windows etc. never again
thanks for the help thus far

Hammyman

Ash_Vanguard wrote: »

Hi all
me and my lady moved into a lovely old style house last summer and all was well till the temperature dropped, the house has been unlivable, you can see your breath in most rooms and the washing up water constantly freezes. The heating does work but it doesn't heat the house at all really, in order to be happy in a room you need two heaters AND the central heating on.
what are our rights?

None. There is no automatic right to a warm house.

the combined bill is going to be so big and i feel it's unfair on us as the rent is also expensive

Old house with sash cord windows has high heating bill shocker. In other news, the pope is catholic.

do we have any rights concerning shortening the contract and or withholding rent until anything is done about it or only paying partial rent for the last say 2 months?
Ash

No you have no right to withhold rent or pay partial rent and the landlord is not obliged to do anything about it as long as provided heating is working. Anyone who looks at an old house and doesn't ask how much it costs to heat it is mad. Before we bought our current house, we looked at renting some old properties in nearby villages. One question we always asked the tenants when looking around was how much it cost to heat it in winter because, quite simply, the fact old houses leak heat like a sieve is COMMON KNOWLEDGE.

As mentioned, you may be able to get grants for insulation but it depends on your income.

Johnjohn

I think there is something about the right to live in a "decent home" in the Housing Act 2004 together with definitions of things that make a home "not decent" - e.g. damp, poor insulation, health hazards etc... However I have a feeling it applies to Housing Association and Local Authority homes only. May be worth checking out though.

Ash_Vanguard

haha thanks Hammyman, i guess you live and learn. my girlfriend says you sound mean
we gonna start looking for a new one

bryanb

Ash_Vanguard wrote: »

haha thanks Hammyman, i guess you live and learn. my girlfriend says you sound mean
we gonna start looking for a new one

He's not mean, he's realistic.

SingleSue

In our first flat, we used to wake up to ice on the inside of windows....we just made sure we put on many layers to go to bed in (including woolly hats).

There was no central heating, just some gas fires plus sash windows but having a hardy upbringing where we didn't get central heating until I was almost in my teens, it was not a huge biggie to me.

OP, maybe put some quilts on the sofas to snuggle under when watching the television and extra layers on the bed/yourselves when in the bedroom. I also find a halogen heater in my unheated hallway does the trick for me right now in my somewhat drafty house.