How long is acceptable to be left without heating?

[lostandforgotten]

Living in a housing association property and the heating has broken down this morning. I am more annoyed as it was already leaking brown fluid all over my worktops when the engineer came out to look at it and the part was supposed to have been ordered and it turns out it hasn't although I'm not sure if this part is the reason it's broken down. The lady on the phone says it will be tomorrow when someone can come out and couldn't give me a time, they've got till 4 o'clock apparently. They are also refusing to provide any temporary heaters and told me to put some more blankets on . I also have no hot water either expect the shower. It's snowing a blizzard out there aibu that this isn't acceptable and they need to do something today?

I’m sure I waited 2-3 days when my boiler broke a few years ago. I remember looking for an emergency plumber on Facebook. And we went to buy two electric heaters at b&q. It was really really cold.

Oh and I’m not HA and I was paying myself!! The difference is I know I’m trying my best to resolve it but you can’t be sure if it’s the HA.

Is this really what some people do? HA for instance says sorry, no heating but can't help for 3 weeks or a month etc. & that's that?

Why are people so meek passive and accepting of 'cant be asked' housing staff, and bad practice? You'd think OP was asking for a service she doesn't pay for and isn't entitled to/that living in a property is free.

When the heating breaks down you are to be offered temporary heaters. May be shitty little fan heaters but still, that's ok for a time. If they say No they're in the wrong. So, insist and if not then get your L.A. TRO or private sector housing adviser to phone them and get the temporary heaters sorted.

OP it's freezing..don't blame you for feeling as you do, and hope all resolved soon

I'd say up to three days is reasonable. Otherwise you'd have to have plumbers just sitting about doing nothing waiting for a call. The job they're doing today/tomorrow is for the people who called up a day earlier than you. Same whatever way you pay for your house.

Why can't you have a bath? You said you had hot water?

When my tenant complained about the heating not working I went to argos to buy a heater the same day whilst I sorted out the fix.

Would love to know which HA it is ? some appear better than others when it comes to repairs.
The thing that always annoys me with ours is they listen to the problem and tell you someone will ring you to let you know when they are coming, they never, ever ring ( even though you have checked several times they have the correct number ), turn up and you aren't there, so the repair gets cancelled and you have to go through the whole process again and just pray that they will appear when you aren't at work.
Someone turned up yesterday morning ( on a Sunday ) and was suprised that I hadn't had a phone call to let me know they were coming and then moaned because the man who booked the job in, whilst he was here servicing the boiler could have easily fixed the issue when he was here, it took about 5 minutes and 4 turns with a special little key thingy like a radiator key.

It’s ‘can’t be arsed’ @DeeCeeCherry

When it happened to us and Transco cut the gas supply completely, the HA dropped off a heater and two ring hob about two hours later because, as he guy told me when he dropped it off, it's a Statutory Responsibility.

Longest I've had to wait was two weeks with no heating or hot water in mid winter. It was a private landlord so I guess that's not any help but it doesn't sound like you've been waiting too long. Hopefully the heaters will warm you up and it'll get fixed in the next day or so

My brother was left with no heating or hot water for a 4 days at the start of January. He is in a HA house and they have a 4 month old baby.

24 hours is a reasonable time to fix - trust me if you own you are lucky to be able to get it fixed that soon, finding a plumber is hard enough! Obviously if you rent you expect your landlord to fix things but they don't have magic wands, providing alternative heat after 24 hours seems a fair balance. It is a very reasonable rent, we were paying over £900 and the private landlord never fixed the second shower in over a year of asking, it's not about council/ha housing, it's that things take time

I was left with no hot water from housing association for 19 days in total. Was hell. I had work and kids had school and we had no water I cried on the phone to them. Had heaters though so not so bad. I hope they fix it for you soon op

Was it working after they came out and looked at it last time?

Tbh OP whether you own your home, rent privately or in HA you will find getting anything fixed, especially during a snow blizzard, and across a wkend is a nightmare. Landlords, workmen, all are a nightmare. You have my sympathy but I think you get people’s backs up when you imply it’s extra hard because it’s the council and haven’t sought a temp
Solution yourself.

NeverDropYourMoonCup
When it happened to us and Transco cut the gas supply completely, the HA dropped off a heater and two ring hob about two hours later because, as he guy told me when he dropped it off, it's a Statutory Responsibility

Exactly.

It's a Statutory Obligation of a Social Landlord.

I think some people don't actually know the difference between a private landlord and a Social Landlord, however

They have responded within the statutory time!

Mine went on so long they let me keep the 4 heaters they gave me and did a whole bathroom refurb and added an electric shower so it would never happen again (wasn't due for a refurb and the fitter told me they was only doing it so I didn't complain).

Honestly it always takes a day or so to get someone out. I'm not renting, so I'm calling them directly and begging. And we have no hot water if the boiler isn't working.

In this circumstance it's fine to stay with someone else for a day or so.

They have responded within the statutory time!

They have not provided temporary heaters and they have a statutory obligation to do so.

You don't actually know what the requirements of a Social Landlord are in this particular respect or, you wouldn't have said that.

There's a thread going on other board about people just here to make an OP feel like shit. A good few examples today.

I work for a private LL, I pride myself on being quick of the mark when a tenant phone's me with an issue. However I have 3 plumbers/heating engineers on speed dial and when we had 2 boilers I 2 different properties (one was a care home worker too) go down in early December it was a nightmare finding space in any one of their diary's to come out.

The fact is this time of year is busy for that type of work, not every part is in stock and not every one has a endless supply of heaters they can lend.

HAs are always busy.
Yes you have a right to be pissed off, they should have got back to you weeks ago about the first issue, but you could have chased them up. To you it is the end of the world, to them you are a person in a long list of stuff they are trying to juggle. Maybe help yourself out a bit and stop getting shitty with people who are offering you solutions just because you don't want to do anything they have suggested and want someone there to fix it now!

ThePricklySheep
It’s ‘can’t be arsed’ @DeeCeeCherry

Oh is it? I live & learn
Henceforth "asked" shall become "arsed"

Love it🤣

I don't think you've had poor service. Many people in rented accommodation wait days for someone to come out to fix heating (usually paying more than £500 per month). If you owned your property, you'd also be at the mercy of repair services working in a pandemic and snow.
On a practical note, do you have an electric blanket? I use one when working from home in the day instead of putting the heating on. It costs a few pence per 12 hours.

Erm, I have helped myself out. I worked a night shift last night and have spent today trying to sort this out and locate heaters and I am now about to go on two buses across town to pick up two heaters from a friend so please kindly do one,

I few days isn't the end of the world and could you shower at work.

Speaking as someone who works for one of the utilities the last 12 months have been horrendous .
Staffing levels low due to shielding, isolating and sadly a few deaths.

Engineers are completely forgotten and risk there lives in people houses loads lie about isolating or even having covid due to only think about themselves .
The amount of verbal abuse and even physical abuse unbelievable high. Just wish customers would realise that and not be so entitled and selfish .

I do have an idea and the hard 24 hours from issues report to fix is a common misinterpretation.

As for heaters, that depends on exactly what OP was told.

I always assumed the rent (be it private or HA/council) covered the cost of repairs, but not the inconvenience arising from the fault.