Boiler Problems

[ash92]

I don't post on here to often, but I'm basically in need of a moan and self pity, so here goes...

I rent a property and have done since around June last year, around the 15th December we had a leak in our bathroom, that we weren't to sure what it was (roof, toilet boiler shower etc) anyway over a few days we found it to be the boiler so on the 17th December we rang our letting agents (don't have the landlords number) and told them.

After a few hours they rang back and said the landlord could come over on the 23rd December to fix it he said it's happened before, as the boiler was working just leaking we said this was fine. Unfortunately we had prior arrangements that day so got my bf's mom to come around to let him in. Anyway when he came instead of fixing the boiler he actually broke it and what was a small leak turned into us having no heating or water, but he told my bf mom that he had fixed it (she should have checked, I know!)

Anyway we found out he had indeed broke not fixed it at 11pm on the 23rd so the next day (and every day after) we rang the letting agents to tell them, they were closed for Christmas and had no emergency line that was open .... We finally got back in touch with them on the 27th December told them and they said we were an emergency case as we had had no hot water or heating since the 23rd.

The next day (28th) a plumber came around (turns out our property was insured for this so no idea why the landlord didn't just call the first) anyway he said we needed a part but as we are neither old or have children we aren't an emergency case we will have to wait. We left it 5 days thin king that should be enough and rang, he said the would come on the 4th January which he did. He came with the wrong part but temporarily fixed it!!! this temporary fix lasted one day. so again Monday morning we rang the letting agents told them, they got back onto the landlord/his insurance and the same plumber rang back two days later saying he has reordered our new part again!!! ...

We have been ringing him our self every 4/5 days to ask when the part will arrive he always says he will ring his suppliers... we are still waiting!!

having no heating and water has basically ruined our Christmas, and my partners birthday. It's meaning we are having to take 14mile round trips to my moms for showers, and to be honest I'm getting to the point where I'm losing the will to live, it just doesn't seem fair at all. I feel like if it was the landlord, letting agents or plumbers boiler that was broke it would have been fixed weeks ago.

On a side note I have the torts a electric radiator in their room (they have a whole bedroom to themselves) it's costing a fortune but its worth it because they are toasty warm ...

Trying to look on the positive side, because of this me and my bf have decided to try and buy somewhere and have a meeting with the bank next Friday about mortgages so hopefully we can buy our own place with a working boiler and huge tort garden this year

Anyway, just typing this all down here has me feeling 100% better so that's also good I guess

[Suze65]

My goodness Ashley, that's miserable , but unfortunately rubbish stuff happens in life, your absolutely right about just righting it down , it helps and makes you feel a bit better, I think moving is a good idea, he doesn't sound like the most reliable land lord, hope you find something new soon. Good luck.

[lonelylayla]

That's shocking - poor you! Might be worth your while talking to Citizens Advice Bureau - I would have thought that a refund on rent would be in order, plus quite possibly some compensation or at the very least a contribution to your increased electric bill Hope you have luck in finding something for yourselves soon

[Merlin M]

Tell the letting agency you wont pay rent until it is sorted!

So if its not sorted by rent day then don't pay...
They are not upholding their agreement to you

[ClareandCo]

Whatever you do, do not at this stage withhold paying the rent.

Have a look at the Shelter website as I believe that gives the correct procedures on arranging for estimates and getting the work carried out, paid for by you, and then reclaiming the cost from the landlord. There are strict rules to follow because you can be evicted for non-payment of rent regardless of repairs that are needed.

Hopefully you get it sorted soon.

[becciwales]

Try speaking to the council or health and safety, maybe the environment department, they should issue a statement to your landlord that he must follow and repair what needs repairing.

Don't withhold your rent, you will be in breach of your contract and evicted.

Try this website for tips
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_ad..._to_do_repairs

[rachel.mather]

I recently moved from a rented house with a dodgy boiler and even dodgier landlord, I would definitely be expecting at least a deduction from the rent to cover the increased electricity, and if this wasn't taken seriously by letting agent or landlord, I would check out citizens advice!
Hope it gets sorted soon!

[Merlin M]

Sorry sometimes I forget things work differently up here, as I know you can get away with with holding rent if a letting agency doesn't fix something major like a boiler, as its part of the lease that they agree to maintain these things and they are not doing so. Usually here the threat of withholding is enough to get things sorted.

[ash92]

Thanks everyone, reading comments of people feeling that it to isn't right helps.

I'm awful with dealing with problems, I get so anxious it makes me ill/shake/panic. luckily Dan (my o/h) isn't like me at all, he never worries or panics in fact I don't think he even knows what either feel like.

Dan and my dad (on behalf of me and because he can drive and Dan can't) are going to the letting agent this morning in the hope that a face to face conversation may get them to chase the boiler man up more, than just saying that they will ring later which is what they do when we ring. If this doesn't produce any results then a phone call to Citizens Advice will be made this afternoon and possibly a visit to them on Monday morning (their next opening time)

[ash92]

I thought I'd just update this, my dad and dan did go into our letting agents office (with basically the points of whats been going on dates time etc) written down in a simple letter type form. They saw the lady who was in charge of showing us our house signing our contacts etc who also happens to be the manager of lettings.

To say she was furious would be an understatement, she got the man in her office who deals with letting agents problems and told him he had acted in a disgraceful way and basically just abandoned us, he tried to protest that it was our fault and we should have been ringing him everyday saying it wasn't fixed yet, she said that was ridiculous it's his job to get the issues fixed and his job to chase up tenants to ensure they are fixed. Anyway she has photocopied our little letter of dates and has taken it to this letting agents problems manager who this guy is under and the guy is going to be reprimanded and given some form of warning.

She said the letting agency has an emergency fund pot of money which they are meant to use to fix issues like this and then they re-cop the costs from landlords to stop tenants have this problem happen. So she has used this money to get us a new engineer at our house to fix the issue (apparently this is the action the problem guy should have taken). Anyway the engineer has been within 2 hours of us going into the office, but unfortunately it is the pump of our boiler which has broken and he does have to order one but he has promised that it will be here and fitted by next week, and isn't giving any rubbish about the fact we don't have children or are not elderly, like the first man did.

We have rang the helpful lady and informed her what the engineer said, so hopefully by next week everything should be sorted, and shes told us to come in again then to discuss getting us some form of compensation.