Looking for some advice please with regards to the house i'm currently renting

tickled_pink

My landlord is really good, and I've only ever had one problem since moving in which was sorted out fairly quickly, although they did tell me never to call anyone out again without getting their permission first

I'm not sure where I stand with this question so was looking for some good advice please.

Yesterday I had the bottom oven on cooking tea, the washing machine on and the tv on (as I do every night), the fuse box tripped and everything went off. Since then I can't get the bottom oven to heat up and the Intergrated fridge freezer has de-frsosted overnight and won't freeze again.

At the moment i'm not to fussed about the cooker but as I only went shopping on wednesday and spent over £90 on food mainly all freezer food I do need to sort this out.

I have tried to call my landlord but the dial tone sounds like they are overseas (private landlord, not a letting agent) and I have sent numerous text messages today but had no reply to them.

When we first moved in the dishwasher broke and I asked a plumber to have a look for me as I was going to front the costs and the landlord went mad. Due to this I'm a little worried to call someone out to have a look but with a freezer full of shopping that has defrosted and a load of shopping thrown away, and a fridge that is quite warm and no answer from the landlord where do I stand?

Legally can I call someone out off my own back as I can't get in touch with them or will doing that mean I will have to pay for it to be fixed?

Sorry if long and confusing.

jamie11

It sounds as if you have a fault, either with the fridge freezer or with the oven. You need to disconnect the freezer from the power, unplug it, then see if the oven works. If it does not then, if you can disconnect the oven, (make sure you turn off the power by the main switch) then plug the freezer in again and see if it works. Try a different appliance in the socket if it does not, if that appliance does not work try a different socket altogether. Most places have two ring mains so the chances are that one at least will work.

If you are really stuck then try to inform the landlord any way you can, send him an email, they are always dated so he can't say you have not informed him, then get a tradesman in.

tickled_pink

Thank you, have tried that but no both of them still not working. The bottom over turns on, the light comes on but the oven will not heat up at all.

The fridge, the light is on and so is the alarm and its beeping, but I put a loaf of bread in the freezer and where is usually starts to freezer in a hour is still soft 9 hrs later.

I don't have my landlord's e-mail address but I have sent numerous text messages which I will keep as they have the date and time on.

Thanks for replying

jamie11

Have you checked the freezer for a reset button?

tickled_pink

Yeah but can't find one. When we moved in there were no instruction manuals left for the appliances, as the landlords put the kitchen in themselves and bought a second hand fridge freezer (which is way to small for the units it is in as it's propped up on blocks of wood) and a second hand dishwasher (which we have already had fixed since moving in)

When I went to turn the fuse off in the fuse box the one labeled 'kitchen' actually turned off the up stairs sockets and the one labeled 'office' turned off the kitchen sockets.

Can I ask where I stand with all this food too, will my contents cover, cover me for that?

G_M

Legally can I call someone out off my own back Yes as I can't get in touch with them or will doing that mean I will have to pay for it to be fixed? yes unless the LL agrees to pay

First the legal stuff:
Are you in England/Wales or Scotland? (different law)
Assuming Eng/Wales
Do you have an address in Eng Wales for the LL? If not, you do not have do pay rent till you are given one (it can be his, or c/0 an agent/his mum/whatever).
If so, WRITE informing him of the problem. Use other means too (email, phone etc) but always WRITE.
You say he may be overseas. Is he resident overseas? If so, you may be liable for his UK tax on his rental income, depending who/how you pay. See here.
If a LL does not do repairs, there's a procedure for doing them yourself and claiming back from future rent - but you MUST follow the process (shelter here).
OK practical stuff.
Something tripped the fuse. Sounds like either the oven or the freezer. Seems you have now checked power to both (oven light works/freezer light works). I assume it's an electric oven? Not gas? Possibly the surge when the trip happened caused a fault in whichever one it was NOT, though this is unlikely so I'm surprised the BOTH don't work.

Are you sure the timer on the oven is not set and that's why it doesn't work? Have you got manuals for the oven/freezer?

Is it just the freezer, or does the fridge not get cold? What happens when you turn the thermostat? Does the fridge and/or freezer come on/go off? You should be able to hear. May be a thermostat fault.

You have contents insurance? You'll need to check the policy - some cover freezer contents, some don't! There may be a excess to pay too.

If you don't get a response from the LL, I'd get an electrician out. Yes, you may end up having to pay if your LL is unhelpful, but you have tried your best to contact so have a moral argument.

And if you have no address, stop paying rent - that will soon have him contacting you......!

tickled_pink

G_M wrote: »

First the legal stuff:
Are you in England/Wales or Scotland? (different law)
Assuming Eng/Wales - england
Do you have an address in Eng Wales for the LL? If not, you do not have do pay rent till you are given one (it can be his, or c/0 an agent/his mum/whatever). Yes their business address
If so, WRITE informing him of the problem. Use other means too (email, phone etc) but always WRITE. Will do this tonight
You say he may be overseas. Is he resident overseas? If so, you may be liable for his UK tax on his rental income, depending who/how you pay. See here. Lives about 20mins away, works 5 mins away, I think they are just on hoilday
If a LL does not do repairs, there's a procedure for doing them yourself and claiming back from future rent - but you MUST follow the process (shelter here).
OK practical stuff.
Something tripped the fuse. Sounds like either the oven or the freezer. Seems you have now checked power to both (oven light works/freezer light works). I assume it's an electric oven? Not gas? Possibly the surge when the trip happened caused a fault in whichever one it was NOT, though this is unlikely so I'm surprised the BOTH don't work. Electric Double oven. The top oven/grill works as I've just used that to cook the kids dinner and the hob is gas and that works. Just the bottom oven does not get hot at all, Had it on for over an hour and its stone cold

Are you sure the timer on the oven is not set and that's why it doesn't work? Have you got manuals for the oven/freezer?
No manuals for anything in the house
Is it just the freezer, or does the fridge not get cold? What happens when you turn the thermostat? Does the fridge and/or freezer come on/go off? You should be able to hear. May be a thermostat fault. The fridge is wam inside, not as cold as it has been. I have turned the thermostate but nothing happens and been trying this all day (until I had to go out). When I turn the fridge/freezer off at the power socket and turn it back on again after a few minutes, you can hear the fridge kick in and the alarm beeps, but after about 2-3 mins its turns off but the light stays on

You have contents insurance? You'll need to check the policy - some cover freezer contents, some don't! There may be a excess to pay too.

Thanks for your advice. It looks like this kitchen is doomed I am also having trouble with the heating and hot wate but thats a different story.
Will have a read of my contents insurance now.

G_M

Sophisticated fridge! I've never come across an alarm.....!
OK - fridge comes on so so the condensor works. My guess is the thermostat. This might help here.

Oven - I still suspect some kind of timing element is keeping it off. Is there a clock? Does it need re-setting? Is there a timer? is it on/off?
You could also try posting symptoms on the 'appliances' forum here.

tickled_pink

Thank you, once the kids are in bed I will have a look at those links.

Thanks for your help

redsquarelady

My cooker triped the electrics and it was the element that had blown. So when i got the electric back on the oven wouldn't heat up but the fan did come on. The element on my cooker cost about £30, with out having it fitted. (friend did it).
Cant help with the freezer.. sorry

tickled_pink

Thanks for all your help. Well I finally got a text back from the landlord, they are currently on a cruise so they can't do anything personally but they have asked their dad to call.

I explained the situation to him and he is stunned that both the cooker and freezer could both stop working at the same time, almost a near imposibility were his words but he has called the electrician the landlord uses and asked him to call and arange a time to come and have a look. Hopefully tomorrow as with 4 young kids I do need a working fridge freezer. Fingers crossed its the thermostate and a straight forward fix .

Thanks again fr your help and advice, it really is appreciated
Pink x