Advice on compensation - No heating

p00hsticks

GDB2222 said:

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. 

they're considerably noisier though....

Jude57

p00hsticks said:

GDB2222 said:

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. 

they're considerably noisier though....

They can be noisy but not all are. I have a Mill electric heater with fan, which is running as I type, and I can hardly hear it. I don't need to turn my TV volume up, nor speak loudly to be heard over it. It's a brand I'd never heard of until I got this heater but found out that it's a Norwegian company and I must say I'm pleased with it so far. It's efficient, cheap enough to run, looks good and is light enough to move if I needed to.

RDR13

canaldumidi said:

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.

No they have not. They sent a contractor to the house twice across 2 days and it still never worked.  It was then nearly 5 weeks until they actually came again yesterday, further repairs and still no heating.  Even the contractor said yesterday to my wife "why has it taken nearly 5 weeks for them to contact us".  The contractor has had some difficulty but the letting agent have been sat on their recommendations for nearly 5 weeks.  I have also found out the actual landlord was only notified that the initial work was unsuccessful and has not been aware that property did not have heating and as soon as he heard on Friday he instructed the work.  I have questioned the agent and they said that the employees that deals with my property was on leave and then left with no handover.  The letting agent is at fault here, the CAB have informed me that they are in breach of the Landlord and Tenancy Act 1985 section 11? 

RDR13

GDB2222 said:

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. 

Bought heater a while ago

RDR13

p00hsticks said:

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

Asked them a while ago and they said it would be at discretion of the actual landlord.  Again no comms from them so purchased our own

RDR13

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!

This was done a while ago, letting agent said they would contact landlord but no comms from them l.  In the end we just bought them anyway

canaldumidi

RDR13 said:

canaldumidi said:

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.

... The letting agent is at fault here, the CAB have informed me that they are in breach of the Landlord and Tenancy Act 1985 section 11? 

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/70/body/2016-07-12

By the sound of it, by the time you brought this to court the repair would have been completed. That, combined with the LL's agreement to repair before court action was even commenced, wouldaffect the court's decision.

Since the LL appears sympathetic and helpful, whilst the agent as you say, has been the opposite, I suggest you communicate directly with the LL, request some compensation, and also sugest the LL review his choice of agent.

Reaching some amicable arrangement with the LL is far preferable to pursuing the legal process which even if successful will alienate the LL and affect your future relations, might lead to a S21, and is bound to affect any future reference.