Thermostat installation in rental property

snazzlebee

We've been renting a one-bed flat for just over a year. A few weeks ago, a guy came round to service the boiler. He recommended to the landlord that a thermostat be installed, and a thermostatic valve for the living room radiator (the bedroom radiator already has one).

Until he pointed this out, I hadn't given any thought to the fact that a thermostat would be hugely beneficial in terms of bills and keeping warm.

The original boiler fitter came round today and told me that the landlord was offered the chance to install a thermostat and valve 3 years ago but chose not to. (Apparently it would have become mandatory a year ago, but wasn't when it was installed).

The landlord now appears to be of the view that since there isn't a problem with the flat's heating then he doesn't need to do anything.

However, I now believe a thermostat would hugely benefit us as tenants (plus prevent the flat from getting below a certain temp when we're out/away for the weekend and thus preventing damp in the landlord's property).

Does anyone know what the requirements for a thermostat are in rental properties?
What is the best way to approach this?
And if worse came to worse, are there cheap and easy ways to install a thermostat which the landlord would not need to know about when we moved out?

Thanks in anticipation!

spadoosh

When you get too hot, just turn the radiator off.

Robin9

spadoosh wrote: »

When you get too hot, just turn the radiator off.

or the boiler thermostat down .............. or alter the programmer times

matelodave

It would be pretty easy and not everso expensive to install a wireless thermostat (a programmable one would be better). Have you got a programmer - if so depending on how it's configured you might need to either by-pass it or just leave it switch to 24 heating if you fit a programmable stat.

The receiver unit gets connected at the boiler end, usually 3-4 wires and the thermostat then talks to it wirelessly, so it doesn't even need to be screwed on the wall - you can put it on a shelf.

Something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Salus-RT510RF-Wireless-Programmable-Thermostat/dp/B072KL746L?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_2 plus however much it costs to get it fitted.

TBH it's not difficult so someone with a bit of electrical knowledge should be able to do it.

Talldave

I've just done this in a rental property we've recently moved to. Although the heating system is very sophisticated, with a mixture of underfloor heating zones and radiators, I was a bit surprised that there was no thermostat for the radiator circuit, just a programmer and relying on TRVs (but no TRVs on bathroom towel rail rads).

So I've installed a thermostat - by intercepting the CH call for heat signal at the programmer baseplate and diverting it via a wireless programmable thermostat receiver. The existing programmer then just has CH set to constant and the programmable thermostat takes control.

I've gone a bit overboard and used a Heatmiser stat which connects wirelessly to a Heatmiser hub and two wireless temperature sensors (which are averaged). Radiators now have a heating profile that lowers the temp a little at night then up again during daytime, and the boiler's not whirring away continuously, overheating the bathrooms! All controlled from an app running on tablet/phone.

It's cost me less than £100; when we leave I could leave it behind or remove it in 5 mins (whip off programmer, undo 4 wires, reconnect 1 wire, refit programmer!). Whilst we're here I could upgrade all the UFH stats to wireless and get app control of the whole heating system via the Heatmiser app.

btr30

My understanding of Part L of the building regulations, would require that an electrical temperature interlock i.e. a room thermostat is a mandatory provision for central heating systems, these regs been in place for at least ten years.
A boiler replacement would fall under these regs as work on an existing dwelling, so should have been fitted at that time.
I would be requesting landlord instal a room thermostat as a minimum

Hasbeen

btr30 wrote: »

My understanding of Part L of the building regulations, would require that an electrical temperature interlock i.e. a room thermostat is a mandatory provision for central heating systems, these regs been in place for at least ten years.
A boiler replacement would fall under these regs as work on an existing dwelling, so should have been fitted at that time.
I would be requesting landlord instal a room thermostat as a minimum

I would nicely ask if the landlord could install one. But he has no legal obligations to do so.

Legislation was passed in early 2018 for new boiler installations.

If landlord is unwilling then if the OP wants one fitted then an offer of paying 50/50 could be made?