Boiler repair - private landlord

[Claireabella1809]

Hi everyone,

Sorry if this is long winded, I will try and keep it as brief as I can and not confuse you all with my story.

I currently live in a privately rented property. I am ‘friends’ with the landlord - not close friends but friendly enough that I would stop and talk to them if I saw them in public. However, the house I’m renting was let through an estate/letting agent.

Last Sunday, my boiler broke. I reported it to the landlord direct as I know letting agent charges them for any call outs or repairs. No one turned up to look at the boiler as I was promised.

Monday I went to the letting agent. They said as I had gone direct to the landlord they would wait and see what happens throughout the day before they intervene but brought me two electric heaters to use in the meantime.

I explained to them that I’m currently 14 weeks pregnant, I have mental health illness, as well as cardiac failure and my DD (age 13) living in the property. We are unable to bath as we also don’t have hot water since the boiler broke. This i feel is unacceptable as DD has menstrual periods and for obvious reasons it is important for her more than anything to be able to maintain personal hygiene.

To try and help the repair situation I said I would see if I was eligible for assistance under the replacement boiler scheme. Turns out I am and the letting agent advised me I am now just waiting on the company to contact me to arrange an inspection and installation of new boiler. On Thursday, I hadn’t heard anything so I rang the boiler company and they told me different information. Basically been given different information from one or the other but they clearly just passing the buck. Meanwhile it’s now Saturday and 6 days since the boiler broke. I have two electric heaters I am using but no hot water. I’m now pulling my hair out as all this time has passed and we are no further along repair wise.

Does anyone have any advice please? Or anyone know what my rights are? Or am I being unreasonable?

Going up the stairs is physically demanding for anyone though without doing it multiple times and definitely without the strain that would put on the heart and without carrying a baby.

I don't think going up stairs is particularly demanding unless you live on the 10th floor and/or have health problems. Clearly you have health issues, so if stairs are such an issue for you, I think you need to consider moving in the medium-long term.

Don’t think that is anyone’s decision to make other than my own to make.

Utlimately as you have told both your landlord and your letting agent then something should have been done by now. Its not your responsibility to fund a new boiler. They should have insurance surely?

Don't get worked up about people's well-meaning but pointless questions about your health. Focus on finding a solution that works for you.

In terms of time scales and what is reasonable, think about how long it might take a homeowner to get an engineer out, diagnose the fault, get parts or a new boiler, and get it installed. This is the busiest time of year for heating engineers, so it could easily take two weeks.

(Laughing at the poster who claims they could get a new boiler installed within 24 hours. My partner is a gas engineer, even I couldn't get it done that quickly!)

I thought even fit and healthy people can get out of puff going up the stairs? I must be mistaken. I must be so used to feeling that and living with bad health that it is now considered ‘normal’ to me

Thank you @MrsMaiselsMuff xx feeling slightly attacked to be honest. I really had to think hard about whether to reply because I know the nature of forums means that there’s good and bad as far as comments go and that it might not be what I want to hear. I was half expecting the comments where people think I’m posting because I feel ‘entitled to’ a new boiler or something. When people think that the threads never go in a good direction so I know I have to take the rough with the smooth.

Just gonna sit tight a bit longer. It’ll be a week since it first reported. I was fully expecting that or even two and at least I can work out my next steps thanks to some of the advice here xx

You should get back on to the landlord unfortunately it's worse time of year for boiler breakdowns as many people switching heating on for first time and finding faults so engineers busy. Boilers cost a lot of money so your landlord will need to get quotes . Hope it's sorted soon if not go to citizens advice. Our land lord ripped out kitchen and bathroom at same time left us no washing or cooking facilities for eight weeks and we got 4 children cost us fortune extra fuel shipping kids to family for baths and meal to microwave. Out of it now if you get no where maybe you should give your notice on property.

[attacked

For questioning why your working as a nurse even with reasonable adjustments when your stating your unable to walk up and down stairs

Are you always this dramatic

I’m sure you know the answer to your question already, as you seem to have the answers and know it all yourself anyway

I live in a rented property too. When the boiler was serviced in August, it was deemed unsafe. The engeriner suggested I apply to the boiler replacement scheme. Which I did with my landlords approval. The process was started the 8th of August. The work is scheduled for 25th November. But as no one in the house is a pensioner and my children are over 5, we are not a priority. We luckily have A electric shower to wash.

Actually I don’t, hence me asking the question you’re offended at me asking a very basic question, which seemed to have rubbed you up the wrong way and now you’re being defensive.

Posters are going to question the content you’ve supplied.

Anyway have a good day, and I hope you’ve taken posters comments on board.

@HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend do me an experiment would you? Boil the kettle and go upstairs with it and fill your bath. Come back and let me know how you're feeling afterwards. Assuming you don't have health issues.

She never said she had issues walking upstairs. It adds a different mechanic in to it carrying anything upstairs. Repetitive activity of such increases the stress and work on the body. Add in to that pregnancy with ordinary pregnancy related issues such as ligament loosening. Then add a cardiac problem.

None of this impacts the ops ability to carry out her job. Even if it did that's not our place to question it. The op has a disability (whether

Ffs pressed send too soon.

Whether or not she identifies as having a disability or not. She has every right to work any career with reasonable adjustments

I think certain posters shouldn't derail your thread with shitty comments questioning what you're physically up to doing. They have no right to judge.

The point is, you have a broken boiler and it's your LL's responsibility to fix it, you've been patient for a week OP and you deserve to have at least an idea about when it'll be fixed. Ignore the more negative posters, they've made their point and I think might be enjoying being goady.

Best of luck!

Thank you so much, you have explained it much better than I have done xx

I hope you get it fixed soon OP you've been more than patient I would say.

Thank you. Hopefully not much longer now and we shall have a resolution. I also thought so too and being of the ‘dramatic’ sort I have got caught in trying to defend myself against judgemental comments xx

Thank you so much xx

No good deed goes unpunished OP. You tried to help by firstly going to your landlord direct and then suggesting assistance scheme, both of which have caused delays. You should have just gone straight to the letting agent who would have had to sort the issue out ASAP.

You are absolutely entitled to getting the boiler sorted. This is why renters are supposedly at an advantage, because if anything goes wrong, you call the agent and leave with them to sort out ASAP. You’re having to do much of the work getting it sorted. Ring the agent, every day, on the hour, and they will soon prioritise. They get paid to sort things like this out.

Op l am a LL, firstly apologies for stating the obvious) but are you sure there is no immersion heater for hot water?

There is no excuse for leaving you that long without replacing the boiler.

Last July l had a couple whose boiler broke irrepairably, she was 7 months pregnant and it happened on a Saturday night.

Sunday l dropped 3 oil fired radiators to the flat. 2 hour round trip.
Turned on the back up immersion for hot water.
Monday l had an engineer check it out, not repairable, so ordered a new one on the spot, it came on the Friday and was put in on the following Monday. So 8 days.
Cost me £5,000...ouch.( London)...but that is my responsibility.

LL like yours give the rest of us a bad name, friends or not they should be in touch constantly and sorting it.

Don't withold rent though that is not correct. Speak to shelter then send a strongly worded email to both LL and agent.

You need to speak to your agent and demand they get the LL to sort it. Don’t worry about upsetting your LL because they are a friend, I think they are taking advantage of the fact your friends. The boiler needs replacing, they need to update you as to what they are doing.

If your letting agent doesn't use the standard online repair reporting app most of them now use (which promises 24hrs turn around re emergency & health/safety related repairs) I'd say go to environmental health. You shot yourself in the foot really mentioning a boiler scheme. That meant they thought great we won't have to fork out (agent & LL mentality is once its let, never pay for anything on top of rent unless you really, really have to).

Wow so most really turn around in 24 hours?! I'm sure there are people out there who do that but in my experience that's not the case in most cases

I can’t swear to there being no immersion heater for hot water. I really don’t know what one of those is but I will definitely ask now this has been mentioned as it might just sort the problem out temporarily and be the answer to my prayers.

@livelifebehappy I know you are right what you say there. I will learn (hopefully) from this in future and not be so quick to be helpful and considerate. I haven’t kicked up a fuss or nagged anyone for that exact reason as I know I’ve probably caused delays. I can accept full responsibility for that xx