no water - landlord not helping!

gemgemgemgem

Hi,

The water to the building has gone off, despite speaking to the estate agents today, they have not sent anyone around to fix it. We have now been over 24 hours without any water at all.

Would I be within my rights to call a plumber or someone out to try and fix it and charge it to the estate agency?

Thanks.

jimjames

Have you phoned the water company or checked with neighbours if they have water? It may be a more general problem or were you expecting water to be turned off?

G_M

Please describe the source of the fault. Is water to neighboring properties affected?

Is there a mains stopcock inside and has it been turned off? Have you checked? What about the outside stopcock?

Is your 'building' a house, or a block of flats?

Do other flats have water?

Is there a tank in the attic? Is it empty? Have you checked? If empty, is the 'float' up (closing the inlet valve) or down (valve open so water should flow in)?

Is there evidence of a burst pipe/leak anywhere?

This may well not be a problem the LL can solve, it may be the water company. You could call them, but they'll ask similar questions! It is very rare for internal pulmbing to simply 'cut off' the water. More likely either a leak (you'd know!) or a supply problem (water company).

Have you reported the problem to the EAs IN WRITING?

Tobyemery

Is there water coming from the cold tap in the sink and just not the others? If not then it's probably been shut off for a reason.

You could call a plumber but you'll probably be charged if it's nothing to do with the ll. I'd ask neighbors, double checked you haven't had a letter of some sort. have you got an unvented cylinder do you know?

If the neighbour has water then I'd start phoning around?

gemgemgemgem

thank you for your responses -

The water company have been called but say its the landlords problem as it's not a fault with the supply etc.

Its a block of flats, everyone in the block (5 flats) is out of water but the rest of the area if fine.

There is no tank as far as I am aware (there is no attic I know of)

There is no cold water - no toilet water either!

Don't know where I would find a mains or any sort of meter?!

The estate agent mentioned she had given some builders a key to do something earlier in the week (I know there have been people working on the building next door) and suggested it could be something to do with them, but said she couldnt get hold of them?!

help!

G_M

In that case I would
a) put a letter through the agent's letterbox tonight outling the problem, reminding them of when you first reported it, detailing the water company response, stressing the importance of water to make a property 'habitable' as defined by the local council's Environmental Health Dept, and asking for an immediate response telling you what action they are taking and when.
b) then I would call them, at hourly intervals, throughout the day - or go in and sit there till they do something. Ask to use their loo. Take your washing up in as well. Oh, and ask if they have a shower in their office.....

As it is a block of flats, is there a management company? If you are not sure, ask other residents. Are the other residents also tenants or do they own their flats? If owners, they will know how the block is managed.

edit: what address is on the tenancy agreement for the landlord? Make sure you ALSO send your letter here.

gemgemgemgem

G_M wrote: »

In that case I would
a) put a letter through the agent's letterbox tonight outling the problem, reminding them of when you first reported it, detailing the water company response, stressing the importance of water to make a property 'habitable' as defined by the local council's Environmental Health Dept, and asking for an immediate response telling you what action they are taking and when.
b) then I would call them, at hourly intervals, throughout the day - or go in and sit there till they do something. Ask to use their loo. Take your washing up in as well. Oh, and ask if they have a shower in their office.....

As it is a block of flats, is there a management company? If you are not sure, ask other residents. Are the other residents also tenants or do they own their flats? If owners, they will know how the block is managed.

edit: what address is on the tenancy agreement for the landlord? Make sure you ALSO send your letter here.

Thank you again for your reply,

I am not able to get there tonight, or go in tomorrow due to work, but I will definitely hound them with phone calls and emails. Will take my washing up tomorrow evening though if its still not sorted!

The other tenants all have the same letting agency and none of us know who the landlord is - no contact details or address. There is no management company that I know of, the estate agency deals with everything (usually).

Hump

Talk to the Council's Environmental Health Team tomorrow, they will make the landlord do something tomorrow or undertake emergency measures or emergency remedial action - see

http://www.lacors.gov.uk/lacors/ContentDetails.aspx?id=15242&authCode=

G_M

gemgemgemgem wrote: »

....
The other tenants all have the same letting agency and none of us know who the landlord is - no contact details or address. There is no management company that I know of, the estate agency deals with everything (usually).

Stop paying rent. Rent is not payable unless you have a contact address in Eng/Wales for the landlord. It does not have to be his home (can be an agency, his mum etc) but there MUST be address provided to you in WRITING. 95% of the tie it is on the tenancy agreement (often at the end).

See S48 of the landlord and tenant Act 1987 here:

48 Notification by landlord of address for service of notices.
(1)A landlord of premises to which this Part applies shall by notice furnish the tenant with an address in England and Wales at which notices (including notices in proceedings) may be served on him by the tenant.
(2)Where a landlord of any such premises fails to comply with subsection (1), any rent or service charge otherwise due from the tenant to the landlord shall (subject to subsection (3)) be treated for all purposes as not being due from the tenant to the landlord at any time before the landlord does comply with that subsection.

Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 you also have the right to write to the agent requesting the LL's address and they have 14 days to provide it.

G_M

gemgemgemgem wrote: »

Thank you again for your reply,

I am not able to get there tonight, or go in tomorrow due to work, but I will definitely hound them with phone calls and emails. Will take my washing up tomorrow evening though if its still not sorted!

...

Get something in writing asap. Fax from work? 1st class post.