Can my landlady turn up my heating without my permission?

TimBear

I'm renting a house but due to an accident I haven't stayed there since early December.

My landlady went round to do some maintenance (with my permission) in the week after my accident and text me to say she noticed that the heating wasn't on and could I keep it on please so as not to cause any damage to the pipes etc with the cold weather coming in. I explained that the heating was only off as I was away for the weekend when I had my accident and was only meant to be gone for two days but due to circumstances that had changed and I hadn't been able to get there.

I went to the property not long after and turned the heating up to around 13 or 14 degrees to keep the chill off and the pipes from freezing. To be honest this is the temperature I have it on when I'm there.

Anyway I've been to the house today to do something and the heating was way up at 21 degrees. I do know that my landlady has been in the property a few times to do some work (again, all with my knowledge), so she must have done it then, but can she turn up my heating like that without asking/telling me? Afterall, it's me who will be paying the heating bills. The heating isn't on a timer either, it's been left on ALL the time.

I understand that I have to keep the property in good order so understand the need to have the heating on to keep the pipes 'ticking over' or whatever, but didn't know if she had the 'right' to do this?

theartfullodger

Clearly unacceptable, albeit you can see where she was coming from ...

Calm, polite letter or email to landlady explaining you dissatisfaction & stating what you want in future.

Expect possible S21 in return

ReadingTim

You need to find out what temperature the radiators have been set to before you get too excited about your "rights". The thermostat (the dial you usually turn to put the heating on) is merely a temperature activated switch - when the temperature falls below a set point, the boiler is switched on to heat the radiators. The temperature the radiators are heated to is set by a separate dial, usually on the boiler. Many have a low, anti-frost setting, which is just warm enough to stop the water in the pipes freezing, expanding, and bursting. Heating to this low temperature will obviously cost far less than the temperature needed to heat the property. If the landlady also altered this setting, it'll cost far less than you fear - the heating will have been on, but not really heating.

Check this before getting too confrontational as you had given permission for her to enter the property in the first place. Perhaps the landlady shouldn't have fiddled with the heating, but it's hardly her fault you haven't been living there for the last couple of months is it? If you were, you could have altered it that evening, rather than 2 months later.

Furthermore, you have a responsibility to prevent pipes bursting, which you've admitted you've neglected because you haven't been living there. In light of that, I suggest you wait to see how large the bill is, and suggest a compromise with regard to payment, rather than getting too shirty about your "rights"

Own_My_Own

Could it have been a oversight of not turning it down. You say she had access to do some work at the property.
I have to go to an empty property once a week, and I put the heating on while I am there, as it is freezing.
Maybe your landlady did the same and forgot to turn it down as she left.

cooltt

Live in the property you've rented and stop faking it, then you wouldn't have this problem.

Kynthia

It's a minor thing which may have saved you paying her thousands of pounds had the pipes frozen and burst. Is there anything in your tenancy agreement about not leaving the property vacant for more than a set period of time? You may have voided her buildings insurance by being away so long which could leave you both at even more risk should something happen to the place.

anon_ymous

cooltt wrote: »

Live in the property you've rented and stop faking it, then you wouldn't have this problem.

Because every one can do that....

Especially as a student, Im not going to go and get a mortgage when Im moving houses quite frequently....

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Almost all leases have a clause requiring you to not leave the property vacant for more than a few weeks, and most will require heating left on in winter.

Breaching these conditions can result in the landlord not being covered by insurance if something happens so not to be taken lightly.

Chances are you are already in breach of your lease over this, so provoking the landlady over you also failing to leave the heating on is probably not wise.

DRP

Kynthia wrote: »

It's a minor thing which may have saved you paying her thousands of pounds had the pipes frozen and burst. Is there anything in your tenancy agreement about not leaving the property vacant for more than a set period of time? You may have voided her buildings insurance by being away so long which could leave you both at even more risk should something happen to the place.

i believe the OP has stated that they had already turned the heating up prior to the LL doing it.

OP, I think it is cheeky of the LL to do this, but it is also a situation where it is unlikely to cause you much problem apart from about a tenner or so in fuel (if that).

Probably not worth the agro, tbh.

TimBear

Thanks for your feedback. I'm not looking to put up a fight with my landlady regarding this at all, I just didn't know if she was 'allowed' to do this. I am shortly ending my lease on the rented property due to the landlady selling it so I'm actually in the process of moving out of it now anyway so it's not something I will be pursuing with her, I just didn't know what the rules are.

cooltt, I'm not sure what you mean by 'faking it'. I can assure you I am not faking anything!

I wasn't aware that there were any clauses regarding the property being empty. My landlady is aware that I have not been there for some time and hasn't mentioned anything so I hope that this means that there is no problem.

Tancred

Load of bo**ocks from the landlady. Unless the temperature is well below zero for extended periods there isn't much danger of pipes bursting etc. I would bluntly ask her to stop manipulating the heating without your permission.