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Original poster

Broken boiler, landlord not in a rush to fox it.

55 replies

Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 22:52

My boiler broke late Tuesday eve. I let my landlord know early Wednesday. Told him I wasn't in a mad panic as shower is electric and have a few oil fiilled radiators, he said he'd sort it.

Friday I message him to ask if there was any progress, and he replied to say the engineer hadn't got back to him yet.
My house is 8 degrees (am lucky I'm in balmy Cornwall) and whilst I wouldn't be able to have the heating on much, I'd like to have the bloody option!

If I haven't heard anything by Monday afternoon I'm going to find an engineer myself. Do you think that's ok?

OP posts:
Original poster
Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 22:52

Fix it! Fingers too cold!

OP posts:
Itisbetter · 10/12/2022 22:54

I think he should provide a hotel room till it’s fixed, but I don’t know how you’d make him pay

Original poster
Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 22:55

I've lived in the same house for 12 years and have a reasonably good relationship with landlord, but he's notoriously slow at getting things sorted. I've got shitty sash windows (single pane) with rotten wood. Am awaiting new ones, but he said that ages ago. Most of the heat goes out through then.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 22:57

Absolutely no way he'd do that.
I'd just like him to call more than one frigging engineer! He'll be wanting to go with a specific one who is no doubt the cheapest.
It's made me really angry.

OP posts:
Droven · 10/12/2022 22:57

Want a few tips to see if I can help you get it going? What boiler do you have?

Itisbetter · 10/12/2022 22:59

You can’t live there without a boiler for long and it’s getting colder.

Original poster
Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 23:02

Yes please @Droven !
It's a 12 year old Worcester. The pressure is fine but no pilot light. Have pressed and held the reset button a few times but nothing

OP posts:
NewBootsAndRanty · 10/12/2022 23:02

Don't expect to be repaid for any work you get carried out without his consent.

Also don’t withhold rent or similar as it can jeopardise your tenancy.

Lol at the hotel comment - the OP has isn't without any form of heating and hot water.

Original poster
Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 23:03

I've put up with a lot in this house because the rent is so cheap, has never gone up and the landlord leaves us alone. This has really upset me though.

OP posts:
pigonalipstick · 10/12/2022 23:05

He is being slow, but you did tell home there was no rush?! Seems a mad thing to do if he has form for being slow and it's getting colder

CrotchetyQuaver · 10/12/2022 23:06

I'd be ringing him first thing Monday morning chasing him up and complaining about how cold you are with no boiler and rotting windows as well. Squeaky wheel gets the oil as they say...

Original poster
Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 23:06

@NewBootsAndRanty I hadn't planned on getting the work done without his consent, I'd planned on finding an engineer and then passing info onto landlord. How long am I supposed to wait for him to sort it?

OP posts:
Original poster
Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 23:09

@pigonalipstick no I told him I wasn't in a mad panic as I had a few oil radiators and at least the shower was electric.
You're right though, definitely my fault 🙄

OP posts:
Droven · 10/12/2022 23:09

Does it have a blue oval light at the bottom?

NewBootsAndRanty · 10/12/2022 23:10

Sorry, I misunderstood what you meant.
Do that by all means! And mae it clear to him that you now consider it urgent, not a no mad panic job.

I don't really know what a reasonable amount of time is tbh but early next week sounds just about ok. I suspect the entire year my landlord left me with no hot water or boiler and two fan heaters would definitely not come under reasonable.

Wrongsideofpennines · 10/12/2022 23:12

I would ring first thing Monday and ask when the engineer is coming to fix it. Because it may well be that it's not just a quick fix and a part needs to be ordered etc etc and then it could be ages before anything is done about it. Then if he says nobody got back to him then pass on details of several other engineers and give your availability for when they can visit.

It's barely gone above freezing the last few days up here in Lancashire, and we had snow today so I wouldn't be hanging about with it. Telling him there was no rush to me would mean I don't expect someone today but I expect to see someone by the end of the week. Its not acceptable that your house is 8 degrees if that's not by choice.

Original poster
Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 23:12

@Droven there is an oval light thing that when working would be blue I think

OP posts:
Droven · 10/12/2022 23:14

To the right at towards the bottom of the boiler is a reset button. Is it flashing red. If it is would you say it is flashing mostly on (lit) or mostly off.

are there no lights at all?

Original poster
Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 23:16

@NewBootsAndRanty will do. God your old landlord sounds like an uttwr bastard.

The internet says there is no specific time frame for things to be fixed. They should be expected to be done within reasonable time (hmmm)

OP posts:
Original poster
Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 23:17

No lights at all. On the boiler on thermostat

OP posts:
Droven · 10/12/2022 23:19

Near the boiler there will be a fused spur. The one and off switch that supply’s power to the heating system. Check it’s not been knocked off. At the fuse board check all the switches are in the same position and that one hasn’t flicked down

Original poster
Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 23:20

@Wrongsideofpennines that's what I'm worried about, having to order a part and waiting even longer. I didn't tell him I wasn't in a rush, I said I wasn't in a mad panic because I wasn't at the time. However by Fri I ws getting a bit fucking annoyed he hadn't at least updated me.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 23:23

No switch near the boiler. Fuse board all fine and dandy.

OP posts:
Wrongsideofpennines · 10/12/2022 23:25

Ridiculousradish · 10/12/2022 23:20

@Wrongsideofpennines that's what I'm worried about, having to order a part and waiting even longer. I didn't tell him I wasn't in a rush, I said I wasn't in a mad panic because I wasn't at the time. However by Fri I ws getting a bit fucking annoyed he hadn't at least updated me.

I had loads of problems with the boiler in my last rented place. Eventually it got to the point when I just organised it with the engineer myself and he billed the landlord. Maybe you could offer to chase the engineer yourself once you've got the landlord's permission.

Shelter suggest 24hrs isn't unreasonable for a broken boiler. They have some good templates on their website you can send to a landlord that then mention contacting the council if they don't respond. A broken boiler is an emergency repair and therefore a weekend shouldn't really make a difference.

Droven · 10/12/2022 23:25

A good way of finding the switch is just to try following the cables that run into the bottom of the boiler as they lead away from it. It’s possible a new fuse could get things going

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