Shower being replaced in rental

studentguy

Hi Folks,

For about 2years 6months, since I moved in to my flat, my shower has been leaking on occasion to the downstairs flat. They have been a bit rubbish about fixing it, occasionally they have attempted a reseal of it and that's about it. (As an aside they are rubbish at fixing anything, I had a broken postbox for 6 months so anyone could steal and read my mail, the intercom has never worked in the 2y6m of me being there, despite multiple complaints etc etc etc)

However, it's got worse, and my downstairs neighbour has (rightly) been complaining louder and louder, so now they want to completely replace my shower - which I'm fine with... however.

Where does this leave me? If they work on the shower for a number of days, so in those days I'm unable to use the shower, and I don't have a bath, so I'm unable to wash, I'll be unable to stay in the flat (to add to this I also have OCD so I literally cannot get by without showering every day) - do I have any rights for some money back on my rent, as I'll have to potentially pay for other lodgings elsewhere? Seems a bit unfair if I have to financially lose out over this I just kinda want to know where I stand really. If I don't have a leg to stand on I'll have to reluctantly swallow the cost.

Thanks guys

SerialRenter

They should be able to replace a shower within a day.

If not, does you work have shower facilities? or a friend/family? Gym?

Pixie5740

What would you do if you owned the property? You might have been without a shower then too until you managed to get it fixed.

You have a sink, just used that to get washed.

Guest101

Its about reasonablness

1-2 days fine
1-2 weeks, not fine.

G_M

Indeed.

It's really a very minor inconvenience for a few days and in return you get a nice new shower.

If the LL was refusing to fix the leak or replace the shower, then you'd have something to complain about.

Buy yourself a big xxxx. Stand/squat in it with a plastic cup and scoop water over yourself. Or if you have a secluded garden, do it outside -the weather's not that cold now.

kleapatra

I had this in a rental flat once - they had to replace a bath and shower and it took around a week. Didn't enter my head to complain - I just sucked it up as these things happen. I went to the local leisure centre and went for a swim so I could use their showers or alternatively I went to friends or family's houses. Its not like it forever and most definitely doesn't make the house unliveable for a few days

studentguy

Hi,

Things have progressed somewhat.

Firstly, let me explain things a bit more thoroughly.

A) My downstairs neighbour has been reporting this leak for years
They've attempted to fix it (the landlord has been using his 'friends' to fix things) and nothing has worked, they've literally been trying to do things on the cheap.
C) The leak is now really bad, it's gushing water into the downstairs flat, so much so that she was unable to use the electric.
D) A quick inspection of the floorboards have revealed that the floor is saturated. So there is a very real possibility of falling through.
E) My downstairs neighbour has moved out into a travelodge which the landlord is paying for.

I was told on Saturday to stop using the shower until (at the time they told me) Wednesday. The letting agent informed me that the landlord had offered to pay for a weeks membership to the lesiure centre a few minutes away so I could use their shower faclities, and offered to pay for a taxi there and back. I instantly rubbished that idea, and to be honest the letting agent did as well, thinking that the idea was ridiculous and heavily hinted the landlord was being tight.

So the letting agent suggested that I book the travelodge and they will 'sort it out with the landlord'. So on their advice I booked till Wednesday Night, at a cost of near £300. (so with my rent being £400 I've almost doubled the cost of my accom this month).

I was informed a few hours later that the Landlord would only pay for Saturday Night and Sunday Night and he will look at the issue on Monday and inform me if he was going to let me stay for any more nights. Now I am able to check out early from the travelodge and get a refund for unspent nights, however I work a full time job and so I will have to check out by 9am. I will NOT be able to check out any later, so if they get back to me at 11am or 2pm and say they want me to move back in and they won't pay for that night I will be losing money.

If this happens I will expect the landlord to pay for the night regardless. I hope I'm in the right here?

To put this in context this has been going on for 2y 6m, if they had fixed the problem correctly without being tight then this would not be such a problem as it is now.

To people saying that living without a Shower isn't the be all and end all, I'm sorry but I pay approx £400 a month and part of that includes access to a working shower. Add to that my OCD and it literally is not possible for me to skip showering for even a day.

Either way, if this isn't resolved this week I will be looking for other properties to rent, as I have said time and time again this has been getting progressively worse for 2 and a half years, and quite frankly it's not good enough - and I've spoken to my downstairs neighbour who is having the exact same thoughts as me, so he'll be down 2 tenants very shortly if he isn't careful!

yoshiyella

Wow!
Having spent 15 years in rental accomdation we have had a shower replaced a couple of times and there was no compensation. Yes it was an inconvenience but there are means and ways around it!
Why did you and the agent fob off the weeks membership to leisure centre including taxi fares? To me that is more than generous!
In fact I am so suprised LL has offered Sat/Sun in a travel lodge - surely a B&B would be a lot better and cheaper - plus you would get a cooked breakfast!
It is only access to a shower! As people have already said - strip wash/friends/family/leisure centre! Even if it was for a week this shouldn't be an issue!

Pixie5740

Expect all you like. Your landlord is already being more than generous. I hope you've got the offer to pay for your accommodation in writing.

Hoploz

Because if you owned the place you would of course pay for your own hotel bill, having to move out due to lack of a shower, naturally.

Jeez.

BitterAndTwisted

Lack of a shower does not equate to lack of any washing-facilities. You were an absolute fool to accept what the agent told you. "Sort it out with the landlord later". Yeah, right. If I were your landlord I wouldn't be paying for any nights in a travelodge, never mind two.