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Original poster

Help! No heating there for 3rd night and we're freezing!

53 replies

Cony23 · 19/02/2022 05:16

Hi. We are renting and this is the 3rd night since the boiler has broken down. I let the landlady know since the night it happened and she tried to find someone ho have a look for repairs but it's too old to be repaired! ( I let her know last winter that boiler is not working right but said the gas engineer didn't flag any problems)
Now the day before yesterday she said she doesn't find anyone to install a boiler and yesteday she said she's been speaking to a company I redirected her to but the earliest they can come is Tuesday! I have 4 kids under 5yo and the youngest is only 2 weeks. We have 2 small radiators but just being wake up of one of the kids as it's freezing cold. What can I do?

OP posts:
LIZS · 19/02/2022 10:37

Unless you have emergency cover waiting several days for a repair is probably normal especially at this time of year and with the storms. Boiler installations take time to organise. Do not do as pp suggested and withhold rent. Ask for more heaters temporarily.

LivingDeadGirlUK · 19/02/2022 10:40

Feel for you OP we had this last year when the circulation pump broke during the coldest week of the year. We got 2 electric heaters and layered up, nice hot shower before bed and all slept together. Also lots of warm drinks oven cooked meals where we sat in the kitchen while they cooked.

OverTheRubicon · 19/02/2022 10:48

Ignore the bad legal advice you're getting here.

Your landlord has a legal obligation to fix your heating within 24 hours. With a small newborn she is causing a genuine risk to health and life, and I can't believe people are saying that more days to wait is 'reasonable' and that you should be purchasing more heaters at your own cost. Never ever withhold rent, you MUST keep paying, but she needs to organise a fix today. This could mean she pays for either the electric radiators for each room herself, or for you to move to a suitable Airbnb/Premier Inn etc for a few nights if she can't get a fix.

If she won't, you need to say that you are concerned for your family's wellbeing and will need to report to Environmental Health. She is breaking the law.

OverTheRubicon · 19/02/2022 10:50

Btw - speaking on the phone is usually best in an emergency, but document everything and confirm in a follow-up email (e.g. "Mavis, thank you for speaking on the phone. To confirm, my understanding is that you are now going to organise same day delivery of 4 radiators from Argos")

LIZS · 19/02/2022 10:55

Try Shelter. I don't think 24 hours is correct.

TravellingFrom · 19/02/2022 10:58

I’d also look at the cost of running electric heater all day along. Just now they are going to cost you a fortune.
Imo the landlord should be liable for that but I’m not sure if they legally are :(

HelloDulling · 19/02/2022 10:59

It’s Saturday, you are unlikely to find anyone to come sooner.
Do you have friends or family you can go to?
Have you asked her to buy you heaters?

Thewolvesarerunningagain · 19/02/2022 11:01

Never withhold rent but if I was your landlord I would be giving you a rebate.
I would also be on Amazon right now arranging same day delivery of space heaters and portable heaters (if for no other self servicing reason than fear of the pipes going but mainly as I have a conscience and you have a baby). I can sympathise about the boiler repair. We have good emergency folks here but not everywhere has this even for (lots of) ready money. Whatever you do OP make sure you aren’t compromising your safety. If you are using alternative heat sources keep an eye on the CO2 monitor which should be in your home somewhere. Make sure all appliances are free from anything that could catch fire and keep an eye on the ventilation. I’m sorry you are going through this.

ifonly4 · 19/02/2022 11:03

I don't mean to sound unsympathetic, but by our experience Tuesday is pretty good. We had five quotes, we ended up having to exclude four of them for different reasons, and had to wait a month. Temperatures were lower than they are now. Lucky that we had an electric shower though and from memory we adjusted and got used to it.

EvilPea · 19/02/2022 11:06

@TravellingFrom

I’d also look at the cost of running electric heater all day along. Just now they are going to cost you a fortune. Imo the landlord should be liable for that but I’m not sure if they legally are :(
They are really really expensive to run. So your right to take that into consideration.
EvilPea · 19/02/2022 11:09

What about asking your landlord to hire a calor gas heater? The unit comes with a gas canister so it’s all paid for.

nordica · 19/02/2022 11:10

That's really quick for a new boiler installation actually if someone is coming on Tuesday - gas engineers are not just sitting around waiting for these jobs to come in and available immediate, especially during winter when they're in high demand. Your landlady doesn't have a magic wand to get it done any quicker.

You could ask them to cover the cost of an electric heater though.

OneMoreTimeThen · 19/02/2022 11:16

We had a similar situation, we were two weeks with water pouring into both bedrooms every time it rained. It turned out that the roofer she preferred to use couldn't come until the following week as he'd had an operation! He was trustworthy so she wanted to wait for him. Easy for her to say in her lovely dry house! My husband said he was going to complain to environmental health (not sure what he thought they would do 😂) and we had someone out the same day to fix it. She did tell us she was selling the house after that though , then rented it out again after we moved! I hate that woman. Maybe try finding someone yourself, then clearing with the landlady before the work is done? Hope you get sorted soon

Yankydoodledandy · 19/02/2022 11:28

Put an appeal out on yr local social media page. You will be surprised at the kindness of people. A local tradesman may offer to Where are you what area?

Mumsnetters can we help this lady with:

Radiators, heaters, hot water bottles...those long ones would be good. Electric blankets etc

mumwon · 19/02/2022 11:33

your landlord should provide heaters ask for dimplex type because of costs
Hard though it is getting someone over by Tuesday is pretty good even if they had contract with british gas - especially with all the complex issues we have at the moment (aka storm lack of staff - multiple job vacancies - brexit which amplifies all of above plus importing parts)
& regarding withholding rent never under any circumstance should any tenant EVER do this - it puts you in the wrong & could lead to eviction . If there is any issue which can be referred because of safety or health or danger to tenants refer to the local council relevant department.

Booboobibles · 19/02/2022 11:49

The thing is, this is only happening because she’s too cheap to use an agency to manage the property.

I’m saying this as someone who used to be a landlord…when I took over the property I thought that I could manage it myself, but I was letting down my tenants because it’s so difficult to get trades people. Agencies have people they can call on in an emergency.

Not much you can do about it but if my tenants had told me that the situation was unacceptable I would have agreed to buying electric radiators.

LIZS · 19/02/2022 11:52

@Booboobibles

The thing is, this is only happening because she’s too cheap to use an agency to manage the property.

I’m saying this as someone who used to be a landlord…when I took over the property I thought that I could manage it myself, but I was letting down my tenants because it’s so difficult to get trades people. Agencies have people they can call on in an emergency.

Not much you can do about it but if my tenants had told me that the situation was unacceptable I would have agreed to buying electric radiators.

How do you know that? Even an agency could not get a replacement boiler installed overnight.
Original poster
Cony23 · 19/02/2022 12:16

@booboobibles yes you're right , that's why she doesn't use an agency. I would ask the council as they should have someone for those kind of situation but I'm afraid not to get her in trouble, as beside that she usually doesn't want to make any improvement or repairs when needed she's a nice lady overall. Not a point to report her!

OP posts:
OverTheRubicon · 19/02/2022 12:30

@LIZS

[[https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing]]advice/repairs/landlorddandtenanttresponsibilitiesforr_repairs

"A reasonable period of time"

Precedent is that 24 hours with no heat in winter, especially with vulnerable tenants (e.g. older people or young babies) is the max of reasonable.

Of course she may not be able to replace the boiler before next week, but the landlord should therefore be providing alternatives for heating, either with electric heaters, or if that isn't possible (can't imagine why it isn't), then a B&B or similar.

OverTheRubicon · 19/02/2022 12:31

beside that she usually doesn't want to make any improvement or repairs when needed she's a nice lady overall

She takes your money, won't make improvements and will leave a 2 week old without heat for days in the middle of an epic storm? How is she a nice lady?

Thewolvesarerunningagain · 19/02/2022 12:37

@OverTheRubicon

beside that she usually doesn't want to make any improvement or repairs when needed she's a nice lady overall

She takes your money, won't make improvements and will leave a 2 week old without heat for days in the middle of an epic storm? How is she a nice lady?

This!
SilverontheTree · 19/02/2022 12:43

I’m a landlord too and would probably pay for 3 nights in a premier inn for you to be honest.

LadyEloise1 · 20/02/2022 10:33

How are you @Cony23 ?
Any progress re heating / boiler ?

Original poster
Cony23 · 20/02/2022 15:04

Thank you for your replies,

@ladyEloise1 yes the landlady brought us 2 more heaters last evening and last night the house was finally warm enough to take them again a proper bath, not only faces hands and bottoms Grin . We're waiting for gas engineers on Tue or Wed, I hope they will come as said. But I am still worried about the next bill as I am sure those heaters on electricity are making huge consumption comparing to gas boiler isn't it?

OP posts:
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