Advice please no heating for over 4 weeks private landlord.

allison445

Hi

I rent my current property through a letting agent the property is a large 5 bedroom victorian mid terrace.

Over 4 weeks ago a gas safetly check was carried out and the gas man disconnected all gas fires and the boiler due to a ventalation problem.

I have 2 convector heaters on constantly (this is costing me a small fortune ) and the house is still freezing.

The letting agent has passed the buck and said the owner is dealing with it the builder employed by the owner to carry out the work has been had a look and said he would be back the next day he returned 2 weeks later had another look and said he would be back the next day (Still freezing and waiting).

What are my rights (if any).
Is there anything else apart from chasing the owmer up constantly i can do (feel like im banging my head against a very cold brick wall).

Thanks
allison

clutton_2

if the letting agent signed your tenancy agreement and is also the managing agent - they are not doing their job. Go sit in their offices on saturday "cos i'm too cold to stay at home" and make a blinking nuisance of yourself. If they are managing agents - they are buck passing

MissMoneypenny

Phone your local environmental health.

Unfortunately, LLs seem to be too liberal with their interpretation of "reasonable time" to carry out repairs. I have emailed Shelter and told them about the posts we are seeing on here about this, so hopefully if they get enough complaints they will push to get some laws in on this.

The UK seems to be the third world country of Europe, with our poor rental laws.

mlz1413

write a letter to agent and LL saying what date the heating was disconnected and that dates that builder checked boiler, say that you are not prepared to continue to wait, ask them to contact you by return / within 7 days to advise when heating will be reconnected.

Tell them that the house is no longer meets the standard you agreed to when you agreed the rent and suggest a rent reduction of x% for the period without heating.

Meanwhile get your contract out; are they breaching any of the conditions - ie to maintain property to a reasonble standard. Is there anything that would let you stop paying rent for the period of heating being broken? Or can you get heating fixed in lieu of rent?

allison445

Hi all

Thanks for the advice.

I dont actually have a tenancy agreement it expired 4 years ago and a new 1 was never given to me although i have asked.

The owner now is not the original owner he bought the house with me as a sitting tenant.

I have had repair issues in the past and i usually just give up and dont bother.

I have numerous broken and taped together windows, mould on ceilings, security issues (back fence blow down in the gales a few years ago same builder who is dealing with the ventalation problem erected a new 1 it fell down 2 weeks later, he made the new fence out of old pallets i have no faith in this builder at all) an open lane is at the back of the property and with no fence my back garden is wide open.

With the damp issues already in the house the lack of heating is making the problem worse and as the house was unfurnished im worried my beds and other items of soft furnishings may get damp and ruined.

allison

clutton_2

alison - please please do not listen to people telling you to withold rent at the drop of a hat - unfair as it may seem, if you stop paying rent a LL can have you out pretty darned quick.

you must be seen to be "reasonable" even if the LL is not. Everything must be in writing.

Write a letter to the LA detailing all the calls and txts and emails etc etc you have made telling them about the heating.

""Tell them that the house is no longer meets the standard you agreed to when you agreed the rent and suggest a rent reduction of x% for the period without heating."" -

this is excellent advice - i would suggest 20% rent reduction.

I suggest you write to the Letting Agents and copy to the landlord, telling them that you feel you now have no alternative other than to contact the Local Environmental Health Office - and if they do not reconnent the heating within 7 days from this letter, you will contact EHO with no further contact with them.


good luck

RAS

if you have no other tenancy agreement, you have statutory rights. Other can quote these for you.

I suspect that what your landlord is trying to do is shift you out by failing to repair the house. You should contact Shelter and your local Housing Advisory service to find out the options and implications for you.

bear in mind that if it is declared inhabitable, the landlord has a lever to get you out.

nelly_2

Stop paying the rent they'll soon get the idea

KiKi

nelly wrote: »

Stop paying the rent they'll soon get the idea

That will also give the LL grounds for eviction.

Let's not give the OP advice to make herself homeless.

clutton_2

nelly - stop being such an arrse ......

PasturesNew

What is so great about that house that you cling on?
Why not move out and get a nicer place with a LL who isn't an 4rse?