Rented House, boiler broken with no hot water or heating for a week

lookstraightahead

The world doesn't revolve around most people's problems to be fair. Unless you're the one with the problem.

lookstraightahead

G_M wrote: »

It's my experience that if I call others 'wierdos' I get spanked by the Mods.


If I call myself a wierdo I avoid the spanking. Oh! hang on, I'm doing this the wrong way round........

Completely different thread

G_M

lookstraightahead wrote: »

Completely different thread

Yeah. Friday night.

Thrugelmir

lookstraightahead wrote: »

The world doesn't revolve around most people's problems to be fair. Unless you're the one with the problem.

Patience is a virtue.

Though I have often found that those complain the most are far from perfect themselves when it comes to come their own work. Being aggressive being a form of self defence.

SeasideSally

Our boiler broke down the very afternoon we moved into our rented house (last week). We weren't about to sit in the cold and take freezing baths while waiting for the engineer to come out. Having had a boiler in the past (owned property) that broke down every winter without fail from the moment it was installed (and I still hate the thing), we put our usual plan into action. Electric heaters and hot water from pans on the hob (no electric shower). Unfortunately, the bath had one of those plugs that you push once to close and again to open, and the darned thing didn't fit. Pans of hot water went down the plug hole. Solution: unscrew plug and buy plastic one for £1 from the local DIY shop. Hey presto, problem solved.

Whilst it's true that tenants can't sort out repairs for themselves and therefore have less control over their environment, landlords are - like all homeowners - at the mercy of engineers. We had a service contract with British Gas, and on two different occasions it took them three full days of fiddling to fix one problem during the coldest time of the year. They broke more than they fixed during one visit. It was the same then as it was last week: electric heaters and pans of hot water.

Matty_91

Thank you everyone for replying!
I really appreciate all your advise, and I have had a good read

I have since contacted the landlord and she has provided an electric heater now...
Oh course, still no hot water though...

Still waiting for an appointment to have the boiler replaced, and there has still been no real progress (as expected...)

Almost 2 weeks now! And no end in sight yet...

phill99 wrote: »

What on earth makes you think you have the right to compensation?
It is about reasonableness.

BBH123 wrote: »

Would you get compensation if you were a home owner by way of mortgage reduction, no you wouldn't and nor should you expect it off a landlord . Yours is doing all she can by the sounds of it so stop with the self entitlement.

S@it happens whether you're renting or owner and you just have to deal with it.

Oh course I wouldn't expect the mortguage provider to pay for my boiler... the difference being that in that situation, the boiler would belong to me...
In this case, I am paying (a lot of money) for this feature in the house I rent, and therefore I expect it to be provided (within reason I know...)
In my opinion, she hasn't done all she can to chase this up and update me with what's going on... She hasn't actually made contact with me at all, I am always the one doing the chasing of her insurance company, and I am the one who constantly has to call her and ask her to answer the phone to the insurance company when they are frequently unable to reach her...

It's utterly ridiculous...

Citizens Advice time do we think?

theartfullodger

Landlord is being stupid in my opinion.

He should have immediately apologised, arranged other heaters (oil-filled, safer, several of them), offer to pay extra heating costs and reduced rent a bit. As well as arranging repair/replacement himself, sharpish.

Well, that's what I would/have done as a landlord.


But, no requirement for being sensible to be a landlord.....

lookstraightahead

SeasideSally wrote: »

Our boiler broke down the very afternoon we moved into our rented house (last week). We weren't about to sit in the cold and take freezing baths while waiting for the engineer to come out. Having had a boiler in the past (owned property) that broke down every winter without fail from the moment it was installed (and I still hate the thing), we put our usual plan into action. Electric heaters and hot water from pans on the hob (no electric shower). Unfortunately, the bath had one of those plugs that you push once to close and again to open, and the darned thing didn't fit. Pans of hot water went down the plug hole. Solution: unscrew plug and buy plastic one for £1 from the local DIY shop. Hey presto, problem solved.

Whilst it's true that tenants can't sort out repairs for themselves and therefore have less control over their environment, landlords are - like all homeowners - at the mercy of engineers. We had a service contract with British Gas, and on two different occasions it took them three full days of fiddling to fix one problem during the coldest time of the year. They broke more than they fixed during one visit. It was the same then as it was last week: electric heaters and pans of hot water.

Is it mended now? Op has already been waiting two weeks

Murphybear

G_M wrote: »

You gotta just love the alternative extreme views that spout forth in a thread like this. On both sides!

Notably missing is the OP who has not been back. Have they followed advice? Has the problem been resolved? Are their fngers so cold they can't type any longer?

Will we have to wade through another 20 posts of irate opinions from uninvolved wierdos like me before finally finding out what happens.


Log in next week. Same batty-time, same batty-channel.

G-M you are very good value :rotfl:

Thrugelmir

Matty_91 wrote: »

Almost 2 weeks now! And no end in sight yet...

It's utterly ridiculous...

Citizens Advice time do we think?

I'm unable to get a heating engineer until 2 weeks around here. That's for a small repair job. Commissioning a new boiler no chance. Good tradespeople rarely sit around waiting for work. Now the cold weather has arrived it's even worse than normal. Such is the demand for them.