Compensation for landlord not fixing broken radiators?

Renee_Lou

Hi All,
I'm not sure if this is the right thread so please do let me know if there is a more suitable forum to post this.
I rent a flat which is council housing and in February I reported that the radiators weren't working. Some time went by and no one came to fix it so I reported it again late March and was told that it was not an emergency so no one would come to fix it until after the lockdown. However, when I checked the housing policy, no heating is considered an emergency. I called back a couple days later in April and was told since it is spring, no one will be coming to fix the radiators during the lockdown as the weather is not cold enough for the situation to be considered an emergency. So I have been told different things regarding what is considered an emergency. I sent email with receipts of my electricity bill since I have had to depend on electric heaters to warm up the rooms of my flat and asked for them to compensate me some of the costs of the my electricity bills since they failed as a council to repair the broken radiators from the time I first reported the problem in late winter. Do I have any rights to request compensation?

lincroft1710

You have no rights in that there is no automatic right to compensation in such circumstances. You can ask if they would consider reimbursing you for the difference between what you would have normally paid for heating and what you have actually paid. The problem there is that both costs can only be estimated, unless you can isolate the amount actually spent on heating via electrical appliances. How much would you estimate to be your net increased cost?

Renee_Lou

lincroft1710 said:

You have no rights in that there is no automatic right to compensation in such circumstances. You can ask if they would consider reimbursing you for the difference between what you would have normally paid for heating and what you have actually paid. The problem there is that both costs can only be estimated, unless you can isolate the amount actually spent on heating via electrical appliances. How much would you estimate to be your net increased cost?

When I spoke to someone on the phone they only said to send in my receipts but I feel like they said that just to get me off the phone. The thing is, I switched providers the start of this year so my bill for some months last year is higher compared to this year. On top of that, there have been times which some tenants have been away for a few weeks so that may also have led to such fluctuations in the electricity bill between each month. Overall, I would say there has been about a £10 increase for each month.

greatcrested

I don't know where you are in the country,but I've rarely had my heating on in the last couple of months, if at all.

I wouldn't call it an emergency. In mid-winter, yes. Or if the rads were leaking and causing water damage, yes.

The difference in cost between heating via the boiler and some electric heaters is going to be minimal anyway.

Do you have hot water?

lincroft1710

Renee_Lou said:

lincroft1710 said:

You have no rights in that there is no automatic right to compensation in such circumstances. You can ask if they would consider reimbursing you for the difference between what you would have normally paid for heating and what you have actually paid. The problem there is that both costs can only be estimated, unless you can isolate the amount actually spent on heating via electrical appliances. How much would you estimate to be your net increased cost?

 Overall, I would say there has been about a £10 increase for each month.

So relatively very little money. It's not worth pursuing.

diggingdude

They should maybe send you £2.50 in compensation,  You have not been using the radiators all that much since you raised the issue

AdrianC

You say "radiators" - how is your heating provided?

Is it a building system? Is it electric panel "radiators"? Is it your boiler, and hot water is working fine?
If they're water radiators, have you tried bleeding them...?

HampshireH

Unusual for all your radiators to be not working unless your boiler is not working (if gas). If electric storage thats even more bizarre ..if something like Air Source then this makes more sense.

You says some tenants havent been there. What type of accommodation is it?

Many social housing providers have a policy where no heating is an emeregncy between october/november and march for example.

What does their repair policy say?

princeofpounds

No you don't get compensation.

Yes, you can organise the repair yourself, but you have to follow a precise process. 
https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/what_to_do_if_your_landlord_wont_do_repairs

There are also legal and regulatory routes to deal with this kind of thing, as you'll read through the link, but they tend to be slow. Threatening to get the repair done yourself normally prompts action. 

AdrianC

Here comes a shiny new gormless thread-necromancing spammer...

Hasbeen

AdrianC said:

Here comes a shiny new gormless thread-necromancing spammer...

One more click. That was all it needed.