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Landlord ignoring request for urgent repairs.
Quila
Posts: 48 Forumite
I feel like all I ever do is post to ask about landlord advice on here! Just when I think I've found a good one.... They go and mess it up again.
We recently (end of May 2014) moved into a new property. There was a little damp in the smaller bedroom which we were assured would be rectified before we moved in. It wasn't, but that's a different story, I'm just setting the scene for the type of landlords we're dealing with here.
So a few weeks back, perhaps six or so weeks, we returned home to find that our dreaded, devilish Saniflo unit had blocked thus leading the toilet to overflow and all sorts to have flooded the hallway carpet outside the bathroom.
We called the letting agents who sent a plumber the same day, who was very rude, blamed us for the blockage by misusing the Saniflo (We've had one before, no misuse by us, but probably previous tenants). I can deal with a rude plumber, no bother, the issue seemed to be fixed... for a grand total of 24 hours before it happened again. Plumber this time attended the day after, couldn't use anything involving water for this time period, had to go to Tesco for a wee, etc. It was ridiculous but it was a short time period, I got over it, the issue seemed fine.
Except ever since then all drains (kitchen, bath, sinks etc) have taken an absolute age to drain, so I figured the blockage still hasn't properly been dealt with. I reported the problem and THREE WEEKS later (this Wednesday just gone, the 20th) the plumber finally arrived. Rude attitude as always, blamed us for the grease that has been building up for, in his words, over a year. (Hello? We moved in at the end of May?) But, he cleared the drains after throwing our personal belongings all over the bathroom and kitchen, swearing loudly and generally being a lout. Regardless, when he left it seemed the issue was fixed - water drained fast, no more horrible smell, hopefully the end of the issue, right?
Wrong. Within ten minutes the back of the toilet was constantly filling up, thus causing the dreaded Saniflo to constantly be making that horrid loud noise to drain the excess water away. We didn't think a plumber would leave the house with such an issue, so we left it thinking it would sort itself out. Within another ten minutes however, the Saniflo itself was sparking, smoking and eventually cut the electric to the whole house. We immediately called our letting agents to advise them of this, and were told to turn the Saniflo off by the mains power and not use anything involving water, and they would get a new Saniflo unit fitted first thing the next morning (Thursday 21st).
It's now Saturday evening, we have phoned and e-mailed the letting agents multiple times, and received no response. Obviously getting the Saniflo repaired is an urgent maintenance need, as we cannot use the toilet, wash ourselves, do laundry or dishes, and it's just completely uninhabitable. Waste has filled the toilet bowl now and therefore has not been disposed of correctly, I'm aware there are some legal requirements of a landlord and I think one of these must be to provide a working fricken' toilet at the very least?!
I'm only thankful we don't have children yet, as this would be even more unbearable in that situation. I've read up about a few things on Shelter, but they all say to give the letting agents two weeks to respond to my request for them to confirm that they're happy for us to get someone in to do the repair and bill it to them.
Unfortunately there's not an option to get someone in to repair it as an emergency and we pay them, as we just don't have the money required for a new Saniflo unit at the moment.
I'm just wondering what my next steps can be? I'm at my wit's end with this and I need it sorting pronto!
:(:(
We recently (end of May 2014) moved into a new property. There was a little damp in the smaller bedroom which we were assured would be rectified before we moved in. It wasn't, but that's a different story, I'm just setting the scene for the type of landlords we're dealing with here.
So a few weeks back, perhaps six or so weeks, we returned home to find that our dreaded, devilish Saniflo unit had blocked thus leading the toilet to overflow and all sorts to have flooded the hallway carpet outside the bathroom.
We called the letting agents who sent a plumber the same day, who was very rude, blamed us for the blockage by misusing the Saniflo (We've had one before, no misuse by us, but probably previous tenants). I can deal with a rude plumber, no bother, the issue seemed to be fixed... for a grand total of 24 hours before it happened again. Plumber this time attended the day after, couldn't use anything involving water for this time period, had to go to Tesco for a wee, etc. It was ridiculous but it was a short time period, I got over it, the issue seemed fine.
Except ever since then all drains (kitchen, bath, sinks etc) have taken an absolute age to drain, so I figured the blockage still hasn't properly been dealt with. I reported the problem and THREE WEEKS later (this Wednesday just gone, the 20th) the plumber finally arrived. Rude attitude as always, blamed us for the grease that has been building up for, in his words, over a year. (Hello? We moved in at the end of May?) But, he cleared the drains after throwing our personal belongings all over the bathroom and kitchen, swearing loudly and generally being a lout. Regardless, when he left it seemed the issue was fixed - water drained fast, no more horrible smell, hopefully the end of the issue, right?
Wrong. Within ten minutes the back of the toilet was constantly filling up, thus causing the dreaded Saniflo to constantly be making that horrid loud noise to drain the excess water away. We didn't think a plumber would leave the house with such an issue, so we left it thinking it would sort itself out. Within another ten minutes however, the Saniflo itself was sparking, smoking and eventually cut the electric to the whole house. We immediately called our letting agents to advise them of this, and were told to turn the Saniflo off by the mains power and not use anything involving water, and they would get a new Saniflo unit fitted first thing the next morning (Thursday 21st).
It's now Saturday evening, we have phoned and e-mailed the letting agents multiple times, and received no response. Obviously getting the Saniflo repaired is an urgent maintenance need, as we cannot use the toilet, wash ourselves, do laundry or dishes, and it's just completely uninhabitable. Waste has filled the toilet bowl now and therefore has not been disposed of correctly, I'm aware there are some legal requirements of a landlord and I think one of these must be to provide a working fricken' toilet at the very least?!
I'm only thankful we don't have children yet, as this would be even more unbearable in that situation. I've read up about a few things on Shelter, but they all say to give the letting agents two weeks to respond to my request for them to confirm that they're happy for us to get someone in to do the repair and bill it to them.
Unfortunately there's not an option to get someone in to repair it as an emergency and we pay them, as we just don't have the money required for a new Saniflo unit at the moment.
I'm just wondering what my next steps can be? I'm at my wit's end with this and I need it sorting pronto!
:(:( 0
Comments
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The post title says "landlord" ignoring repairs, however you seem to have been dealing with the agent throughout. It would be best to complain to the landlord directly (and in writing) as they may be unaware that the agent and their contractor are inept.
Not really sure how you you keep managing to overflow the thing though. Rule number 1 with a saniflow is if it stops working stop trying to use it!!0 -
Landlord owns the letting agents company too. Technically our letting agents ARE our landlords.
Also please read: every time the thing has broken or flooded, we have stopped using it and requested a repair. Perhaps it's too much to put trust into a plumber who says the thing's fixed when he leaves?
We haven't been able to use it since Wednesday now.0 -
Landlord owns the letting agents company too. Technically our letting agents ARE our landlords.
In that case the next step would be to contact Environmental Health.
.... and yes I did read the first time....
"devilish Saniflo unit had blocked thus leading the toilet to overflow and all sorts to have flooded the hallway carpet outside the bathroom"
.... suggests to me you did not stop using it quick enough.0 -
That's what Saniflos do. For fun. They are truly evil.0
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They are bloody evil.
As stdated before this is much more urgent than letters being sent so we have sent emails.
How do we contact environmental health? I have had a Google but can't seem to find anything for Sunderland.0 -
OK so make the urgent point by phone/email and then follow up formally in writing. You need an official paper trail so you can build the complaint.
For EH start from your council website / phone them.
Or try here:
http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=783
plus another avenue is to ask to speak to the council Tenancy Relations Officer (TRO)
See also
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/complaints/complaints_about_private_landlords0 -
Are you saying the ONLY toilet in your house is this saniflow that doesn't work?Should've = Should HAVE (not 'of')
Would've = Would HAVE (not 'of')
No, I am not perfect, but yes I do judge people on their use of basic English language. If you didn't know the above, then learn it! (If English is your second language, then you are forgiven!)0
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