PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING
Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.Failed Gas Safety Check, Advice Please.
Options
Comments
-
Unacceptable to you maybe but longer, as in a week of two, would still be within a reasonable timeframe as far as the law is concerned. To give you an idea I spent 6 weeks in winter without a working boiler because I couldn't physically get a gas safety engineer to carry out the work any faster and I live in North East Scotland, where is does actually get a bit nippy, in a building made from granite. I survived and so will you.
You seem to have a bee in your bonnet. Get off your high horse, and learn to answer questions without the sarcy comments.
I will survive, never said I wouldn't. I merely asked a question.
If someone said a reasonable amount of time is so and so... Then fine, but that doesn't help. I'm not asking you if I'll survive the winter.0 -
You don't seem to understand that what you deem to be reasonable, and what is reasonable in the given circumstances, may be very different things. Reasonable is finding a Gas Safe engineer, them assessing the work, sourcing the parts and then fitting them. Each of those stages depends on availability of parts and labour, and of course access to the property.
Reasonable may well be longer than a few days.
Thanks, that's what I'm wondering. What is reasonable?
So then my question is what are my rights? If I incur costs due to heating by other means, is it my problem, or does the landlord have to assist?0 -
The situation you are in is unfortunate but not uncommon.
The check was presumably the annual inspection and quite rightly if faults were identified they now need to be rectified.
No doubt this will be as big a shock to the LL as it was you,and hopefully they have by now had a conversation with the gas engineer and are planning the way forward.
Please speak to to your LL maybe this evening or tomorrow in a polite and non confrontational manner either this evening or tomorrow to put yourself in the picture.
Hopefully you will be without heating and the use of the boiler for a minimal time,but you must remember that this time of year it is busy and a LL has no more a magic wand than yourself....even a breakdown cover is unlikely to prove any quicker at resolving your situation.
What the LL must do is fix the boiler in a timely manner and that may be deemed reasonable if the fix takes 7-10 days so you need to prepare for being without for that length of time if necessary.....
Whilst you may incur additional heating costs you can indeed see if the LL is prepared to contribute towards those in the short term as a fix,however you could also be focusing on the fact that potentially a new boiler if that is what is required will save you money in the long term and be more efficient going forward.frugal October...£41.82 of £40 food shopping spend for the 2 of us!
2017 toiletries challenge 179 out 145 in ...£18.64 spend0 -
The situation you are in is unfortunate but not uncommon.
The check was presumably the annual inspection and quite rightly if faults were identified they now need to be rectified.
No doubt this will be as big a shock to the LL as it was you,and hopefully they have by now had a conversation with the gas engineer and are planning the way forward.
Please speak to to your LL maybe this evening or tomorrow in a polite and non confrontational manner either this evening or tomorrow to put yourself in the picture.
Hopefully you will be without heating and the use of the boiler for a minimal time,but you must remember that this time of year it is busy and a LL has no more a magic wand than yourself....even a breakdown cover is unlikely to prove any quicker at resolving your situation.
What the LL must do is fix the boiler in a timely manner and that may be deemed reasonable if the fix takes 7-10 days so you need to prepare for being without for that length of time if necessary.....
Whilst you may incur additional heating costs you can indeed see if the LL is prepared to contribute towards those in the short term as a fix,however you could also be focusing on the fact that potentially a new boiler if that is what is required will save you money in the long term and be more efficient going forward.
Thank you. That's answered a few questions. I appreciate the constructive response.0 -
You seem to have a bee in your bonnet. Get off your high horse, and learn to answer questions without the sarcy comments.
I will survive, never said I wouldn't. I merely asked a question.
If someone said a reasonable amount of time is so and so... Then fine, but that doesn't help. I'm not asking you if I'll survive the winter.
You don't seem to grasp that what you find reasonable and what the law finds reasonable are not the same thing. I gave you a link explaining repairing obligations I suggest you read it whilst waiting to make contact with your landlord.0 -
Thanks, that's what I'm wondering. What is reasonable?
So then my question is what are my rights? If I incur costs due to heating by other means, is it my problem, or does the landlord have to assist?
The concept of reasonableness has been explained to you several times. It is not a fixed time, it is the work being completed in a timely fashion.
If you incur costs over those that you would normally have (remember you won't be paying for gas whilst yours is off) then your landlord may reimburse these. A portable heater costs £20. Presumably you already have a kettle. Your costs are not going to be excessive.0 -
What constitutes a reasonable timeframe?
I can't get hold of the landlord at the minute.
16days and 8 hours?
I have said this before on a similar thread, I live with a gas Safe registered person, and even I would have to wait for various parts and a weekend for my boiler to be fixed.
So say my boiler breaks now, I would have to wait til tonight, order parts tomorrow wait for parts til next week, probably, wait for weekend. That's 11/12 days.
If that's me with the correct person already living here, what's the chances it will be any better for you?
Reasonable is self described really. It takes as long as it takes.63 mortgage payments to go.
Zero wins 2016 😥0 -
. A portable heater costs £20. Presumably you already have a kettle. Your costs are not going to be excessive.
It's not the cost of the heater that is the problem, it is the cost of the electricity.
If it was the OP's own home, then it would be in his interests to fix or replace the boiler asap so save the electricity costs and the inconvenience of not having hot water.
The OP is at the mercy of the LL as if the LL does not have to pay for the electricity or suffer any inconvenience , he has no incentive to move quickly.
The OP has to be reasonable but so does the LL.
ETA: LLs should always have the safety checks done in summer so that if there is a problem it can be sorted asap. So this is basic mistake by the LL.0 -
OK. Lots of useful advice above (though obviously not all of it what you wanted to hear). But there are 4 things you need to do, now, today.
1) Write a formal letter, outlining the facts, unemotionally and politely. Send it to the landlord, by post, to the address provided on your tenancy agreement "for serving notices".
Send a copy to any letting agent involved (even if the address is the same, send BOTH).
OK - that's your formal action.
2) For speed, also act informally (not instead - as well). If you have the LL's home number/mobile, call him. Likewise a letting agent. Or use email etc.
3) You should be asking
* what action the LL will take
* when he expects action to follow
* whether he'll provide temporary assistance eg electric heaters; installation of a shower (though that could take as long as the boiler!); an immersion heater; rent reducction if there's a considerable delay waiting for parts; etc
* what access he/engineers need & when
4) read up/learn about your rights. see the links you've been given in this thread.
* Repairing Obligations: the law, common misconceptions, reporting/enforcing, retaliatory eviction & the new tenant protection (2015)0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 343.3K Banking & Borrowing
- 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.7K Spending & Discounts
- 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 608.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173.1K Life & Family
- 248K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards