To Ask about Tenant's Rights Re: 24 hours with no heating or hot water?

[PIPTribunalPanic]

Posting for traffic as I can't seem to find any concrete answer from Google!

We're private tenants who have had boiler issues since 2nd Dec. We've had at least 6 engineers out from 3 different companies and still no resolution.

It's a long boring story but the current situation is we now haven't had heating or hot water for 24 hours and there is a part on order which should be fitted tomorrow afternoon. But with the recent history of it I can't say with confidence that this will remedy the issue (already had 3 new parts this week!)

Our landlady is a lovely lady but obviously this doesn't solve our issue!

We've got 3 DC whom we've just sent to GP's house overnight but DH and I are stuck here overnight with no facilities.

We've got one electric heater on loan but it's a big house and obviously we have no hot water for washing etc.

Does anyone know our legal rights regarding beubg put up in a hotel etc? How long before this may have to be an option etc? I'm disabled if that makes any difference and we do have a child under 5?

I don't want to cause any issues for our 'LL but my condition does require heat and hot water to be tolerable.

I'm in Wales if that matters?

Any advice gratefully received!

Thank you

I can't remember the brand but it's not the one you've mentioned @Jars.

Anyway, they turned up Saturday morning and changed the part and everything was hunky dory. Except I've gotten up now and can't sleep so thought I'd clean my kitchen and mop the floor (as you do at 4am!) And there's no fucking hot water again

I really am fed up of it all now. It's been two months of intermittent problems and we had about 36 hours of it working before it's stopped again.

It's ridiculous really. Not just for us but even the engineers are baffled I think.

Guess we'll be calling at 9am and seeing what they say next. This must be costing LL a small fortune

Oh, yikes, sorry.

It's so frustrating.

I'm without hot water at present so need to get onto the landlady first thing tomorrow (gas has gone, I think it is an interruption to the supply which has happened before and needs a code to reset).

I feel your pain!

*well, today

Grrr. Not fun at all is it?

Good luck! Hope it's a simple fix for you

It's bizarre you've had so many engineers out and they haven't fixed it? It etodes faith a bit because when the experts come out you tend to assume you're in safe hands and all will be well.

Hopefully boilers ahoy for us this week!

*erodes.

I wish you could edit posts!!

Did you get anywhere today?

I was lucky with mine as I phoned LL and they sighed exasperatedly and said 'are you sure? That would cost a lot' so I went to the boiler, opened it up and jabbed a quivering finger at which buttons I thought might fix it (I've been subject to several disasters with supply before so get nervous) and it fixed it. Pot luck.

Hope yours is functioning shortly.

In England the short answer is no....a tenant is not entitled to anything.
Tenants are entitled to a way of heating the property but not actual heat (yes I know, crazy).
As for hot water, that isn't ideal but not much you can enforce.
You can argue under the landlord and tenant act 1985 that the landlord has an obligation to repair. However....your LL could argue she is making attempts to do so.
Ultimately, if you withheld rent (DONT DO IT!!) and she went for possession on section 8 for rent arrears you may be able to counterclaim for disrepair. But......you run the risk of making yourself homeless in that situation and despite popular belief, the council may not assist you.
You could go to the private sector housing team/environmental health team (different councils call them differently) to see if there is an enforceable hazard they can act on. But expect to wait over a week for someone to come out.
However, I don't know the law in wales so things may be different. You could check with local CAB.
I'm really sorry about your situation. I know my post seems negative but I only mean to say how things are, not making personal remark.
You may want to informally talk to the landlord and ask for a reduction in your rent (unless you get rent benefits....be careful...you may be lining up issues here) or you could ask her for some shopping vouchers for local supermarket or other non cash related compensation so you don't fall foul of benefit laws.
Good luck. Xxx

Hi everyone!

Thanks for the posts.

I tried the kitchen tap again and ran it for a good 5 mins and the hot kicked in.

So I left it be as it was all fine after I got up again this morning. I mentioned it to DH who said it had been ok all day.

However, I've just gone to wash my dishes and cold water again!

Ran the tap upstairs and hot immediately so came back down and it's freezing cold.

So it looks as though there's still an issue. I'm at my wits end. I have heating so obviously that's not longer an issue but overall it's been a massive pain in the bum.

Originally the issue was we only had hot water when the heating was on (so it's been on constant for 2 months much to the detriment of our gas Bill!) And then the no heat or water was just last week.

Now I've no idea. It's really odd. Let's see what fix they come up with next!

Couldn't- thanks for the advice it's really helpful and I didn't find it negative. Very informative actually. I wouldn't withhold rent I know it's dodgy territory!

I'll keep you up to date. I know how excited you all are

Actually hot water becomes strangely exciting and hypnotic when it doesn't do it on request...!