To think my landlord is taking the piss leaving me with a broken boiler for three weeks!?

[IDontLikeDisciples]

It broke last week, landlord is away in pakistan, sent his brother over with oil filled radiators which I am grateful for but they are costing me a lot to run!

He said he'd be back today and would come and fix it himself, refused to let me get someone else out as it would cost too much. His brother has just been in touch to say he will be away for a further two weeks and because I have an immersion system too I should be happy using that for hot water and running the oil radiators for heating.

I am mighty pissed off but feel like I am left with no choice!?

Forgot to mention we also have a woodburner in the kitchen/ diner but it's right by draughty french doors, unhelpfully and doesnt do much to warm the rest of the house.

I would get tell his brother that you'll be getting a plumber in straight away and billing his brother for it. Somehow I think he'll get someone else in then ....

Usually a tennancy agreement would have a section in it re heating and hot water and how long the landlord was allowed to take to fix it. I would read that. Does the landlord use an agent or do you deal direct?

Our boiler had broken down while we were away and the day we got back we had to stay in a B&B as no heating or hot water - landlord paid for B&B and gave us some money to go out for a meal.

We had this years ago, landlord kept saying they would send someone round but a week later had nothing - and no hot water at all, we were boiling kettles to wash.

We dealt with an agent and I went to their office and told them it was unreasonable to leave us without somthing that major as we pay rent for a level of service/property we were not receiving. I said that we would be requiring a discount from the rent of £15 per week (this was 12 years ago so would want more now) until such time as they restored the service we were supposed to be receiving. They sent the new boiler the next day and we got a 1 week discount too.

Is the landlord qualified to look at a boiler - you need to be registered Corgi for gas for example, if he isn't then he would be breaking the law to look at it at all.

I suggest you contact the brother and start a conversation along the lines of 'want to discuss the level of discount on the rent for the current period without the boiler' - make it clear they have a responsibility to sort it ASAP.

Good luck!

I am a landlord and this is utterly RUBBISH treatment. Get your lease out, check it all and start making threats. You signed onto a lease with a boiler, NOT expensive radiators, so the PPs who suggested a reduction in rent for as long as you have to run the expensive radiators have a great idea.

I would write to the LL that the boiler needs to be fixed by a professional in 3 days time. if not you will hire a plumber (?) and deduct the bill from the rent.
go to shelter, they also give out great reply.
environmental health from your council could also be helpful.

Thanks, i have left a message on his brothers phone.

Glad I'm not being unreasonable, I know it would be much worse if we didn't have the immersion, log burner etc.

For God's sake don't let your landlord TOUCH your boiler. If he doesn't know what he's doing he could put your lives in serious danger.

I'm sorry but the disaster of someone's hot water tank exploding a few years ago and causing fatalities (can't remember where but kids were involved) is proof enough that it should be registered engineers.

God, what is wrong with people? Do it himself. Christ.

He is in breach of his legal obligations under s11 of the landlord and tenant act (some land law stuck! yay!)

So you would like the boiler fixed by a professional ASAP, or else you will contact your CAB.

Only Gas Safe registered heating engineers are allowed to fix boilers. Unless he is one and he will have an ID card if he is then don't let him near it.

The OP says the landlord has said he will fix it himself, that suggests more than resetting the controls.

If his brother doesn't get in touch (he has track record of leaving me in the lurch btw, just after I moved in I realised an entire section of bannister on the upstairs landing was broken off and simply wedged in place, utter nightmare with two small children and he didnt sort it for a week!) am I within my rights to pay for a professional on my credit card and then deduct the cost from my rent?

I'd check with a CAB, but as far as I recall, the statutory obligations (like the one to keep space and water heating in repair) are non-negotiable, and he should remedy it ASAP. They might be able to advise you as to what would be the best course of action (rather than getting into fights with your LL over who pays what).

I have 'fiddled' with it myself, and my friend who is an electrician but works on refits etc and has general working knowledge of boilers has looked at it and is utterly puzzled.

This happened to a tennant of ours a few years ago. The repair man the agent had couldn't fix it for 3 weeks (it was Feb and very cold), and we lived too far away to deal with it.

So we happily paid for oil filled radiators and paid for all the extra electricity they used - which was quite alot, but we didn't mind as she was without a boiler for 3 weeks.

I am a landlord Idontlike and I think it would be reasonable to get in a professional at the lowest reasonable cost and put it on your credit card, for the landlord to reimburse asap. If he doesn't, deduct it from your rent. You can't be expected to live without heating and all gas appliances need to be professionally repaired.

BTW I have special insurance for these things so if I am away the tenants can ring a special helpline and a contractor is sent out. It's only £50 a year and well worth the landlord doing. The call out and first hour's labour is free.

Abs, surely the fact I have an immersion for hot water and other means of heating makes matters trickier legally? He is actually providing those things.

The fact I have trouble supervising ds (asd) around the oil radiators is probably irrelevant

Some of you sound like brilliant landlords, any vacancies !?

I thought about getting 3 quotes and going with the cheapest, this is what has been protocol when I've dealt with leaseholders etc in the past. Does that seem right?

your LL isn't allowed to go near your boiler unless he's CORGI registered. Get a plumber in, pay them & deduct from rent. Your LL is behaving appallingly bad.

At least they have provided you with another source of heating - albeit a bit rubbish.

Go through your lease and check what is written there.

You can employ a plumber to come and sort out the problem, then deduct the cost from your next rent payment, HOWEVER, if you choose to do that there are procedures you have to follow, from memory it's something like:

You contact the LL and advise of the problem

If they do not act in a speedy manner then you have to inform them that you will be getting quotes to get the work done and then you will employ someone.

Again, you then give the LL a chance to get the work done.

If they still don't sort anything out you can choose the cheapest quote and then deduct the cost from your rent.

Following the procedures then covers you if anything was to go to court.

Good luck.

No such thing as CORGI anymore, been replaced by GasSure or Gassafe. Can't remember which.