Renting: No hot water for 2 weeks!

jennagallop01

Hi All,

I wondered if someone can help me regarding an issue we have at our flat. We signed our tenancy agreement last month for another year with a 6 month break clause. We've had LOTS of problems at our place from a broken shower to a fridge door hanging off it's hinges, mold which still hasn't been cleared up from the walls and curtains since reported last November. We used to pay £900 a month rent and when our tenancy came up for renewal the landlord wanted to increase it to £950. With all the problems we had we disputed this and he only put it up an extra £25.

For the last 2 weeks we have had no hot water as there is a problem with the boiler. We are having to use the "on peak" switch in order to obtain hot water which we have been told costs 3x more in electric. The issue has still not been resolved and we have to go through a letting agent as our landlord lives in America. I have asked them to request a rent reduction in November and for them to compensate us for any additional charges on our electric bill as we should not be expected to fork out for this! Does anyone know if we are entitled to be requesting these things? It's taking so long for the issue to be resolved and our letting agents are hopeless at communication it's like trying to get blood out of a stone!!

Also, we want to see if we can get out of our tenancy early due to all of the problems we've had. Technically we can't give notice until 2 months before our 6 month break clause but we need to get out!!

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Fire_Fox

Welcome! It's worth running an advanced search, this issue comes up regularly. No you cannot get out of your tenancy agreement. Why did you sign a new one, do you know you go onto a periodic tenancy automatically, you don't have to renew?

Write to the landlord directly regarding all the repairs, send two copies from different Post Offices getting a proof of posting. You should have an address in the UK on your tenancy agreement for serving of notices. If there is no address for serving notices you rent is not due at all.
http://www.landlordzone.co.uk/landlord's_address.htm

Don't waste time communicating the letting agent, you have no contract with them and they have no repairing obligation. Also contact Environmental Health at the local council who can support you in enforcing the landlord's repairing obligations, they may even be able to insist the landlord rehouses you temporarily or recommend you withhold rent and get this fixed yourself. Please understand you can ONLY withhold rent in specific circumstances, not just because you feel aggrieved.

Mould is most often down to tenant lifestyle and failure to ventilate effectively. Do not underestimate how many pints of water we produce in a single day. Open the windows daily year round, use extractor fans when showering, never air dry laundry indoors, use pan lids when cooking.

jennagallop01

Thanks for your reply.

Regarding the mould, when we had the issue they came out to us 5 months later and installed a vent. However, the remaining mold has still not been cleaned up and it needs special treatment. We always use the fan when cooking and the fan in the bathroom. We have to air dry our clothes as there is no other option. We do not have a dryer and live in a flat so cannot hang clothes outside. Our flat is open plan with a balcony in the bedroom looking over the living room.

jennagallop01

Sorry - also forgot to mention. We signed a new agreement because the previous one was for a year and on this one we wanted the 6 month break clause in.

Fire_Fox

jennagallop01 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply.

Regarding the mould, when we had the issue they came out to us 5 months later and installed a vent. However, the remaining mold has still not been cleaned up and it needs special treatment. We always use the fan when cooking and the fan in the bathroom. We have to air dry our clothes as there is no other option. We do not have a dryer and live in a flat so cannot hang clothes outside. Our flat is open plan with a balcony in the bedroom looking over the living room.

You either need to air dry laundry only when doors and windows are open for a through draft, go to a launderette, rent a tumble dryer or buy an electric dehumidifier and use that. You will likely find the dehumidifier is the most cost effective for the results. Any damage your lifestyle condensation causes to the flat can be charged to your damage deposit.

Mould is easy to clean - spray with Dettox mould and mildew remover and leave until it goes clear then wipe away. Don't get any spray onto any fabrics because it will bleach them. It is usually safe on coloured paint but test a small patch: any places you are worried about bleaching try sugar soap.

jennagallop01 wrote: »

Sorry - also forgot to mention. We signed a new agreement because the previous one was for a year and on this one we wanted the 6 month break clause in.

You would have rolled onto a statutory periodic tenancy with notice to quit of one rent period (usually one month) if you had not signed a new AST, no need for two months nor a break clause. Tenancies never expire only the fixed term expires, the actual tenancy contract continues until notice to quit is served by one party AND the tenants move out or are evicted.

If you are in a fixed term the landlord cannot enforce a rent increase unless it is written into the AST. The landlord can only serve written notice of a rent increase (section 13) AFTER you go onto a periodic tenancy OR you can mutually agree a rent increase by signing a new AST or by starting to pay a rent increase.

Notmyrealname

jennagallop01 wrote: »

We are having to use the "on peak" switch in order to obtain hot water which we have been told costs 3x more in electric.

It doesn't unless you are on Economy 7.

jennagallop01

Ah, we are on econemy 7

missrlr

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Don't waste time communicating the letting agent, you have no contract with them and they have no repairing obligation.

This is not strictly true, if the tenancy contract specifies that the agent is acting on behalf of the LL as they are out of the country (OP states LL in USA) the communications does have to go via the agent as the representative of the LL.

Clearly you can also communicate to the LL directly but given the time variances / distances the agent *should* be more expedient.

martindow

I notice that your LL lives abroad. There are special arrangements regarding tax which you should be aware of - details here.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/international/nr-landlords.htm

jamil0458

You have every right to insist the property is kept in accordance with the tenancy agreement (re repairs etc) so check the small print to see what it says about repairs etc.
The house should also be of a tolerable standard, and if it is not, you have a right to insist it is brought up to TS.
As advised before, the LL's agent will most probably be the contact but check your lease as it should be in there somewhere.
Don't sit back and do nothing, keep on at them, but try to keep it nice and pleasant in your requests however frustrating it may be, but persistence is they key, and keep copies of any written communications and log details of any phone calls, including name of person spoke to, time of call, date and summary of discussion. If it drags out and something more serious needs done, all of your records of contact will be important.

N79

martindow wrote: »

I notice that your LL lives abroad. There are special arrangements regarding tax which you should be aware of - details here.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/international/nr-landlords.htm

Which don't apply as the OP is dealing with an agent (who I assume is UK based and collects the rent)

jennagallop01 wrote: »

The issue has still not been resolved and we have to go through a letting agent as our landlord lives in America.