Boiler broken - What rights do I have as a tenant?

Okydoky25

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

. If you were a home-owner I doubt you would have been able to do the same in under 15 days.

I hate having to read this line constantly. As a renter it is irrelevant. I rent so I don't/shouldn't have this worry or expense. It's one of the reason we pay high rent compared to a mortgage.

I may sound bitter but I was left with no boiler with a new born baby (Xmas Eve with a 1 day old in the cold!) over Xmas for nearly a month while my so called LL messed around. I had to cover a ridiculous electricity bill on top of the inconvenience with no rights what so ever. I didn't even receive an apology.

ihatemyhouse

Okydoky25 wrote: »

I hate having to read this line constantly. As a renter it is irrelevant. I rent so I don't/shouldn't have this worry or expense. It's one of the reason we pay high rent compared to a mortgage.

I may sound bitter but I was left with no boiler with a new born baby (Xmas Eve with a 1 day old in the cold!) over Xmas for nearly a month while my so called LL messed around. I had to cover a ridiculous electricity bill on top of the inconvenience with no rights what so ever. I didn't even receive an apology.

it seems that me and you are the only ones with bad LL and every other LL is the worlds greatest,

I think that the LL who come on here will be good LL, as a bad LL isn't going to bother his time on here to help people, when he cant be bothered to fix jobs that he has a legal obligation to do


and I am moving, just being a big as pain in the !!!! as possible for my LL, using all my rights as a tenant

thesaint

Okydoky25 wrote: »

I hate having to read this line constantly. As a renter it is irrelevant. I rent so I don't/shouldn't have this worry or expense. It's one of the reason we pay high rent compared to a mortgage.

It's not one of the reasons "we" pay "high rent" compared to a mortgage.
Whether the rent is "high" or "low" is irrelevant. The landlords obligations remain exactly the same.

donfanatico

Rights? What rights? You have no rights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWiBt-pqp0E

ctb101

Seems to be a big issue being overlooked here with regards to the claim that homeowners would have to wait 15 days to get a replacement boiler. First point: no, they don't. Put the legwork in, make enough phone calls and you will find a heating engineer who has had a cancellation or is available at some point within that time. I speak from experience having had two boilers replaced within 6 days in the past. Secondly: homeowners have made the decision to purchase their own home and are responsible for maintaining that home and making repairs. A tenant pays a landlord for a service, part of which includes ensuring the property is maintained. The landlord, therefore, has a duty of care to the tenant and must ensure that a broken boiler which leaves the tenant with no hot water or heating, especially in winter, is repaired as soon as is humanely possible.

I'm going through exactly the same thing at the moment, with the boiler due to be replaced next Monday, 15 days after breaking. This is despite an engineer describing it as needing replacement over 2 months ago. I have managed to keep it running despite leaks, pressure issues and an inability to get hot water without turning the heating on but now it is totally defunct. Am I unreasonable for expecting it to be replaced in less than 15 days? I think not

EDIT: Just seen the newbie poster thing on the left. Please don't feel you have to be nice, I have thick skin

thesaint

ctb101 wrote: »

The landlord, therefore, has a duty of care to the tenant and must ensure that a broken boiler which leaves the tenant with no hot water or heating, especially in winter, is repaired as soon as is humanely possible.

That's the thing though. There is no such obligation.
I take it as you meaning humanly, not humanely.

Okydoky25

In my case my (now ex) LL eventually sent someone z(a mate) round to quote. Got a mates rate quote but he wouldn't do the work so she proceeded in sending 4 yes 4 more engineers round to quote. I'm assuming in the hope they matched her mates rates which was never going to happen. All the time I'm at home with a new born baby & toddler with a blow fan to heater (not particle with toddlers I can tell you!) a ruddy big house at Christmas and having to stay in said freezing house for all the visits over the month.
Worse my LL didn't have consent to let and wasn't paying there mortgage. Cowboys like those should be penalised!
Rant over sorry

ctb101

thesaint wrote: »

I take it as you meaning humanly, not humanely.

Lol, yes I did, although I would like to think both apply....

I must admit to be lacking in full knowledge of the legalities around the tenant/landlord relationship but from the increasingly rare viewpoint of 'common sense' (or 'uncommon sense' as I believe it should be renamed), I would expect that tenants have a greater weight of rights than workers do in the employee/employer relationship, given the direction of the money flow. I assume I'm right in assuming I'm wrong though?

ctb101

Okydoky25 wrote: »

Rant over sorry

Rant away, you have every right to!

Is there much comeback against rogue landlords in a civil sense? I should look into this more as I am currently guiding my partner through disciplinary and grievance procedures against an employer seemingly intent on making every unethical and unprofessional mistake in the book so I've become somewhat adept at sounding like an employment lawyer

rpc

Okydoky25 wrote: »

I hate having to read this line constantly. As a renter it is irrelevant. I rent so I don't/shouldn't have this worry or expense.

It is relevant - the LL obligation is to fix in a reasonable amount of time. An owner-occupier would usually want this fixed as quickly as the can, so it is a useful benchmark.

You are not entitled to an uninterrupted supply of heat/water. Things break. You are entitled (by law) to a reasonable effort on behalf of the landlord to effect repairs.

Reasonable does not mean getting a brand new boiler installed the same day the old one breaks. It also doesn't mean the LL dragging it out so they don't have to put their hand in the pocket. Reasonable is whatever the man on the Clapham omnibus thinks is reasonable to fix the problem.