Boiler does not meet current safety standards -This a lender requirement?

filbrit

Hi There

The boiler report from the property we are buying came back. All seems fine and no fault, risk or danger. Only issue is it states that it does not meet current standards.

Our solicitor says that it is a lender requirement/insurance that it should conform to current standards regardless? Even our MA is surprised about this requirement. Our MA is currently checking on this.

It is completely working fine and we are not concerned about it what so ever. So basically they are asking that this 14 year old boiler that is working perfectly be replaced by a new one. No way will the vendors pay for this nor do we expect them too.

So does all properties that have an old boiler that does not comply to current standards have to be replaced in order for a mortgage lender be satisfied?

Many thanks for your advice

TBagpuss

I have never heard of this being a requirement, unless this is a buy to let mortgage, in which case I suppose if the boiler could not be given a gas safety certificate it might be an issue as that would mean the property could not be rented out.

It would also be possible for a lender to place a specific condition on the mortgage offer.

I would go back to your solicitor and ask them to show you the part of the mortgage offer which they believe makes the requirement.

PasturesNew

filbrit wrote: »

... 14 year old boiler ...

They're probably over-compensating for the cost of a new one and wondering what if it blew up 3 months after you'd bought the house ....

filbrit

TBagpuss wrote: »

I have never heard of this being a requirement, unless this is a buy to let mortgage, in which case I suppose if the boiler could not be given a gas safety certificate it might be an issue as that would mean the property could not be rented out.

It would also be possible for a lender to place a specific condition on the mortgage offer.

I would go back to your solicitor and ask them to show you the part of the mortgage offer which they believe makes the requirement.

Thanks for the reply. It is not buy to let. We are buying this for ourselves to live in. They firm we signed up with assigned a trainee solicitor to handle our conveyance and it has been a total nightmare and she looks at every single aspect with a microscope.

G_M

TBagpuss wrote: »

I have never heard of this being a requirement, unless this is a buy to let mortgage, in which case I suppose if the boiler could not be given a gas safety certificate it might be an issue as that would mean the property could not be rented out.

It would also be possible for a lender to place a specific condition on the mortgage offer.

I would go back to your solicitor and ask them to show you the part of the mortgage offer which they believe makes the requirement.

Not even a requiement for a BTL.

Boilers in tenanted proprties do not have to conform to current standards any more than those in owner-occupied homes, provided they
a) conform to the standards in force at the time of original installation and
b) are safe, as shown by a landlords gas safety report

filbrit

G_M wrote: »

Not even a requiement for a BTL.

Boilers in tenanted proprties do not have to conform to current standards any more than those in owner-occupied homes, provided they
a) conform to the standards in force at the time of original installation and
b) are safe, as shown by a landlords gas safety report

Oh thats fab news. We were actually taken a back when the trainee solicitor said that this regardless it being not defective and not a danger or risk, that the lender is requiring that it is up to current standards. When we asked where it says that she cannot show it.

martindow

In some ways it is good that a trainee solicitor goes through things in detail but not so good that she raises non existent problems. You suggest that there have been other issues. Is so I would write to the senior partner expressing your worries and suggesting that she is not being given sufficient supervision or support.

You are paying them to provide a service and you should not be inconvenienced by their training arrangements.

LittleVoice

martindow wrote: »

In some ways it is good that a trainee solicitor goes through things in detail but not so good that she raises non existent problems. You suggest that there have been other issues. Is so I would write to the senior partner expressing your worries and suggesting that she is not being given sufficient supervision or support.

You are paying them to provide a service and you should not be inconvenienced by their training arrangements.

They should have provided a complaints procedure when accepting instructions from their client, whether or not it was a trainee solicitor who would be the day-to-day fee earner working on it. Follow that procedure - it may not be that the senior partner is the first point of contact for a complaint.

cattie

A boiler fitted today could quite easily not be to current safety standards in a few weeks time as the regulations for installation can change in a blink of an eye.

I'd not be at all happy having a trainee solicitor working on my major purchase, especially when they don't have a clue what they are talking about. I'd definitely complain.