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silvercar

Tell the agency you have informed the council and are updating them on Monday.
As for what the agency can do, firstly they could get a competent plumber to attend, other than that I doubt there is a temporary solution.

elsien

Boil a kettle would be my first thought. 
A week really is a short period of time, given that they are trying to fix it, far too soon for the council to get involved. It's not great but it doesn't make your house uninhabitable. 
What's the issue with writing to your landlord - first class post will be there the next day. 

AdrianC

jillbob said:

I'd really appreciate some advise on what to do next as I am starting to get really stressed out about not having any hot water for over a week with no resolution in sight.

1. Is there anything else I can do to speed things up? Except for getting a private plumber as I can not afford it on top of my extortionate rent :P

If your rent is "extortionate", why not just move to somewhere cheaper?

Should the agency be providing me with something in the meantime?

Like what? You have other ways to heat water to wash with - a kettle, a pan on the hob - right?

Context

• I contacted my agency about an issue with the boost button on my boiler a month ago. Plumber made a change which meant that there was no hot water at all afterwards!
• I then emailed them to fix it. Plumber visited a few time, then I had to wait overnight to check if the water heated up. No progress, so I escalated to the agency. 
• Plumber still tinkering about with the switches but nothing's changing. I asked the agency for my landlord's contact details other than his postal address but they refused. 
• Yesterday, I asked them about the possibility of looking into a replacement or atleast working towards a date rather than dragging this issue on, no clear answer.

It sounds like all reasonable attempts are being made to resolve the issue.

Simple question: If you were an owner-occupier, would this be being resolved any quicker?

As for contact details - you have his address? That's contact details.

I then informed the city council and told them I will update them on Monday with regards to the situation.  It will have been 10 days by then.

By Tuesday, the next business day from today, it will have been 11 days.
Five of those will be non-working days. So that's six elapsed working days - during which you've had how many visits from the plumber, attempting to resolve the issue?

macman

As above: formal letter of complaint to your LL, keep proof of posting. He may not even be aware , if the agent is (not) managing it.

bradders1983

Nobody will be at the council on Monday. 

AdrianC

jillbob said:

I believe a kettle is good enough but after 48 hours this becomes an urgent repair situation, so the point about business hours is irrelevant. This would classify as an out of hours emergency.

Would it...? By whose classification?

There have been around 5 to 6 visits over the past week. 

So an average of one visit per working day - presumably, parts are being obtained...?

I repeat the question... If you were an owner-occupier, would this be being fixed any quicker?

NameUnavailable

Just keep on at the agents - it's the squeaky wheel that gets the oil!

steampowered

jillbob said:

• I asked the agency for my landlord's contact details other than his postal address but they refused.

You have a legal right to receive the landlord's contact details. You could contact the letting agent as follows. Might not help get things resolved quicker but might make the agent feel pressured.

You could also contact the letting agent asking for what rent reduction they would propose to compensate you for the lack of hot water. You could quote the clause in your tenancy agreement which requires the landlord to maintain the boiler. You could also quote section 11(b) of the Landlord and Tenancy Act 1985 which puts the landlord under an obligation to "to keep in repair and proper working order the installations in the dwelling-house for the supply of water".

You could point out that as it has been more than a week with no resolution in sight, if they don't get a move on very quickly, the landlord will be in breach of that legal obligation.

Though, if there have already been 5-6 visits, it sounds like they are trying to resolve it.

==
Dear Agent

Under section 1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, I hereby request you to provide me with a written statement of the landlord’s name and address within the period of 21 days beginning with the day on which you receive this request.

You should be aware that a person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with this request commits a summary offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale, which currently stands at £2,500.

I look forward to receiving your prompt reply. 

theoretica

I was without hot water or heating for over a week when my boiler died earlier this year - I do not recommend cold showers!  A sponge/flannel wash with a bowl or two of warm water from the kettle is nicer.

AdrianC

jillbob said:

AdrianC said:

jillbob said:

I believe a kettle is good enough but after 48 hours this becomes an urgent repair situation, so the point about business hours is irrelevant. This would classify as an out of hours emergency.

Would it...? By whose classification?

There have been around 5 to 6 visits over the past week. 

So an average of one visit per working day - presumably, parts are being obtained...?

I repeat the question... If you were an owner-occupier, would this be being fixed any quicker?

You are welcome to provide evidence that the classification isn't true. 
I have already outlined what I would do as a landlord, an owner-occupier situation is not relevant.

So this classification is just something you've made up, because you think it feels right...?

And, yes, as a rule of thumb, the owner-occupier test is absolutely applicable.

BTW, you do know that a replacement boiler isn't a same-day half-hour job...?