Advice on compensation - No heating

RDR13

Good morning,

I was hoping on some advice please.  I am a tenant of a property through an agent.  The boiler broke and had no hot water or heating, reported it.  A few days later contractor came out, made some repairs to boiler which were not successful and I told letting agent and contractor the same day.  They came out again and found issue with immersion, this was resolved and got hot water through that.  More repairs to boiler but still didn't work, again I fed this back same day.  Contractor said boiler was on way out and would send report to letting agents.  I have now been chasing repairs and have not had any heating for 5 weeks! Numerous calls to them and got excuses like chasing contractor and landlord for approval of work etc.  I told them I have now got local environmental  health involved, magically got a call back that day as it had now been escalated, work has been approved and waiting for contractor  start date.  I understand that I have no right to compensation but 5 weeks without heating when we have always paid full rent on time makes me feel like I should approach agent for some kind of compensation? Any advice would be great

Thanks

74jax

It's annoying but I can't see any compensation coming, but of course you can ask. 
I don't have the heating on yet but do have an electric shower and our washing maching and dishwasher works without the heating on.  Do you have no means for washing (yourself / clothes)?  I think you need to list why you are out of pocket and put your case for compensation forward with that. 

MaryNB

Don't make the mistake of witholding rent. You can be evicted for it regardless of issues with repairs. 

lookstraightahead

MaryNB said:

Don't make the mistake of witholding rent. You can be evicted for it regardless of issues with repairs. 

Absolutely this - keep it all separate.

sammyjammy

If you have had to use electric heaters etc on occasion and this has increased your electricity bill you might get a contribution towards that.

lookstraightahead

Op, how miserable. I understand how horrible it is this time of year, I dread our boiler breaking down and we own our property and are in control.

I really suffer with the cold, I never used to but we all have our limits. Those who say you don't need it and put on an extra jumper (which I guess will come) can only rely on their own experiences. People can get very ill from lack of warmth.

I hope you get it sorted soon. Well done for getting environmental health involved. When it's all sorted, that's the time to see if you can get compensation. It's well over any reasonable time to get this sorted, but don't hold your breath that you will succeed. 

People just have no morals sometimes.

p00hsticks

RDR13 said:

I understand that I have no right to compensation but 5 weeks without heating when we have always paid full rent on time makes me feel like I should approach agent for some kind of compensation? Any advice would be great

I think in the circumstances I'd be asking them to provide some form of temporary alternative heating (e.g. portable oil filled radiators, fan heaters, electric fires etc) until the boiler is fixed, with some form of rent reduction to cover the increased electricity billes that will result due to using them

GDB2222

A good landlord would offer to pay for electric heaters plus a contribution to electricity costs. 

pinkshoes

Why not just write to the landlord asking permission to buy a couple of oil filled radiators, and to deduct the cost from the rent? I would have done this after a couple of weeks if it was cold!

canaldumidi

sammyjammy said:

If you have had to use electric heaters etc on occasion and this has increased your electricity bill you might get a contribution towards that.

though of course the savings on the gas bill would be offset.

To be fair, the LL/agent sems to have repeatedly sent round a contractor when requested, sonot much more they could have done. An owner-occupier would have had the same inconvenience if the contractor had difficulty fixing the boiler.

You now have agreement that a new boiler will be installed.Inevirably that too causes a delay, especially at this time of year as it gets colder and engineers start getting busier.

GDB2222

pinkshoes said:

Why not just write to the landlord asking permission to buy a couple of oil filled radiators, and to deduct the cost from the rent? I would have done this after a couple of weeks if it was cold!

Fan heaters are a fraction of the price of oil filled, and they all have the same efficiency.