No heating or hot water for 4 years!

janedavid22

Hi everyone,
I’m desperately seeking some help and advice. We moved into our social housing property 4 years ago and from the start the heating didn’t work properly and therefore the hot water too. We live in Scotland so it can get pretty cold. It is a solid fuel system. We can get the fire to light and burn really well with coal and wood but the issue is the stove does heat any of our radiators or any hot water. Also you can touch the stove when it’s burning so that doesn’t even get very hot. We had a solid fuel stove in our old property where we lived for 6 years so we know what we’re doing. To cut a very long story short we have reported the issue countless times and various engineers have come round but nothing’s had been sorted. The engineers stories have ‘changed’ or people who have identified there’s an issue have gone off sick etc. So it had ended up being 4 years as we have had to start the complaint again every time because of new people and engineers. We put in Ann official complaint on Oct 2019. After investigation the landlords decided there was no issue, due to them commissioning a report which said the stove was working even though the engineer didn’t even see it lit. We have obviously contested the report and a senior staff member came to see the stove and after spending 3 hours in our property admitted it was not working properly and did not provide heating or hot water! Finally! The issue now is with the Coronavirus happening our landlord is refusing to follow up since their visit claiming it’s not an emergency. We have been relying on x2 2kw plug in radiators, one in our living room and one in our 5 year old daughters room. We have no hot water and this is supposed to be provided through the stove. Im fed up of being ‘fobbed off’ with excuses. It’s been 4 years. Our house is always cold and our hands sore from washing in cold water. We are now thinking about legal advice as enough is enough. Any help or guidance on this would be greatly appreciated. We’ve are based in Scotland 

diggingdude

You do have heating, 2 plug in heaters.  Kettle for hot water?  It wont be an emergency with Covid-19 about.  All you can probs do is see out the complaints process and then review following that process?  Got an MP or Councillor looking for re-election? Contact them?

theartfullodger

Sorry to read your story:

Is your landlord Council,Housing Association or a Private Landlord, please? 

HOW (eg 'phone call, txt, letter, email..) have you reported the repair issues?  What written/email response did you get, please?

If private STRONGLY suggest you follow Shelter's guidance here, in particular sending their draft letter.

https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/advice_topics/repairs_and_bad_conditions/repairs_in_private_rented_accommodation/getting_your_landlord_to_do_repairs

Slàinte mhath!

greatcrested

Well I kind of agree that ifyou've managed for 4 years it can hardly be an emergency.Especially with the current health issues, and the fact that it's spring time.

No what you want to hear I know, but you are following the complainsts process.

The only alternative is to escalate it through Environmental Health or the Scottish equivellant.

theartfullodger

greatcrested said:

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The only alternative is to escalate it through Environmental Health or the Scottish equivellant.

No, there are other alternatives.

xylophone

Is your landlord Council,Housing Association or a Private Landlord, please? 

OP says

We moved into our social housing property 4 years ago and from the start the heating didn’t work properly and therefore the hot water too. 

https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/advice_topics/repairs_and_bad_conditions/repairs_if_you_rent_from_the_council_a_housing_association_or_housing_co-op

janedavid22

Thanks for your comments so far everyone. I agree it’s probably not an emergency especially given the currently situation. I’m just worried we’ll be back to square one and facing another cold winter. I have followed the complaints procedure but everything has just stopped. I’m just wondering what the next step is? Could we go to court? (After the Coronavirus) If so how’s would we start this? We don’t have much evidence as it all seems to have been ‘buried’. Thanks