Gas safe?

[Deleted User]

Mu boiler is broken. I have been advised to get the landlord to get it inspected, and assessed for repair /or replacement. I have also been advised to make sure whoever comes round is Gas Safe registered.

Should a Gas Safe Registered person carry a particular type of ID?

Oops apologies, just found this http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/about/gas_safe_register_engineers.aspx

G_M

WRITE to your landlord at the address provided.

[Deleted User]

OK the landlord is sending someone round to look at the boiler. If he says he's forgotten his Gas Safe card.., what do I do? I need a working boiler but don't have any confidence in the registration of the man my landlord has sent round. I could be wrong, I hope I am because its going to be very complicated if he isn't.

anselld

deannatrois wrote: »

OK the landlord is sending someone round to look at the boiler. If he says he's forgotten his Gas Safe card.., what do I do? I need a working boiler but don't have any confidence in the registration of the man my landlord has sent round. I could be wrong, I hope I am because its going to be very complicated if he isn't.

Ask for his registration number. No number no work!

G_M

Any genuine GasSafe approved engineer would

a) be happy toshow you his ID
b) understand if you want to check with GasSafe if he's forgotten it
c) understand if you refuse to allow him to work on the boiler if he can't verify his credentials.

Use the GasSafe website/phone number

[Deleted User]

Thank you G_M I have the website so will check his card if he has it, or his name if he doesn't.

Bit worried about repercussions from the landlord though. He's not seemed to have any understanding of what a landlords responsibilities are so far.

I have a couple of housing charity people offering support but they don't understand, if this guy gives me notice to leave or makes life unpleasant, I have no deposit for another place and it took me three months to find this one. Local Authority Housing Department have so far refused to help. I'm quite nervous about all this.

G_M

deannatrois wrote: »

.... if this guy gives me notice to leave or makes life unpleasant, I have no deposit for another place and it took me three months to find this one. Local Authority Housing Department have so far refused to help. I'm quite nervous about all this.

What kind of tenancy do you have?

Fixed term? Start date? Length? End date?

mandi

deannatrois wrote: »

I have a couple of housing charity people offering support but they don't understand, if this guy gives me notice to leave or makes life unpleasant, I have no deposit for another place and it took me three months to find this one. Local Authority Housing Department have so far refused to help. I'm quite nervous about all this.

Hi dean ,

Do you receive any benefits at all ? If so have a look here http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-cavity-loft-insulation#topinsul

[Deleted User]

2 year fixed term with 10 months to go to the end. But he gave me notice when I asked him (very politely) to repair the broken front door window pane so asking him to do repairs is an issue. I didn't shut up and do it myself as I normally do.., got a text giving me one month's notice within minutes (drunk neighbours had broken the front door, it wasn't our fault, police were called etc and statements showing it wasn't our fault taken - we ended up having to chase the neighbour's landlord down to pay for the repair). It wasn't even boarded up for the month it took to do this. And he gave me notice as I said for persisting in asking him to repair the problem.

Many thanks for that link Mandi.., I have already installed insulation in the roof space.., landlord wouldn't (this included removing chimney breast removal rubble). It was so cold, the children couldn't sleep in their bedrooms. I had to insulate two bedrooms as mentioned above and put a false ceiling in over my younger son's bedroom because a chimney had been removed in such a way there was a hole letting all drafts in. It was the only thing I could do. Landlord bought the plasterboard but woudln't repair it.., and I begged him to. I had to get a friend of a friend to do it and pay the extra costs myself.

When I called environmental health about the problems here, they said it was of low priority, didn't visit and sent a letter to the landlord, without warning me first so I had a lot of problems with the landlord. The advisors on the CAF team want me to call environmental health again if the LL doesn't repair the boiler, but it didn't do me any good last time and caused a lot of problems.

I have sat here for two months with a boiler that needs to be lit manually because I am so scared of the landlord.., have a son with special needs so have a CAF for the family and the professionals involved are losing patience with me because lighting the boiler manually is dangerous. But.., at least we have a roof over our head. It took three months to find this place (I was in emergency accommodation and the council were telling me daily I would be thrown out on the streets if I didn't find somewhere to live.., it was awful. Landlords just don't like people on benefits. I was out every day trying to find a home for us. And now I don't have a second deposit so private rental will be impossible. I realise that the landlord shouldn't be able to evict me while i am under a fixed term but I imagine he can just refuse to fix the boiler or delay fixing it for months on end. If I get too insistent, he could decide he's going to evict me which will cause problems even if its thrown out of court.

I don't trust the council (that they'd rehouse me if the LL does evict me at some point) because they refused to help me when the landlord was saying if I didn't sign the 2 year tenancy agreement he'd evict me. It was very favourable to the landlord and very unfavourable to the tenant. I took it to housing asking for their advice and help and they just said the landlord had 'every right to expect a signed tenancy agreement'. If I didn't sign it and he did evict me, they'd find me voluntarily homeless. Totally took the floor away from my feet to hear this.

So now I've got an expensive repair issue and scared the landlord will get nasty again and/or threaten to evict me. I'm totally up to date with the rent, keep the place clean and tidy in spite of illness but I don't believe in 'right' anymore or that there is any meaningful protection for a tenant in my situation.

The landlord really stresses me out, when I speak to him its like trying to hold sand in your hands.., says one thing, then says he didn't say it at all, insists that everything is my responsiblity and won't listen to me when I say some repair issues are a landlords responsiblity.., I used to get my ex to deal with him because he was a bit more amenable with him, but we've split up. I have asthma and a heart condition (one heart attack already, still under treatment) so I can't afford to get too stressed.

G_M

deannatrois wrote: »

2 year fixed term with 10 months to go to the end. But he gave me notice when I asked him (very politely) to repair the broken front door window pane so asking him to do repairs is an issue. I didn't shut up and do it myself as I normally do.., got a text giving me one month's notice within minutes ......

* provided you continue to pay the rent, and do not breach the tenancy in any other (very) significant way, you are safe from eviction for 10 months. And even then it would take several further months to evict you.

* text is not an acceptable way to give notice. Ignore.

* One months notice is not legally valid. Ignore.

The landlord either does not know the law (so you are likely to be safe from eviction much longer as he'll do it wrong).

Or he is just trying to scare you. But since you now know the law, you need not be scared!

See also:

Ending/Renewing an AST (what happens when the Fixed Term ends?)(What is a Periodic Tenancy?)(How can a LL remove a tenant?)(How can a tenant end a tenancy?)