Irresponsible landlord Neglecting safety issues ??

onredbull

Just wondered if I am over-reacting or not on whether my landlord is being irresponsible with certain issues.

I privatly rent a 2 bedroom first floor flat in a block, although being on benefits,the council pay my landlord the rent for it.

I have lived here 5 and half years now and the landlord is very laid back, lives approx 100-150 miles away and lets me get on with it.
So far Nothing major has happened in an emergency.(Touch Wood!)

GAS SAFETY
Last sept '06, after ringing my landlord to ask for a gas safety check on heaters (they are as old as flat-25-30 yrs+) and then ringing around quotes for him, I managed to get my 2nd gas safety check since I have lived here.

I rang him last week and spoke to him twice + left him 1 answer machine message as it is now 2 weeks over due for the gas safety check and he has not got back to me yet.

They have not been on since march which is 6 mths and I hate putting them on at first as they are usually filled with dust ect (bad air circulation in flat) and when I first moved in I used to small gas in bedroom a lot, although it was looked at. It is getting colder and my ds keeps saying its cold and has a bad cough but Im not sure to put them on or not.

ELECTRICS
Also since moving here none of the electrics have ever been checked, and as my son gets older, he is 4, Im starting to worry a bit more for our (me+him) safety.


I dont wanna ring benefits as they could stop rent and then I have the hassel of putting in new claim.
I cant afford to get them done myself and dont want to hassel him as he has already told me that he wants to sell this, as he sold 1 across from me earlier this year and asked if i could afford to buy it - which i cant.


Sorry, I know this is not a real money saving issue but it sort of it as I may have to look into getting electrics done as looked at wesite below and found that its not landlords responsibility to get electrics sorted.
http://england.shelter.org.uk/advice/advice-4068.cfm

:confused: Am I over re-acting or is there anything I can do ????
Any advice would be grateful.

C_Ronaldo

I dont your over reacting, theres not much i can offer in way of help but i hope you get it sorted soon,

real1314

ok, first things first....

you might not want to move out, but do you want a cheap rent at the expenses of your and your child's safety?

Gas problems can (rarely, admittedly) be fatal.

You need a gas check doing every year, without fail. No decent landlord should shirk on this one. Ok, the dust on the appliances is not necessarily a problem, but an annual gas check is essential.

as for the electrics, there's no real reason why they should start to fail after 25 yrs even, but a check every few years (maybe every 5) shouldn't be a major problem.

Don't bother ringing benefits, they aren't involved in that area, ring the council and ask if they have anyone who deals with private renting. or failing that environmental health.

let us know if you have any further problems

PasturesNew

To be fair, while your comments are valid - and a legal obligation is a legal obligation ..... speaking as a homeowner (I was one until June this year), it's not something most people ever do.

I had my gas boiler looked after by British Gas, but for the first 4 years after it was fitted had nothing. I did have the electrics checked when I first moved in (most people never do), but not once in the following 7 years.

So, while I understand your worries (dust - would scare the pants off me too, especially if I thought I could smell gas), the balance of probability is on your side. And, as I said before, most home owners never check these things.

I hope he gets in touch soon.

Actually, I've noticed in my rental that electrical checks haven't been done since June 2006. But I'm not bothered really. Stuff looks good, no funny smells when I use anything - and to me checking at all ever is a bonus.

PasturesNew

onredbull wrote: »

I may have to look into getting electrics done as looked at wesite below and found that its not landlords responsibility to get electrics sorted.
http://england.shelter.org.uk/advice/advice-4068.cfm

The landlord is responsible for the things he provided the day you moved in. So if there are any electrical heaters fitted, the electric lighting system, electric cooker if he supplied it.

You are responsible for your things. So the items you own and will take with you when you leave (or chuck out). So your bedside lamp, TV, stereo, PC, etc.

Of course, if you rented unfurnished and provided your own cooker/fridge/freezer/washing machine then these would be your responsibility.

No idea for sure, but I think if he arranged for an electrical man to pop round and check, you could collar him while he's there and pay him directly for checking your items once he's done the landlord's. I'd expect to pay about £2/item max on that basis. However, if the things I had brought into the house I felt 100% safe about, I'd just get him to check the big stuff that would worry me most (cooker, fridge/freezer, etc).


The issue here is not whether your kit will break down, but whether yours is so old/badly maintained that it would start a fire and burn down the landlord's property. If it's yours and you're electrocuted then that'd be just tough luck as it is your equipment and you couldn't sue your landlord if you managed to electrocute yourself.

onredbull

Thanks for all your advise.

I will ring him again 2moro and explain to him of my worrys regarding the gas safety check and mention that a friend had advised me of the electrics (only 1 electric heater fixed to wall & his v.old cooker) would be worth booking in to be checked also.

I think he expects me to ring round, as I did it last year, but when i tried the same bloke, he no longer works.

My landlord has access to internet so if i mention 'local council website', can anyone confirm of tel numbers of some1 he would be able to book/hire ?

Thanks again, I will let you know in morning after I have phoned him.

clutton_2

your landlord has a legal duty to provide you with an annual gas safety inspection certificate signed by a CORGI registered gas engineer - it is a criminal offence for him to not do so.

silvercar

Really the landlord should be finding the CORGI inspector, not leaving it for you to arrange.

I would suggest you hoover around the radiators before turning them on for the first time this year. How is your hot water heated, chances are its from the boiler that heats your radiators. I presume you have had hot water through the summer? The gas is in the boiler not the radiators, so the gas risks are no different.

Find your electric main consumer unit, are the fuses flippy switches or pull out fuse boxes. If the latter, then the electrics probably are old.

onredbull

silvercar wrote: »

How is your hot water heated, chances are its from the boiler that heats your radiators. I presume you have had hot water through the summer? The gas is in the boiler not the radiators, so the gas risks are no different.

Thanks for advise, I dont have radiators, I have the old type of gas/electric heaters that blow air in and out. They are gas heaters but have to be plugged in to use. (Sorry to be so un-knowledgeable:o )

The heaters I have are called 'Baxi Brazillia 2' in bedroom
and
'Robinson Willey warmplan' in front room.

When they have previously been checked, the gas man had to use my hoover to clean inside as the front room one was blocked with talc as I used to dry baby in front room after bath and the heater sucks air as well as blows out heat.

Another factor my mum mentioned is when they have not been cleaned, they only blow out half heat even though on full power and im paying full price so spending more money.

Im going to ring him now, wish me luck !!!:eek: