Help please re: problem with boiler/heating repairs

unclebulgaria

I'm not muddying any waters yet as the LL hasn't refused or failed to fix it, yet!
Wait for shelter or any other legal body to sort it and they'll freeze!
I'm not looking at it from the LL's convenience either, I deal with enough of the bad one's to know if they don't want to do it they won't until pushed.
Maybe we should wait and see what happens first and then see how long the tenant can put up with the cold before they contemplate fixing it themselves and taking it from their rent! Of course the LL may get it fixed and prove us all wrong.

Fire_Fox

unclebulgaria wrote: »

I'm not muddying any waters yet as the LL hasn't refused or failed to fix it, yet!
Wait for shelter or any other legal body to sort it and they'll freeze!
I'm not looking at it from the LL's convenience either, I deal with enough of the bad one's to know if they don't want to do it they won't until pushed.
Maybe we should wait and see what happens first and then see how long the tenant can put up with the cold before they contemplate fixing it themselves and taking it from their rent! Of course the LL may get it fixed and prove us all wrong.

Try reading the thread. The OP has clearly been advised to report ALL faults with the house to the landlord, NOT some faults IF the landlord is a bit slow and IF Unclebulgaria sanctions it.

The tenant already is freezing, your sit-on-your-backside-wait-and-see-what-happens technique is not going to change that. How many times have you contacted Shelter or Environmental Health about urgent repairs? How many MSE threads have you read where Shelter or EH were no help in urgent cases falling within their remit?

And AGAIN the tenant cannot take the money from the rent and get the boiler fixed without following a strict protocol which start with .... a letter. Otherwise they end up in breach of contract and could end in court. Please stop making uninformed suggestions.

tbs624

unclebulgaria wrote: »

I'm not muddying any waters yet as the LL hasn't refused or failed to fix it, yet!

Muddying of the waters may not have been your intention but your posts read that way to some of us.

You also seem to be going round in a circle, like a dog chasing its own tail.

unclebulgaria wrote: »

Despite what everyone says, do not leave the Managing Agent out of the loop. .................

and then within the same post....

unclebulgaria wrote: »

Just another thing, some managing agents don't tell the LL all of the problems the tenant has pointed out as they don't like pestering the LL constantly. It does happen, I've seen it.

Ultimately, the statutory obligation rests upon *the LL* and, from what the OP has said, it does not sound like the LA has to date been hugely successful in getting the LL to get R&M matters dealt with promptly. Ts contract is with the LL and LL can keep their LA "in the loop"

unclebulgaria wrote: »

Wait for shelter or any other legal body to sort it and they'll freeze!

The T will on the contrary be given good clear advice on exactly how to proceed.

unclebulgaria wrote: »

Maybe we should wait and see what happens first and then see how long the tenant can put up with the cold before they contemplate fixing it themselves and taking it from their rent!

First of all, a T has to allow the LL that "reasonable period of time" to get the heating system sorted - Ts cannot just get work done and pull the costs from the future rent unless they follow the specific "procedure" outlined in Shelter's excellent Getting Repairs Done pdf. Note too that not all Ts have that level of disposable income.

Let's remember that many LAs have no qualifications, no specific expertise, no training and aren't yet subject to formal regulation - there is no requirement for any of that before someone opens an office and sticks up their LA business name outside. They work for the LL, not for the T. If the T wants this sort of work done sorted out pronto they should speak to the organ grinder, not the monkey.

Lou67

Hi everyone, and thanks again for all your support on this thread.

Well, here's a turn up for the books: the BG engineer contacted us by phone today at 11am, to say he had located a part for this boiler, although he thought he may not be able to find it, and he arranged to come around to fit it between 4 and 6pm when he was in our area.

Within half an hour, the heating was working again (YAY!) And now we are nice and snug and warm. He said that he did have to warn us like he did, as he was not sure he could find the required part. (I didn't even know they came OUT on a Saturday.)

And yes, the landlady is definately covered on the 3 star contract as BG said that they would not have sent anyone out if there had been no policy in place. And as I said, we have had them out before, and it's all been fine. So us potentially having to pay is not an issue. The landlady even gave us her policy number, in case we needed it.

Also, whether the repairs have to be reported to the property agent or the landlord, depends on the agreement you sign at the beginning I would imagine. Like I said, we used to report to them to the property agent for the first year... (we have been here 2 years,) and they used to send their people out to fix whatever... But when one repair bill for something was very high, (last November,) the landlady came around and announced she would get her friend to fix it. And her partner fixed the shower (he is an electrician.) But she does have the gas covered by BG ... Obviously she couldn't do *that* herself.

But yes, whenever we have *any* issue, we report it to the property agent anyway, (as this was what we were told when we moved in,) and they let the landlady know. Then they get one of their people out to have a look and give a quote, and if the landlady isn't happy with it, she gets someone else to do it. But I do make sure that both parties know what is happening.

We would never do repairs ourselves, as if something went wrong, we would be liable. That said, my hubby has replaced a worktop and a kitchen cupboard door, and he has replaced loo seats and curtain rails and suchlike. 'Cheap to repair' things that don't pose a risk (like electrics, plumbing and gas,) we are OK to maintain, but otherwise, we would report it to the property agent.

Like I said, I wouldn't do something and take it out of the rent, as I would feel awful doing that, so I am hoping it never comes to this. But for now, the heating is back on, and the boiler seems to be OK for now! He said that the boiler could do with replacing sooner rather than later, as it is quite old now, but they also said that about a boiler we had in 2000 (it was 12 years old at the time,) and we kept it another 6 or 7 years!

Kynthia

I'm glad it's sorted and you are now warm.

The best advice for any problems you have with the property is to ring the agent and follow it up in writing so that there is a paper trail and the agent can't dissagree with anything that was said. The LL is also more likely to be kept informed when it is in writing.

Fire_Fox

:beer: Great news you are warm again!! :beer:

unclebulgaria

tbs624 wrote: »

Muddying of the waters may not have been your intention but your posts read that way to some of us.

You also seem to be going round in a circle, like a dog chasing its own tail.

and then within the same post....


Ultimately, the statutory obligation rests upon *the LL* and, from what the OP has said, it does not sound like the LA has to date been hugely successful in getting the LL to get R&M matters dealt with promptly. Ts contract is with the LL and LL can keep their LA "in the loop"

The T will on the contrary be given good clear advice on exactly how to proceed.

First of all, a T has to allow the LL that "reasonable period of time" to get the heating system sorted - Ts cannot just get work done and pull the costs from the future rent unless they follow the specific "procedure" outlined in Shelter's excellent Getting Repairs Done pdf. Note too that not all Ts have that level of disposable income.

Let's remember that many LAs have no qualifications, no specific expertise, no training and aren't yet subject to formal regulation - there is no requirement for any of that before someone opens an office and sticks up their LA business name outside. They work for the LL, not for the T. If the T wants this sort of work done sorted out pronto they should speak to the organ grinder, not the monkey.

Thank you for your polite reply.
I don't agree with all of your points, I don't believe I'm chasing my own tail, I pointed out messages don't get passed on that's why I said notify both but hey ho.

Her heating is running now so no need for her to worry, obviously the LL wasn't so bad after all!

jazabelle

unclebulgaria wrote: »

Her heating is running now so no need for her to worry, obviously the LL wasn't so bad after all!

Well luckily, the LL didn't have to do anything - so we'll never know.

In regards to all the 'who should we write to' - I don't see any harm in writing to the landlord, and sending a copy to the agency.l Everyone is informed then, and you've got a paper trail.