Should I ask my landlord for any compensation?

veryconfused20

I moved into a rented property a couple of months ago and within the first couple of weeks, raised concerns with my landlord that my fridge freezer wasn't working properly and my food was going off. I was told it was user error and to see how I went (despite having already tried the thing that was suggested, to no avail). Nothing changed so I raised it again, and was still told that it was user error and to leave it for another week. I got fed up and so bought a thermometer and proved that neither section of the appliance was working correctly and that the fridge doesn't meet the recommended food storage safety temperature. An engineer was finally arranged and confirmed that the fridge freezer is faulty, and it will be in excess of another week to fix. During the five weeks that this has been ongoing, I've thrown out a relatively considerable amount of food and have resulted to buying prepackaged things in the meantime because I'm otherwise just wasting anything fresh, which is also costing me more than I would otherwise pay for food.



I'm curious as to whether it would be unreasonable to ask to be financially compensated for the food that I've disposed of, given it was a lack of belief from the landlord that has meant it's taken so long to be sorted?

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

I can't help with this other than to say your post would be better off on the house renting board OP:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16

Don't know if someone can move the thread?

Matty36

You knew it was not working but kept buying food to put in it anyway?

How much have you thrown away in £££?

veryconfused20

Matty36 wrote: »

You knew it was not working but kept buying food to put in it anyway?

How much have you thrown away in £££?

Yes, because I'd otherwise have nothing to eat/cook with? You can only buy fruit, veg, dairy, meat, etc in certain minimum quantities and living alone, I haven't been getting through it all before it's been going mouldy days before its expiry, and/or my own prepared meals have gone off.


I've thrown around £50 away since it started.

Potbellypig

veryconfused20 wrote: »

I moved into a rented property a couple of months ago and within the first couple of weeks, raised concerns with my landlord that my fridge freezer wasn't working properly and my food was going off. I was told it was user error and to see how I went (despite having already tried the thing that was suggested, to no avail). Nothing changed so I raised it again, and was still told that it was user error and to leave it for another week. I got fed up and so bought a thermometer and proved that neither section of the appliance was working correctly and that the fridge doesn't meet the recommended food storage safety temperature. An engineer was finally arranged and confirmed that the fridge freezer is faulty, and it will be in excess of another week to fix. During the five weeks that this has been ongoing, I've thrown out a relatively considerable amount of food and have resulted to buying prepackaged things in the meantime because I'm otherwise just wasting anything fresh, which is also costing me more than I would otherwise pay for food.



I'm curious as to whether it would be unreasonable to ask to be financially compensated for the food that I've disposed of, given it was a lack of belief from the landlord that has meant it's taken so long to be sorted?

Every time I've always asked my landlord for something, he puts the rent up. Clever way of telling you to stop asking, I guess. What I mean by that is there's nothing stopping you from asking, but there's nothing stopping him saying no and/or something else you don't want.

wesleyad

Potbellypig wrote: »

Every time I've always asked my landlord for something, he puts the rent up. Clever way of telling you to stop asking, I guess. What I mean by that is there's nothing stopping you from asking, but there's nothing stopping him saying no and/or something else you don't want.

Well that would be illegal so would be useful to the OP when it comes to the other end trying to get back deposits etc.

As for compensation, almost certainly pointless, it was broken and maybe should have been fixed sooner, but I dont think you mitigated your losses enough by continuing to add more food. Things like potatoes, onions, root veg etc can go for weeks outside the fridge even in hot weather, I agree meats might be a pain, but plenty of people are vegetarian and do OK (as they tell me constantly)

veryconfused20

wesleyad wrote: »

Well that would be illegal so would be useful to the OP when it comes to the other end trying to get back deposits etc.

As for compensation, almost certainly pointless, it was broken and maybe should have been fixed sooner, but I dont think you mitigated your losses enough by continuing to add more food. Things like potatoes, onions, root veg etc can go for weeks outside the fridge even in hot weather, I agree meats might be a pain, but plenty of people are vegetarian and do OK (as they tell me constantly)

I appreciate what you're saying, and if it were a case of 'this is just how long it takes to fix' then I couldn't complain about the time scale. However, I was fobbed off and told to wait at least a week every time I made an adjustment (even though we all know an appliance would take only a few hours to adjust to a change) and it was only when I spent money buying thermometers to prove my point that they've had no choice but to believe me. I'm aware that the landlord doesn't have insurance and had to pay for the initial call out and the subsequent one to come to fit the part, which I imagine is a factor in their reluctance to do anything about it in the first place.


I can't really agree on the "continuing to add food" bit though... I've been purposely buying the smallest quantities of anything that requires a fridge and going to the shop most days (fuel and time cost in itself), but there are parts of my diet that do involve fridge/freezer based products and can't avoid that. Like I say, it's the having been fobbed off when I highlighted the issues that's made me contemplate asking for something in return.

hpuse

If I was in your situation, I would get the fridge sorted asap and after that gently try talking one-to-one with landlord stating facts (i.e dates you had the outage and the consumables you have'd to throw away or buy extra). Persuade him to believe that the situation wouldn't have happened if he acted on time.

Of course, somewhere during the above conversation, you would have to bring the costs associated with the outage and the items (incl 'gadgets') you had to buy to convince him to take actions, resulting in your financial loss.

veryconfused20 wrote: »

I appreciate what you're saying, and if it were a case of 'this is just how long it takes to fix' then I couldn't complain about the time scale. However, I was fobbed off and told to wait at least a week every time I made an adjustment (even though we all know an appliance would take only a few hours to adjust to a change) and it was only when I spent money buying thermometers to prove my point that they've had no choice but to believe me. I'm aware that the landlord doesn't have insurance and had to pay for the initial call out and the subsequent one to come to fit the part, which I imagine is a factor in their reluctance to do anything about it in the first place.


I can't really agree on the "continuing to add food" bit though... I've been purposely buying the smallest quantities of anything that requires a fridge and going to the shop most days (fuel and time cost in itself), but there are parts of my diet that do involve fridge/freezer based products and can't avoid that. Like I say, it's the having been fobbed off when I highlighted the issues that's made me contemplate asking for something in return.