To think we couldn't do any more?

[rainbow1982]

I really need advice please! My partner and I are renting out a house, brand new to being landlords, we've done it all properly through an agent but said we would manage it ourselves to reduce costs. The new tenant moved in just before Christmas and the bloody boiler has died last night, just as it's hot REALLY cold! She's 20 weeks pregnant and I put myself in her shoes and have done everything I can, arranged a new boiler to be installed on Tuesday and even ordered her 2 heaters last night to be delivered to the property today.

I told her all of this but she's now rang me and asked can they get someone out themselves to see if they can at least get some hot water on in the meantime. My issues are we don't know who this man is, she's said he's corgi registered but how do we know? (We're in a different city to the property so that doesn't help) also, if he does a 'patch up' job, we've committed to the new one Tuesday so it's just an extra cost to us? Is it unreasonable to have been told Friday night and be having a new one installed Tuesday? They have fires in the 2 reception rooms AND the 2 heaters I've sent, it's more the hot water that's an issue but surely they could wait until Tuesday?

We're complete novices at being landlords, want to treat them as we'd hope to be treated without it costing us a bomb, we're expecting our first baby in June and trying to save too, this is a massive unexpected cost as it is, any advice appreciated

I think as had some heating and an electic shower waiting 5 days would of been perfectly acceptable.

Glad all sorted to be fair don't be bothered about annoying the guy about wanting the new boiler sounds like he was too quick to get it replaced .

Well done Op! I will also recommend the British Gas landlord's contract. Have had really good service from them every time a tenant has called them. Last winter when it was bitter cold and snow they made an old lady tenant a priority call out and got to her within 3 hours. (We had her neighbour as a contact and they lent her electric heaters meanwhile before anyone leaps on that!).

Glad it's all sorted out, OP. And I'm pleased you pissed off that boiler man! Can't believe he was going to fit in a whole new boiler instead. He's a disgrace to his profession.

Good result, well done OP.

The original scenario was reasonable apart from a crappy heating engineer who like many would rather replace than repair (because it's easy, no risk money).

A good independent is worth their weight in gold and they look after their good customers.

I've had no water hot or cold for 10 days. Carried some from neighbours in buckets and also bought bottled. They will manage four days without hot water.

Please dont use CORGI. I worked for a plumbing and heating company for over 3 years who did works on behalf of CORGI and they ask like a million questions and dont let repairs go ahead even with full reports from engineers who have said what needs doing on the boiler as they dont want to pay out for anything. No repairs were ever done only the initial callouts to diagnose because of that.The company no longer work for CORGI as it was too much hastle. Use a GAS safe registered engineer.
As others have said it could be low pressure or just need a new part which is far cheaper than a new boiler.
Also from a tenants point of view we lost heating and hot water when the big freeze hit a couple years ago and the letting agency said they wouldn't send anyone to repair our boiler because we didn't have any children so we went for 3 days with no hot water or heating and the house was 9C. And it wasnt a low pressure issue. Then the landlord found out afterwards as we complained and was mortified and said an emergency engineer should have come out as you cant leave a tenant without hot water or heating in such conditions for more than 24hours.

Abbs1, Corgi hasn't been in existence since 2009. No plumbing and heating company ever 'did works on behalf of Corgi', Corgi was the registration body. But why let facts get in the way, eh?

OP, I'm glad that the problem is sorted and shocked that people think one can just magic up a boiler over a weekend and get it installed within 24 hours. Heating and plumbing supplies stores close at Saturday lunchtime and even the big suppliers don't necessarily have many boilers in stock. Even if you had British Gas cover they probably wouldn't get it fixed within a week.

Boiler breakdowns, like flat tyres and rain, are an inconvenient fact of life and they happen to everyone.

@thatdamnwoman @butterer CORGI use engineers and heating companies to carry out works on their behalf. The company I worked for carried out the annual services and boiler breakdowns for customers who had boiler cover under CORGI. This was in the last 4-5years. CORGI never wanted to take responsibility for any repairs though.
My grandparents in law are still covered by CORGI as their boiler was condemned end of 2019 and CORGI wouldn't cover any repair costs for new boiler so they had to get in someone independent even though they had been paying for years for cover.
www.corgihomeplan.co.uk/

I once went without hot water for two week and I was alone with a small baby. I just boiled up water every evening for my baby’s bath and in the morning for my “bucket shower”.

You've been nicer than any landlord I've ever had.

@Butterer the company I worked for did work for CORGI homeplan customers. Sadly I think a lot of people got ripped off as the people i used to call to book appointments for were all retired and elderly people. Paying for a service where nothing got done. They'd ring up asking when we were coming back to complete repairs and all we could say is we are waiting on authorisation to complete the works but it was never done and we were told to close the jobs down as CORGI wouldn't cover it.

Oh for crying out loud; no hot water is hardly an emergency, and as for "people might scold themselves if they use a kettle or a saucepan" give me strength.

We were without a boiler for 3 weeks one winter when I was heavily pregnant. We owned our house so our responsibility. It was inconvenient but hardly an emergency. Some years later we also had our bore hole condemned and were without drinking water for 9 months until we could go on the mains. I thought in that situation we had a human right to drinkable water, but it turned out we didn't. We survived though.

OP you have done all you can so you are not unreasonable at all.

I wouldn't want to be stuck for four days without hot water & only two heaters for a house. I live in a council place & the council tried to do this to me when my boiler wasn't working in winter, I rang Shelter who contacted the council & forced them to get it sorted that day. We had a gas fire in the lounge but no hot water or other heating, I had a six year old & no way to bath him. They told me that if they didn't sort it I could claim compensation for every day it wasn't working if they didn't sort it that day. If you have put electric heaters in, they cost a fortune to run, unless you are willing to give a reduction on this months rent for no heating & all the mess of having a new boiler fitted.

RTT 🤦‍♀️

"CPRGI" and "CPRGI Homeplan" are 2 completely different customers...

*CORGI Homeplan, stupid phone

And yeah, they're different companies... 🙄 Oh dear lord I need sleep already...

Yes that CORGI Homeplan thing looks dodgy as fuck! Looks like they’re trying to trick people who still think CORGI is the standard instead of Gas Safe.

I think you've done all you can OP

A few days without hot water is very manageable, I'm not unsympathetic, it is a bit of a pain, but they can boil kettles and have a shower if it's an electric one.

I went without heating or hot water for eight years, it was hard, but we managed.

Luckily we're in a better situation now