No heating for 15 days in rented flat

[redlondonbuses]

Hello all, since just before NYE I have had total of 15 days without heating, one full set of eleven days and then subsequent four days at various intervals.

My landlady has contract with British Gas who have attended the property on seven occasions and have replaced the wireless thermostat.

During this time I have had a broken foot and the nasty virus that has been going around so have been housebound due to not being able to walk and exhausted from virus which took weeks to recover from. It has been absolutely FREEZING cold and a really hard time.

The thermostat basically doesn't work well, the plumber who came over most recently said that wireless thermostats just don't function that well, it could be as simples one of my neighbours might have a very effective router which derails my wifi.

I have asked my landlady for either a refund of two weeks rent or two weeks at the end of my contract in March. She has refused saying that she did offer to have her sister come to the flat to accommodate plumbers visits. I said I didn't want this as I was at home anyway (broken foot and virus) and also don't want some strange woman coming to my flat anyway!!

I have been considering leaving after six months and my landlady is aware this, I have a nightmare neighbour above me and the noise levels are unbearable, my landlady is desperate for me to not leave as she says she will lose a lot of money. I'm inclined to just say now that I will definitively be leaving as she has not made adequate provision for heating at the property (no service or maintenance was performed for 19 months before I moved in) and existing heating is inadequate.

Am I being unreasonable to expect some kind of recompense?

I had a problem with my digital thermostat not 'talking' to my boiler.
I was advised to take it off the hall wall and place it directly next to the boiler and it worked.
I hope that works for you.

helpfulperson yes have tried doing this and recalibrating the Hive with it and turning wifi on and off, nothing has worked

finnmcool thanks, I have tried it, think my flat is impossible to heat

Just to be clear; I am not sexist, these sad mumsnetters who try to start fights and make silly accusations need to move onto another thread. All I said was that as a single woman who had a broken foot and a severe virus I didn't enjoy having to facilitate seven plumbers in my home and that I felt vulnerable having men who I did not know in my home. At no point did I say I wanted only a female plumber. Seriously, jog on, I am not in the mood for ridiculous and slanderous comments.

I thought landlords had a responsibility to supply adequate heating? And if heating is inadequate to put you up elsewhere? Because no heating and hot water makes the house uninhabitable. Even if they're going their best to fix it and it's not their fault, they're supposed to put you somewhere that is inhabitable until it's fixed.

A landlord's responsibility to provide adequate heating is a basic one. So if the OP said she had been without heating for 15 days straight and her landlord had not made a reasonable effort to help rectify the situation, that would against the T&Cs of (most) tenancy agreements.

The fact that the OP has had various plumbers attend repeatedly and it has been on and off intermittently is a different issue. The landlord has provided the information for the tenant to contact BG direct and has offered for someone to attend the property to help remedy the situation if the OP was not available - that would all be deemed as a landlord taking reasonable steps to resolve the issue.

I am away a CP12 is different to a standard boiler check that would be carried out by BG under the usual Home care package, but it is something that all landlords should have carried out on a yearly basis. Without which the landlord is not fulfilling their duties in the eyes of the HSE.

@redlondonbuses have you spoken to your landlord and requested an electric heater to provide heat during the ongoing issues? Could be worth a shot.

Or speak to the plumber and request a wired thermostat. That is not unreasonable as a tenant

Why on earth have my posts been deleted? I haven't been rude, insulting, aggressive, confrontational. I am afraid I didn't realise I wasn't allowed to disagree with the OP.

You're asking for 14 days rent rebate for 15 days without heating? That seems very unreasonable to me. Given that plumbers were attending and the issue was being investigated, then perhaps a £25-£50 good will gesture might be appropriate, but a full rent free fortnight - no way!

The only thing that your LL should have done, but hasn't, is perhaps provide some plug in electric heaters to keep you warm in the interim. Did you request some? I'm sure most LL would be happy to supply them when requested.

You could of gone to your local council, who can put pressure on landlord to address problems.