Leaking boiler....

IamZlatan

Hi folks

Im just looking for some advice regarding a leaking boiler and my rights. Last week I discovered that the boiler was leaking, we have a little outhouse in which the boiler is situated. Now the floor is completely soaking, so I called the letting agent who sent a member of their own staff out to inspect it. My partner was at home at the time and she said that the member of staff said that he would get someone out to fix it, fast froward a week and no-one came out. I contacted the agents who said they contacted the landlord regarding the minor leak and she said just to leave it unless it gets worse, nice of them to bother to tell us that.

The letting agent said that its a minor drip from a pipe leading into the boiler and not the boiler itself. My concern is how do they know that its just a minor leak without getting a boiler engineer out to have a look? Everytime the boiler is used, after I switch it off the outhouse floor is soaked within a couple of hours, how is that just a minor leak? Im very wary of boiler problems, because I know they can be serious.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Zlatan

Pixie5740

You've done your due diligence and reported this to the LL/LA. If your LL then decides not to act upon it and the property suffers damage that's your LL's lookout. You could report, in WRITING to the address for the serving of notices in your TA, that the leak appears to be getting worse.

The most dangerous problems with boilers are gas leaks, either carbon monoxide or natural gas. Have you been provided with a copy of a valid gas safety certificate for the property?

Foxy-Stoat_3

Boilers must be inspected every year, has this happened?

Does it still operate ok?

This will only get worse.

teabelly

Put a bucket under the leak if you can. Then see how long it takes to fill the bucket. If it is weeks then it is a minor leak. If it is filling up in a day or two then it isn't minor.

Pooling water always looks more than it actually is.

IamZlatan

Thanks for the replies.

Yes pixie, we have received gas safety certificates.

Yes Foxy the boiler is inspected every year. They are always very good at fixing problems in fairness, perhaps they have under estimated how bad the leak is this time.

The boiler operates fine, but I find the pressure is usually a bit low when not in operation so we have to up the pressure before turning it on.

Im just going to stick a bucket under it and see how much it collects over the week then go back to them. I highly doubt the leak is going to just stop by itself. lol.

princeofpounds

Just make sure you report this in writing, noting your initial report over the phone. You don't want to be accused of delaying.

G_M

All repairing issues should be repoeted IN WRITING to the landlord at the address provided "for the serving of notices" (look on your tenancy agreement.

IamZlatan

G_M wrote: »

All repairing issues should be repoeted IN WRITING to the landlord at the address provided "for the serving of notices" (look on your tenancy agreement.

Just out of curiousity, I have seen in multiple threads the above advice. I have never even met the landlord, and only deal with the letting agent, usually over the phone or via email, does this not suffice? I have evidence of reporting the problem and a reply from the letting agent confirming so.

Pixie5740

IamZlatan wrote: »

Just out of curiousity, I have seen in multiple threads the above advice. I have never even met the landlord, and only deal with the letting agent, usually over the phone or via email, does this not suffice? I have evidence of reporting the problem and a reply from the letting agent confirming so.

Your contract is with the landlord, not the letting agency. Your tenancy agreement must contain the landlord's name and an address for the serving of notices in England or Wales (sometimes this is c/o the LA). It is this address that notices such as to end the tenancy or report repairs should be sent.

Phone calls and emails are fine when everything is cordial and repairs are being done. However, when the LL chooses to ignore something such as a leak it's good to have a paper trail in case the LL tries to deduct money from your deposit to cover the cost of the damage caused by the LL ignoring a repair notification.

IamZlatan

Pixie5740 wrote: »

Your contract is with the landlord, not the letting agency. Your tenancy agreement must contain the landlord's name and an address for the serving of notices in England or Wales (sometimes this is c/o the LA). It is this address that notices such as to end the tenancy or report repairs should be sent.

Phone calls and emails are fine when everything is cordial and repairs are being done. However, when the LL chooses to ignore something such as a leak it's good to have a paper trail in case the LL tries to deduct money from your deposit to cover the cost of the damage caused by the LL ignoring a repair notification.

Makes sense. Does it make a difference if the property is in Northern Ireland?

Our tenancy agreement mentions the LL's name c/o the letting agent who sign on his / her behalf, but no mention of the home address.

Pixie5740

IamZlatan wrote: »

Makes sense. Does it make a difference if the property is in Northern Ireland?

Our tenancy agreement mentions the LL's name c/o the letting agent who sign on his / her behalf, but no mention of the home address.

Yes, it would be different if the property is in NI in that you don't have to be provided with an address in England or Wales for the serving of notices.

The TA doesn't have to have the LL's home address in it, it just has to have an address for the serving of notices and when a LL employs a LA that address is usually c/o the LA.