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AIBU?

...to have reached the end of my patience with landlord/lady/person?

21 replies

KatoPotato · 01/10/2012 16:59

Okay, it's a rant. I've finally lost the rag with our landlady.

Firstly, she is a friend of MIL which is great in that we are paying slightly less than the market rate, however not so great as my DH is being a complete sap about 'making a fuss'

We have had no heating downstairs for 4 weeks now. I can't get clothes dry so using the tumble dryer, and I am running a portable oil filled radiator almost all evening for heat.

Thankfully DS's room and the bathroom seem to run off the hot water so it's okay upstairs.

I reported this on the 5th of September and she insists on sending round one of her shoddy workmen who is in all honestly at death's door.

I hate being in his company as he shuffles and struggles to breathe! It takes him 15 minutes (no exaggeration) to get from his car to the back door and so far he's not done anything to actually repair the problem! He's wrote his number on my wall and left the bottom of the boiler hanging off.

He told me last time was was in that the system is almost 40years old and I think he's the only person left who is willing to deal with it!

DH was annoyed at me for texting Landlady 'Can you let me know what's happening re getting heating fixed?' and said I was being 'unfriendly' I finally got him to phone the old fella after a week of LL telling us she'd 'left a message'

Now apparently he's coming tomorrow and he asked DH if we had a ladder to get into the loft. There is no way this geezer can get in and out of our loft (he struggles and uses both hands to get out my back door!) So now my DH will have to stop work (from home) to go up into the loft for him and switch off the water for him.

This is not the first times she's sent workmen to the house and my DH has been expected to act as their 'mate'

So now the doozer. I text her to tell her we'd got a hold of him and he's coming tomorrow. She replied saying that was good and 'by the way I want you to rehang the cupboard door in the bedroom as it's bothering me being in the loft.'

We took this off to help with the damp problem in this cupboard and for my DH to use as his 'office'

Are there any rules about providing heating for children or anything out there? Do we have to have a cupboard door on if we don't want?

Gosh, this has turned out long... But it's been cathartic... I think!

OP posts:

Report

SmellsLikeTeenStrop · 01/10/2012 17:03

yes there are rules, the heating should be working.

Just out of interest, does your LL arrange an annual gas safety inspection?

KatoPotato · 01/10/2012 17:10

Yes, by this old chap! But we've never seen any papers, he just left his number written on the wall (!) and the bottom of the boiler hanging off!

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TheBigJessie · 01/10/2012 17:14

Ooooh dear...

So, how much less than the market rate are you paying, and has the cost of the oil-filled radiator now totally offset that saving?

KatoPotato · 01/10/2012 17:16

I've no idea how to work that out yet? We submit our readings online when prompted so that may show an increase?

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TheBigJessie · 01/10/2012 17:19

I had a gas safety check two months back. The (presumably) CORGI registered engineer gave me the pink certificate of it.

It you don't have an official gas check form, you haven't had a check.

KatoPotato · 01/10/2012 17:20

Sorry, we are paying around £200 less than market rate...

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JamNan · 01/10/2012 17:23

Legally you should have received a written report regarding the gas safety check for your house. This must be done annually. Boiler, oven, emissions, etc must all be checked.

Do you have a proper and legal rental agreement? What does it say?

KatoPotato · 01/10/2012 17:28

Is this different from a 'boiler service' ?

We do have legal documents that were drawn up by a solicitor, I will check tonight..

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KeemaNaanAndCurryOn · 01/10/2012 17:30

Have you tried bleeding the radiators downstairs?

PedallingSquares · 01/10/2012 17:32

If the heating doesn't work then the market value is probably less than you are paying though

TheBigJessie · 01/10/2012 17:32

£200 per month should fund the radiator. However, it all sounds distinctly dodgy.

No official paperwork, old boiler, possibly unregistered engineer, FOUR FECKING WEEKS without heating...

teenstrop how are things going for you?

TheBigJessie · 01/10/2012 17:37

I'm looking at my certificate right now. Any corgi gas engineer has a pad of these to fill out and issue. It says the white copy goes to the owner, the engineer keeps the green one, and the pink goes to a tenant, if rented. I've been having gas safety checks since the law came in, and I've never NOT been given paperwork.

KatoPotato · 01/10/2012 17:40

Oh it's such a headache! DH has just told me he's found 'More damp in the corner so going to ask dad for that damp paint'

Lease expires in feb and we're meeting a Mortgage broker soon but I'm just so stressed out already!

Keema the first thing we tried was bleeding the radiators.

Do you think when he comes tomorrow we should ask for a copy of the cert or is this a Question for LL?

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TheBigJessie · 01/10/2012 17:48

I'd ask/google if he was a corgi member first. Googling would be more tactful/less unfriendly, though.

KatoPotato · 01/10/2012 17:49

All I know is he is called Mr I do have his number written on my wall! I'll google both together!

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KatoPotato · 01/10/2012 17:50

That was Mr Blank!

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BetteDavis01 · 01/10/2012 17:51

Withhold rent

halloweeneyqueeney · 01/10/2012 17:54

do not withold rent, if you do they can go after you for breach of contract

it does NOT BREAK YOUR CONTRACT TO THEM if they are breaking part of their contract to you - this is something people do not realise when they withold rent, you are only entitled to chase them to withold their side of the contract but you are still bound by your side even if they are not keeping theirs!

don't do it, its not worth it they can really "get" you for it (and you'll still have no heating!)

Babyrabbits · 01/10/2012 17:56

The whole benefit of renting is they fix it.....now!
Withold rent until she gives you heat.

KatoPotato · 01/10/2012 17:56

Thanks guys, no I won't be withholding rent! I've googled it already!

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lottiegarbanzo · 01/10/2012 18:18

It's called Gas Safe now, not Corgi. Renewing the safety certificate annually is a legal requirement, the inspection is not the same as servicing the boiler and not doing it places you at real risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It doesn't matter how cheap your rent, or how 'friendly' the tenancy agreement, the landlord is obliged to provide you with this certificate.

They must make repairs in reasonable time. For no heating or hot water that's quite fast, usually days. Can you find out how much you've paid to run the oil-filled radiator (it's expensive), work out the difference between that and your usual heating bill and ask the landlord to compensate you?

Do not withhold rent. One irresponsible, naive signatory to your tenancy agreement is already too many.

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