No water for weeks - rental advice needed!

niksyg

Hope I am posting in the correct board...

I rent my house from my employer. I pay for my water supply and emptying of the septic tank monthly at a rate calculated by my employer. During August I had no water supply to the property for 3 weeks, due to a damaged pipe elsewhere on site, which meant the supply had to be cut off.
I was given access to a shower and toilet in another building on site and also a washing machine elsewhere on site. After 2 and a half weeks I was given access to a hose for water that needed to be boiled before drinking. I now have running water - what a treat!
I have requested my August water payment to be refunded (it comes out of my salary) but other people I have spoken to have said I should be further compensated, I can't find any guidance or legislation on this and would appreciate some advice or guidance...should I just be grateful I have water again and that I will hopefully get my payment refunded?

spiro

The only thing I would try and claim for in addition to not paying for that month is for the extra fuel you have had to use to boil water but I doubt that will amount to much.
This thread should really have been under the Water section.

chanz4

As they have provided other means, cant see how much this can be pushed.

undaunted

You need to establish what pipe / whose responsibility it was to repair it.

If the water companies refer to their website & code of conduct for an idea of what compensation your landlord may have been awarded & then seek your share!

If the pipe was the landlords responsibility I suggest you request an explanation of why it took them three weeks to repair it. Unless there is a very good reason (& I'm struggling to think of one - general target for burst water pipes is 24 hours I believe) I would be seeking compensation personally & not just your water charge as I don't believe that three weeks to repair a burst water pipe / being left without an adequate / acceptable water supply would meet the decent homes standards - but try your local councils website for more detailed information on this