Broken Bolier In Rented Property - What To Do???

d_flashberry

We signed a 6 month short tenancy lease with a letting agency paying all of our rent in advance for this duration. We have been without hot water since early June. We finally got someone out to inspect the boiler on the 01/07 to discover parts were required. The follow up visit was today and something else is wrong with the boiler which means a further order of parts and more waiting! I have been on the phone constantly. Supposedly the boiler was installed in 2000 and is well past its sell by date.

I've emailed a complaint to the letting agency and I was advised to report them to my local council which I have done. The staff at the letting agency have been very poor and don't have a clue how to speak to members of the public. They seem to be more concerned with other things. Something I have mentioned in my complaint. There have been other issues in this flat too.

I don't have a landlord address so cannot contact them directly. We cannot get a repair person out as we'd be breaching our contractual agreement but they are doing so every day they choose to ignore/take their time over resolving this issue. Can anyone advise me on my next step?

Guest101

You paid rent but didnt have an adress for the landlord? I assume the letting agent is managing the property then?

Have you written to them??

sandsni

What is the address for your LL on your tenancy agreement? Even if it is the LA's address, you can write directly to the LL at that address. They may be blissfully unaware of how incompetent their LA is.

d_flashberry

Guest101 wrote: »

You paid rent but didnt have an adress for the landlord? I assume the letting agent is managing the property then?

Have you written to them??

Yes it's all through the letting agency. No address for the person that owns the place on the contract no. I have emailed the letting agents and I have been on the phone to them every second day. Kind of lost at what to do next. :mad:

d_flashberry

sandsni wrote: »

What is the address for your LL on your tenancy agreement? Even if it is the LA's address, you can write directly to the LL at that address. They may be blissfully unaware of how incompetent their LA is.

It's the letting agency. I asked for the contact information of one of their bosses on Monday. I sent a lengthy email but have not heard back yet. Supposedly the company have been involved in some sort of merger and they have had loads of screw ups with their systems.

G_M

STOP EMAILING!

Write (LETTER) to the landlord at the address provided (usually on your tenancy agreement) "for the serving of notices".

It may be c/o the agency, but that is where you must write. It's why you were given the address!

Your letter shoud describe the problem, list each previous contact you've made (date/time of each phone call/email whatever), plus what action has happened (dates of engineer visits+ outcome).

The LL has a 'reasonable' time to fix it (once it's been properly reported!)

It is not the LL's fault, nor within his control, if parts are needed - sometimes repairs take time, whether you are a tenant or live in yourown house.

New boiler in 2000? What makes you think 13 years is "well past its sell by date?".

When I spend £3K on a boiler I expect far longer than that! Is it gas or oil or solid fuel? If gas, does it have a current safety certificate?

sandsni

Write an actual letter, not an email, address it to the LL at the LA's address and post it (get a proof of postage at the Post Office). Outline the issues you have with the flat, but keep it civil and keep it to the point.
Likewise, if you want to complain to the agency management, post a letter to the boss and give them a timescale to respond (e.g. 14 days or whatever).

d_flashberry

G_M wrote: »

STOP EMAILING!

Write (LETTER) to the landlord at the address provided (usually on your tenancy agreement) "for the serving of notices".

It may be c/o the agency, but that is where you must write. It's why you were given the address!

Your letter shoud describe the problem, list each previous contact you've made (date/time of each phone call/email whatever), plus what action has happened (dates of engineer visits+ outcome).

The LL has a 'reasonable' time to fix it (once it's been properly reported!)

It is not the LL's fault, nor within his control, if parts are needed - sometimes repairs take time, whether you are a tenant or live in yourown house.

New boiler in 2000? What makes you think 13 years is "well past its sell by date?".

When I spend £3K on a boiler I expect far longer than that! Is it gas or oil or solid fuel? If gas, does it have a current safety certificate?

That's basically what I have done in the email I sent.

The Letting Agency has had reasonable time to fix it! I reported this in early June! Do you actually read? They are completely at fault. I had the first inspection WEEKS later in July! We have been boiling hot water on a cooker every morning despite me forking out thousands for the duration of the lease. The repair person told me today it's on it's last legs. It's usually 10-15 years! Some obviously may less live less than that or longer.

d_flashberry

sandsni wrote: »

Write an actual letter, not an email, address it to the LL at the LA's address and post it (get a proof of postage at the Post Office). Outline the issues you have with the flat, but keep it civil and keep it to the point.
Likewise, if you want to complain to the agency management, post a letter to the boss and give them a timescale to respond (e.g. 14 days or whatever).

I will try that but think I am going to have another bash on the phone after I have given a couple of days for the parts this time. Most companies do usually respond to emails, certainly from my experience.

G_M

d_flashberry wrote: »

That's basically what I have done in the email I sent.

The Letting Agency has had reasonable time to fix it! I reported this in early June! Do you actually read? ......

Do YOU actually read?

STOP EMAILING!

Write (LETTER) to the landlord at the address provided

Write an actual letter, not an email,

What is the address for your LL on your tenancy agreement? Even if it is the LA's address, you can write directly to the LL at that address.

franklee

d_flashberry wrote: »

That's basically what I have done in the email I sent.

The Letting Agency has had reasonable time to fix it! I reported this in early June! Do you actually read?

G_M was giving you specific advice to write, that is snail mail, on real paper with proof of postage etc. type write. This is necessary to make your complaint formal and start the clock ticking on a reasonable time to get the repairs done. The problem with phone calls and emails is that they are informal means of communication. Maybe the agent will reply to them, maybe they won't but if you want to escalate the matter you have to have formally reported the problem and formally complained. The way you formally complain is to look in your tenancy agreement and see what forms notice is permitted to be served in. It probably won't say you can text or email, so the default to be sure is to old fashioned pen and paper write to the address for the serving of notices. Not really that hard to do if it's already in email ... reformat, top and tail, print, sign, put in envelope, address envelope, get proof of posting or hand deliver and ask for a receipt ...

I would also send a copy direct to the landlord.

You are also entitled to the landlord's address if you write to the agent and ask for it. Again by that I mean on paper write so it's beyond dispute you have met the requirements of the legalisation and can also escalate that if the agent doesn't reply with the landlord's address with 21 days.