Rented house - downlight started a fire

squashynose

Last night one of the downlights in our rented house set fire to the top of the kitchen door. The ceiling is really low, and there's less than 1 inch clearance between it and the top of the door. This is obviously a fudge up when designing the extension, but the problem is that our LL has built it all himself. He's been awful when it comes to repairs. We had terrible mould when we moved in, and it took 5 months for him to come clean it. The electrics haven't worked correctly since we moved in, and one socket in particular makes plugs so hot they burn you when you pull them out.

We've made numerous complaints to the letting agents for repairs to be done, but they always come back to us and say the LL wont allow them to do the work, and he will come himself to do it. Only once has he been, that was for the mould, and only because we got environmental health in.

Is there a particular body we should report this to, because I'm guessing this will get ignored by the LL along with everything else...

The joke is he's actually trying to sell the house in this state as well!

Thanks for any advice

poppysarah

I'd ring building control maybe as I was leaving...

Write a letter and post it to him and CC it to building control.
He won't be impressed though - but what's more important - your safety or him being happy?

gordonbennet

The electrics sound positively lethal! You should tell the agent (in writing) that you believe this to be the case, and you insist that there is a full electrical inspection and report undertaken by a qualified electrician. Point out that although such an inspection is not currently a legal requirement, failure to act after an incident like this (and after reports of plugs getting hot) would leave them and the landlord criminally liable if any further incidents occur and someone is hurt.

Further, I would explain that if they fail to commission a report of this nature in the next few days, you will commission one yourself at the landlords expense, and will authorise any repairs necessary to make the property safe. You could then deduct those costs from rent - but only if you've given them the opportunity to arrange the electrician themselves first. There's a risk that you might get a CC summons for failure to pay rent, but I'd be amazed if they'd win when the court was presented with your paper trail showing your attempts to get the electircs made safe.

If you'd rather not risk this, you could speak to the local council (housing officer? Environmental health?) and get advice on what powers they may have to force the LL to act.

may_fair

squashynose wrote: »

Only once has he been, that was for the mould, and only because we got environmental health in.

Didn't you tell the EHO about the electrics? If not, get them in again pronto.

Is there a particular body we should report this to, because I'm guessing this will get ignored by the LL along with everything else...

EHO and Building Control.

Edit: see also
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/repairs_in_private_lets

PasturesNew

It sounds like the house has been illegally AND badly/dangerously wired. Some numpty who knows it all.....

This is a serious thing.

It should be reported pronto to anybody and everybody who will listen.

For renting, the electrics should have been safe - although there is no legal requirement to provide paper-based evidence from a professional that it is safe.

pararct

This is clearly not right as modern electrics are supposed to have safety cut out devices to cut the power off before it gets anywhere near causing combustion.
If it has happened once it is very possible it can happen again. It needs inspecting and quite quickly.

paddy's_mum

Move. It's simply not worth the fretting every time you plug in a new appliance, the worry every time you turn the lights on, the start each time you hear an odd noise from within the house and the inability to sleep at night.

I'd be using every means at my disposal to drop this delingquent chancer into the brown stuff but I'd put the safety of myself and my family first, even if that meant we moved into a caravan till the autumn.

Your life is worth more than this cretin's so-called money saving idiocy! Bet he won't be laughing when the place burns down and his insurers find out what he's done and won't pay.

Homersimpson

pararct wrote: »

This is clearly not right as modern electrics are supposed to have safety cut out devices to cut the power off before it gets anywhere near causing combustion.
If it has happened once it is very possible it can happen again. It needs inspecting and quite quickly.

Not necessarily, I suspect that the problem from the OP's description is that a spotlight with a 50w lamp is so close to the cupboard door that it has caused it to melt rather than being a fault with the wiring of the fitting itself. Clearly the fitting is in the wrong place/wrong type if this has happend.

With regard to the fault with the socket, it amazes me that anyonce and rent out a house and have no regard for issues like this and the one above that could cause a fire leading to loss of life or loss of value. Even if you look at it with only a money head on who would want to rent/ buy a house where the last occupants burnt to death!

dancingfairy

Might be worth contacting the local fire station, explain that you had a fire and would like their advice - hopefully they can do an inspection for you.
Oh and you do know that during your tenancy you don't have to allow sale viewings don't you?
Best of Luck
df

squashynose

Moving is a tricky one. We're paid up for the whole year, so if we leave now, we're losing about £4500, and our deposit of another £795. Unless we can prove somehow that he's broken the terms of the contract. Other problem is that we have 4 dogs, a cat, and as of last night, a piglet! We were lucky to find a landlord who would allow all those, and that's probably why we've put up with so much, or so little as the case may be.

OH is gonna phone the letting agent again this morning, and tell them we want an inspection doing or we'll get one done ourselves, and invoice them. If we threaten them with environmental health etc. they might actually listen.

Last time EH were here, he actually mentioned that our only fire escape is the front door, in the kitchen, the one that caught fire... All of the windows are top opening. So if the door really went up, we'd be trapped. Yeah, I think we'll call them again.

Thanks!

I don't know if it's just the York branch of Hunters, or if it's the company as a whole, but they're completely useless. Even if you go into the office to talk to someone, the person at the desk has to email someone else upstairs, who then phones you downstairs, and promises to phone you back later that day, and then doesn't.

poppysarah

(If you've paid for a year he can't get rid of you BUT you might die in his death trap house if you do not take action)

Ring the local fire brigade man. Not the 999 but look up the number. Speak to them. Tell them you've had a fire and ask them to come and see what smoke detectors you should have. They fit them FREE and it might save your life.

They might also be able to encourage your LL to sort the electrics out.