To insist on being present this time?

[FermezLaBouche]

I want to swear REALLY loudly.
I've lived in my house for 3 months. In this time I've had:

A toilet that had a constantly leaking U bend - that took a week and a half for the agents to send out their jack of all trades handyman out to fix. In this time I had to replace towels under the leak every hour or so (was on 6 week hol so was able to do this) and if I went out I would return to the whole floor being soaked. Directly after his visit the overflow pipe began leaking all down the side of my house.

This resulted in damp mould growing on my living room wall which is still there. It took a further TWO weeks for them to send out the handyman to fix it. I finally lost my rag when the estate agent said "He said he's been ringing you all week on both your numbers but you haven't got back to him." This is totally untrue.

Next thing to go wrong: My gas boiler - it looks about a thousand years old and one of the switches has been taped over so I can't use it.. so obviously not in the best working order. Last month it broke leaving me with no heating and no hot water. I had to use boiled kettles of water to wash up and only take showers. It took a week for the to send the SAME guy round and fix it.

Now it has gone again and am raging. It's really, really cold and the only thing I have is an ancient convection type heater in one room which will no doubt cost a fortune to run.

AIBU on insisting that this time they send the bloke round when I am home, so I can ask him exactly what he's doing to fix the problem and it wasn't done correctly last time? So angry - it's skinting me to live here, but it's just problem after problem.

And breathe!

Sounds like my old estate agents! Might be best to write all this in a letter and explain that if this time the issue is not dealt with speedily and effectively, (give a reasonable time limit), then you will be hiring someone to deal with it yourself and taking their payment out of the rent. If it does come to this, make sure you get three written quotes from different people and choose the cheapest. Then send copies of these and the receipt with a letter explaining what you have done and referring them to the letter you sent saying you would do this.
Hope you get it sorted xx

Check your lease, there Usually time limits on when major things have to be fixed in.

Sounds like you're renting from a shit agent. Give your notice at the break point and happily chat to any prospective remnants who come and look round about the troubles you has had.

Yes, you should insist on being there, take a day's holiday from work if need be.

However, do you have a break clause at 6 months? I would serious consider moving, a house in bad state of repair and letting agents who don't use decent handymen is a crap combination, for your own sanity and bank balance, this can't be viewed as a long term house for you.

I would be a bit concerned about a "handyman" coming out to look at a boiler. Don't boiler engineers need to be corgi registered or something?

Thank you!!
Annoyingly, I am tied here for a year and I do actually love the house and the area. Financially it would be hard to find somewhere else too, as I would struggle to find the rent/deposit upfront.

Busily re-reading your advice so I can formulate my phonecall tomorrow. Am I right in thinking that if I don't give my permission, they cannot send someone round in my absence?

He must be corgi registered to do boiler repairs.

I'd be trying to move tbh, if you can?

Bet there's no gas safety certificate or electrical one either. Am I right?

Sorry, x posts.

Pi1978 I thought this, too. I'm sure I recall having a friend who said in order to work with gas you need to take a very stringent exam and get 100% on it. This bloke is referred to by the agents as "X the plumber" and it was definitely him they sent to fix the boiler last time.

All gas appliances have to be checked every year by a corgi registered gas person, does your boiler have an up to date gas cert? I would stand firm on the boiler issue, someone who doesn't know what they are doing can cause more harm than good and in the case of a boiler it is dangerous

Eds I do have the certificates, they were very careful to give me those... I think it's just a case of the think being old and clapped out and needing replacing.

If they send the same handy man say you want to see proof they are corgi registered, they have to retrain/ register every so many years I think

Oh that is good. I'm relieved!! But yes he will be on courses every year or two if he is with Corgi. It's hard work keeping up to date.

Check that he is and refuse to let him work on it unless they can show you his card with CORGI on it. He should have a reg number you can ring them to check.

(I did once - the bloke was a cowboy and got very cross with me for reporting him) (but he sodded off without charging us)

thank you nancy I will do that, most definitely.

Just to point out, its not Corgi anymore its Gas safe and you can check whether they are registered by checking their details on the gas safe register www.gassaferegister.co.uk

Thanks again to all who've replied - I have definitely calmed down and I'm going to stand up for myself tomorrow!
You probs won't recall but I posted a while ago about my previously landlady threatening to no return my deposit, then it transpiring she hadn't put it into a scheme... I seem to pick them, don't I? :)

It's just frustrating as I had to pick and pay for this house without seeing it due to the distance and my work. I love livinmg here so much.