Housing Association Repairs Issue (no hot water)

Alderbank

Calling the HA staff 'morons' may not be the best way to get a sympathetic ear.

The HA can if it thinks it necessary 'decant' you to alternative accommodation such as a hotel until they can get your heating fixed. I have done this occasionally when I worked for Housing Associations. They have not offered to do this in your case because they consider that you can manage with boiling a kettle for the short time until they get the parts to fix your boiler.
All perfectly legal.

molerat

Kettle & electric heaters, alternatives provided, job done.

Ergates

Mickpeasoup said:

Yesterday, an engineer from the housing association attended, and upon leaving, told us a spare part needs ordering & this could take a while to arrive.

This is the crux of your issue and there isn't really much that can be done about it.   If the boiler needs a new part and the engineer doesn't have the part (which is normally the case - no heating engineer could hold all parts of all makes of boiler), then they'll need to order one in.  This *will* take time.

It doesn't matter how much you and/or the engineer want the boiler fixed *right now* if it needs the part then it needs the part and can't be fixed until that part is sourced.

"can take up to 15 days" isn't the same as "will take 15 days" - hopefully it'll take less.

MalMonroe

born_again said:

Mickpeasoup said:

Thank you for the replies.

Every link I've found on Google suggests the same as the following link - https://mylegalclub.co.uk/how-long-does-a-landlord-have-to-fix-a-boiler/#:~:text=24 hours.,fix this in 24 hours.

I would say ~90 hours without hot water is most definitely unsatisfactory, so I'll contact Citizens Advice tomorrow & decide on how to proceed further with the morons.

Notice the word "SHOULD" Not HAS TOO.

Not even HAS TOO. It's has TO.

MalMonroe

Here's some info from Citizens Advice, I note you say that you are going to phone them but there's a lot of info on their website too -

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/repairs-in-rented-housing/repairs-what-are-your-options-if-you-are-a-social-housing-tenant/how-to-report-repairs/

I'm sorry that some people on this thread are being either sarcastic or unhelpful. I'm a council tenant and have had similar boiler breakdown troubles. I was offered alternative heating (expensive electric radiators) but we have our own emergency rads and also advised to boil  what water we needed (also via electricity). I did complain about having to use more electricity than normal and was given a discount on rent, so it may be worth doing that. On one occasion a boiler repair dragged on so long I phoned, to be told that the spare part had indeed arrived in their office and was just sitting in a corner. Waiting for what? Who knows. I wasn't best pleased. Was given a discount on that occasion, too. 

We now have a new boiler, there are only so many repairs a 14 year old boiler can take!

bris

Getting someone out and having the parts is two seperate things.

The LL getting to the problem in 24 hours is expected, whats not expected is a magician to turn up and create the parts out of thin air.

it's now about whats reasonable, and it's reasonable for a LL to get the parts as quick as they can which they are doing.

saajan_12

Mickpeasoup said:

Thank you for the replies.

Every link I've found on Google suggests the same as the following link - https://mylegalclub.co.uk/how-long-does-a-landlord-have-to-fix-a-boiler/#:~:text=24 hours.,fix this in 24 hours.

I would say ~90 hours without hot water is most definitely unsatisfactory, so I'll contact Citizens Advice tomorrow & decide on how to proceed further with the morons.

Wowza, some absolutely made up and incorrect advice on that link. 

OP, suggest you post on the house buying, renting & selling board (unless this thread can be moved?)

There's two factors at play here: 
1) Habitability - you should have access to hot water quickly, which you do via heating a kettle. That's not patronising, its a perfectly reasonable way to be able to access the basics as a short term measure. 

2) Repairs to the get back to the expected conveniences eg running shower - should be in a reasonable timeframe. There is NO fixed length of time in any legislation for this, the measure is 'how long would an owner occupier take to fix'. The LL has to proceed with each step within a reasonable timeframe, but if there are parts needed or trades people to book, these naturally take how long they take. Reasonable times could be: book initial diagnosis visit in few days, get a couple of quotes not too many, order parts in few weeks, book visit to fix in few days, revaluate if any further issues..

Murphybear

bris said:

Getting someone out and having the parts is two seperate things.

The LL getting to the problem in 24 hours is expected, whats not expected is a magician to turn up and create the parts out of thin air.

it's now about whats reasonable, and it's reasonable for a LL to get the parts as quick as they can which they are doing.

Unless your landlord is a plumber then he/she will have to call one.  In the middle of winter, if it is freezing or everywhere has been flooded etc there is a very strong chance that it will take longer than 24 hours to get a plumber to visit.  This is not the LLs fault.

Tenants seem to be under the illusion that landlords can just magic a plumber out of thin  air.  Well they cannot.

if you were a home owner you would have to wait in the busy season, a landlords no different.