Boiler broken, cant get in touch with landlord

rhianna99

Hello, Im looking for some advice please. Woke up yesterday morning to find we had no hot water or heating (house very cold due to poor insulation so still had heating on most of time). We tried to ring landlord on all of the three numbers we have for them but no reply. We sent voicemails, text messages and in the end my husband went to the address we had for them, only to find someone else living there, he said they had moved out 3 days ago, and moved 40 mins away to a different town. Our boiler has broken at least 6 times in the last 3 years we have lived here but we have always been able to contact them so it is very strange.

Anyway due to having 3 poorly children at home, with terrible coughs and a husband with bad asthma and a chest infection I am starting to panic. What happens if they dont get in touch? how long can we be left like this?
any advice appreciated.

chappers

Ok just a quicky first, have you tried resetting the boiler, maybe try switching it on and off again too, are you sure the timer and thermostat are all set to on, Sorry I know that sounds a bit basic but first things first.
Next provided you have taken all reasonable steps to contact the LL then you can get the boiler fixed yourself and deduct the cost from your rent.
What is deemed to be reasonable time to wait for a response could depend on several factors, do you have any other supply of hot water, form of heating, how old are your children etc.
If it were me i would keep trying them and if I hadn't recieved a response by the end of today i would call a plumber tomorrow.
do you remember who the plumber was they used last time.
Also I assume you rent direct from the LL and there is no agency involved.

propertyman

There is no right as is maintained by many. It is that ( terms of the lease or the law aside) if a tenant gives notice of disrepair and the landlord does not act in a reasonable time and way, then they would likely be successful in a claim for equitable set off or damages. Or put it another way a landlord might be unsuccessful in claiming rent that is witheld.

having tried all contact methods given to you then your argument is that notice has been given and that the cost that you could recover would be to resolve the immediate issue, not install a new boiler as that would be "better".
.
A landlord msut give you address in england and wales on which to serve notices and if they have then fire off a letter explaining what you have done and that a contractor has been arranged.

If no address has been given then you have the right to withhold rent until they do. As soon as you dont pay they will be in contact... !

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1987/31/section/47

rhianna99

Hi, no agency involved and we are certain it is broken, it is always breaking, usually due to pressure dropping and we have to turn up pressure then its ok again. The last time it broke it blew a fuse and had no electricity supply to it, not sure if thats what happend this time. And as for repairs, he does it himself, and if he cant he calls in a friend to help, only once has he got in a professional. (he is retired but was an electrician i believe)

We have 5 children ranging from 13 to a 7month old baby. Also we have just made the monthly rent payment by SO and unfortunately we are not in a position to be able to afford any repairs.

Werdnal

Contact the Environmental Health Office at your local council to ask advice. Explain that LL seems to have moved and you have tried all efforts to contact them.

However, bear in mind that even if the LL is in the wrong here by not giving you new address etc, they do not take kindly to being reported to EHO, so you may get notice as soon as LL is able to issue it.

But you need to weigh up whether the health and comfort of your children is your priority here - it would be mine!

HappyMJ

rhianna99 wrote: »

Hi, no agency involved and we are certain it is broken, it is always breaking, usually due to pressure dropping and we have to turn up pressure then its ok again. The last time it broke it blew a fuse and had no electricity supply to it, not sure if thats what happend this time. And as for repairs, he does it himself, and if he cant he calls in a friend to help, only once has he got in a professional. (he is retired but was an electrician i believe)

We have 5 children ranging from 13 to a 7month old baby. Also we have just made the monthly rent payment by SO and unfortunately we are not in a position to be able to afford any repairs.

Does the boiler have a gas safety certificate?

Get some cheap electric convector or fan heaters for use as a backup for this and future properties you may be living in. Even if you owned the house and had to repair the boiler yourself then if the part isn't available you may be waiting several days for a repair. If a replacement boiler is required it could be well over a week before you get heating back.

rhianna99

Yes we have a recent gas safety certificate, done by ll son in law, he told us there was a small leak which was causing the pressure to drop but we are still waiting for this to be fixed. we have some electric fan heaters which we are using.

Werdnal

rhianna99 wrote: »

Yes we have a recent gas safety certificate, done by ll son in law, he told us there was a small leak which was causing the pressure to drop but we are still waiting for this to be fixed. we have some electric fan heaters which we are using.

Do you know contact details for LL son-in-law? Would you be able to get hold of him to contact the LL?

chappers

rhianna99 wrote: »

. And as for repairs, he does it himself, and if he cant he calls in a friend to help, only once has he got in a professional.

Unless he is Gas Safe registered it is illegal for him to effect any repairs which involve removing the cover from the boiler, or to the gas supply.

Can you check the fuse at the electricity supply yourself or does the boiler have it's own fuse in the consumer unit.
Is the boiler powered on or is it completely dead.
As you are aware of the pressure problem I assume it is full.
Is the boiler trying to run at all and cutting out or just doing nowt.

tbs624

rhianna99 wrote: »

Yes we have a recent gas safety certificate, done by ll son in law, he told us there was a small leak which was causing the pressure to drop but we are still waiting for this to be fixed. we have some electric fan heaters which we are using.

Did you check that the son in law is registered with Gas Safe?

G_M

Have you written to the landlord?

This is important for 2 reasons:

1) formally reporting the problem in the correct way, to the address provided "for the serving of notices". You need to take the proper action yourself.

2) He may have set up Royal Mail redirection in which case he will receive the letter....

If you go down the route of repairing yourself and deducting rent, the Shelter advice on how, is here. And step one is to write.