Landlord put lockbox on heating

RelievedSheff

If your bills are included in your rent you could always just use electric heaters if the settings he has set the main heating too don't really work for you.

ProDave

What do you mean by a "lock box"?

It is possible to get thermostats where the setting cannot be adjusted, or a limit can be put on the maximum setting.  We fitted one once after (when running a B&B) finding the room thermostat set to 30 and the windows wide open because it was too hot.

Ath_Wat

What is it set to?  What kind of boiler and heating does it control?

With lots of heating systems you really shouldn't be adjusting the thermostat all the time.

I have come across a lot of people in my life who seem to think turning a thermostat up is the way to get heating when you want it, and consequently turn it up to about 30 while the heating isn't even on, then wonder why it gets so hot when the heating does come on.  It's not that sort of situation is it?

Norman_Castle

busylizzy93 said:

Hiya

We live in a shared house and the landlord has come round today to fix a couple broken bits and while he's here he has put a locked box over the thermostat so we are unable to turn the heating or hot water on when needed. Despite upping the rent by £50 a month! Is this legal?! Is there anything we can do or say? 
Thanks in advance! 

The thermostat sets the temperature for the heating. Have you tried the heating or hot water?

TripleH

ProDave said:

What do you mean by a "lock box"?

It is possible to get thermostats where the setting cannot be adjusted, or a limit can be put on the maximum setting.  We fitted one once after (when running a B&B) finding the room thermostat set to 30 and the windows wide open because it was too hot.

I had this issue in a rental house.

One of the people I shared with would crank the thermostat to maximum then leave his windows wide open.

He'd get aggressive when I turned down the thermostat and couldn't join together the dots that his windows had any effect. We used prepaid gas and electric and once went a week without either because I got sick of recharging the keys when the other 2 didn't.

housebuyer143

TripleH said:

ProDave said:

What do you mean by a "lock box"?

It is possible to get thermostats where the setting cannot be adjusted, or a limit can be put on the maximum setting.  We fitted one once after (when running a B&B) finding the room thermostat set to 30 and the windows wide open because it was too hot.

I had this issue in a rental house.

One of the people I shared with would crank the thermostat to maximum then leave his windows wide open.

He'd get aggressive when I turned down the thermostat and couldn't join together the dots that his windows had any effect. We used prepaid gas and electric and once went a week without either because I got sick of recharging the keys when the other 2 didn't.

We had a foreign student in our shared house who insisted on using an electric heater all day because he was cold but wouldn't pay toward the extra electric. . We simply switched the fuse off from the box when he was upstairs so he didn't have access to power as the upstairs and downstairs were separate. He had no idea what had happened or how to fix it 🤷‍♀️

Not nice but needs must when you are a student. 

sheramber

The heating and hot water come on with a timer.

The thermostat controls the maximum temperature when the timer has turned the heating on.

 You would only turn up the thermostat if  the temperature set is not high enough.

You need to find out what  times the heating and hot water  are set to be available and what temperature the thermostat is set to.

We may be able to give you more advice with that information.

My thermostat is set  at 18 degrees during the day and 6 degrees overnight. As I am in during the day it is available all day but people who are out at work during the day will have time periods when they heating is available to coincide with when they are at home.

Today the temperature is 19 degrees so there is no heating on as it is not needed.
  

[Deleted User]

If you haven't already agreed to the £50 increase then you could reject it. Maybe worth keeping that option open while negotiating, in case the landlord is unreasonable.

theartfullodger

busylizzy93 said:

Hiya

We live in a shared house and the landlord has come round today to fix a couple broken bits and while he's here he has put a locked box over the thermostat so we are unable to turn the heating or hot water on when needed. Despite upping the rent by £50 a month! Is this legal?! Is there anything we can do or say? 
Thanks in advance! 

No.  Point out to him on P24 of HHSRS guidance to landlords...
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/9425/150940.pdf


""" What about flats and HMOs?

Centrally controlled space heating systems should operate in a way that makes sure

occupants are not exposed to cold indoor temperatures. Occupants should be

allowed to control temperature within their dwelling """

- and mention you will be approaching council for  a HHSRS survey

Read the document and work out what else he's doing wrong.

But a cheating toad like this is going to be a pain of a greedy landlord to deal with.  Suggest you (all) move out....

Ath_Wat

Locking a thermostat does not stop them having a perfectly adequately heated dwelling if they still have the ability to turn the heating on and off.  The OP has not specified exactly what they can or can not do, or whether it is indeed just a thermostat that is locked.

As the thermostat should not be the controller for the heating system (although many people seem to erroneously think it is and try and use it as one), I don't know how people can be so convinced the landlord is in the wrong without further clarification.