Just moved into newish rented property - no working fire!

tbs624

Do you have any particulars from the LA from when you first viewed the property? If, for example, you have something that says “full GCH plus living flame gas fire in living room”, it would clearly be reasonable for you to have expected that it would be a working fire. Do you also have, say, a washing machine that’s purely ornamental?;)

When you looked round, it's possible that the annual gas safety check was due but not yet done so there might not have been a sticker in place, and the LA would therefore have had no need to draw your attention to it. However, IMO they *should* have highlighted the issue to you before you signed up, (and other tenants reading this thread should remember to check all paperwork including a current gas safety cert * *before* they sign a TA).

The fire itself is unlikely to be “dangerous”, unless you use it, but most LLs would not want to leave themselves open to the risk of that possibility. What you could do is get a couple of independent quotes for fixing it and write directly to the LL enclosing them, and that you would like it fixed asap. LLs really can’t afford to lose good tenants - many will crash and burn with a couple of months’ void on an expensive BTL mortgage. If you move on after 6 months the LL will get to pay another finders fee etc to the LA so also needs to bear that in mind, against the cost of fixing the fire.

You can try to use the fact that under S11(c) of the LL & T Act 1985 a LL is obliged :

"..to keep in repair and proper working order the installation in the dwelling for space heating and heating water"

and, as Poppysarah says, check the efficiency of the radiators.

Do remember, if and when you move on, that you have the right to quiet enjoyment of the property and LL/LA s may only bring viewers round during your tenancy if and when it suits you.;)

PasturesNew

Get a quote to have the fire fixed at your own expense. Then compare that to the cost of moving (new credit checks) in 6 months. I bet it's quite cheap in comparison. Although having it fixed doesn't guarantee the landlord won't give you notice at the end of your term as he wants to sell it

Captain_Mainwaring_2

oldagetraveller wrote: »

They're old Imperial heat units (British Thermal Units) which are not now normally in use. Radiator output is now quoted in kW (Kilowatt).
You'll need to measure the radiator, height and length and depending on whether its a single or a double have a look on the web for radiator output or similar. Or measure the room and again look for radiator sizes etc. and check if for the room size your rads are similar. Bear in mind that more modern rads are sometimes a higher output for the same size by increasing the surface area with corrugated fins etc.
I would expect a modern house to have radiators of adequate size without needing a gas fire though, they probably are fairly high efficiency too.

They are very much still used. Who in their right mind would measure all the rads, note the construction and calculate the theoretical output?
Half the heating engineers don't even do that when they install them!
How much heat does each room need? all rooms need to be measured and the construction of walls floor and ceiling noted.
If you are intent on doing it use a Mears Pie Calculator.

A much easier way is to switch on the heating to maximum turbo and see if the room gets hot - foolproof in most cases.

I suspect that if it is just the FFD gone pop then even if the gas valve needs changing it won't cost much.

prudryden

You don't have a working fire in a fire-place. How unusual!!! Try it and see if it works, if it blows up, you won't have to worry about it any longer.

tbs624

Captain_Mainwaring wrote: »

...... use a Mears Pie Calculator.

I thought that was what football fans used , so they knew when to sing "who ate all the ...." but I know now that it's actually one of these http://www.mhmear.com/

Mitsouko

bobby-boy wrote: »

Hi Brighton man the OP never said he had NO heating, he specifically mentioned central heating which has NOT been switched off as unsafe. So he has heating so his "human rights" are not affected. S/He also specifically states that the enviromental health department that NO BREACH has taken place and everything is legal regarding the situation.
Thjere may be no breach regarding gas safety laws, but aren't there other laws to do with landlords duty to maintain property, misrepresention of the property, something like that?

As for the agent being "Honest" telling you something in writting that is true is honest, not telling you at all would be dishonest. It looks like you only want to read replies that agree with you and not get a balanced feedback

I disagree with you because surely its dishonest to only divulge the information when its too late to get out the contract. This particular agency insists that you can only sign for the tenancy on the day you move in, and thats when you would first see the safety cert. Also they insist that you pay the first months rent and deposit a week prior to this. If I had read the cert. on the day, and rejected the property, what would happpened to our money?

As for 'only wanting replies that agree' I have read your messages and replied politely, not abusively. I just don't agree with you!

Are you a LL by any chance??

bobby-boy_2

Hi Mitsouko to answer your questions: Yes its a landlord duty to maintain the property, misrepresenting the property would be wrong also. The landlord has a duty to provide heating but not no-where does it say you MUST have a gas fire. As for the gas safety cert you said you viewed the property before signing the contract, so you could have asked to see the ccert then as it is a legal requirement to provide the tenent with this. As you stated the previouse tenent was there so therefore so was the gas certificate.
As for paying the rent and deposit a week in advance that is just wrong.
This site is supposed to be about knowing your RIGHTS not what you want to have in your house which is why people complain about TV recieption! (see a prev thread).
To answer your final question yes I am a LL so know what the duties are not what the tenant would like them to be.
Follow tbs624's advice and if the lease says gas fire and not just central heating then kick up a fuss. I repeate their is NO DUTY to provide a gas fire.
I dont have a gas fire in my home because with central heating I dont need one.

poppysarah

bobby-boy wrote: »

Follow tbs624's advice and if the lease says gas fire and not just central heating then kick up a fuss. I repeate their is NO DUTY to provide a gas fire.
I dont have a gas fire in my home because with central heating I dont need one.

What does the lease say about keeping all (gas) equipment in working order?

If there wasn't a gas fire at all that would be something else - but there is one that is broken. Fixing it can't cost that much.

Perhaps the OP should get a quote off a CORGI chap to find out just how mean they are being.

clutton_2

if the tenant gets another gas engineer in to repair the fire i suspect this will negate the validity of the Landlords Gas Safety Certificate.

as others have said,

you already have central heating,
you did not fully read your documents at the time of signing -

sorry this landlord has been completley above board as far as i can see

Mitsouko

It's the agency, not the LL - who I understand lives abroad.

But how is it 'above board' not to mention the problem at all and to make sure they've got our money first and we've nowhere else to go?

I mean if you saw an attractive looking gas fire in a house which is probably less then 10 years old you'd sort of assume it works wouldn't you?