No hot water or heating. Do I have any rights?

[Shahira78]

Hi,

Just writing for advice really. We are in a rental and the boiler broke down on Thursday. Plumber did come over to say it definitely need replacing so will get back to agency and landlord with some quotes.

i got an email today to say the matter should be resolved sometime early next week so that's nearly 2 weeks with no heating or hot water.

The thing is, over a month ago the plumber did come over because the boiler kept cutting off and said the boiler should be replaced, passed the message on to the landlord and he refused to replace it. it was just fixed.

The agency emailed to say they are more than happy to provide us with electric fans and to stop by their office to collect them.

I have 2 boys under 5 and am worried about how I'm going to get by the next couple of weeks. Any suggestions?

Thanks for reading x

I think you will find that getting repairs in social housing can be just as difficult & prolonged & as pp says British Gas & other private repair/plumbers take along time to install boilers or get repairs
It costs thousands to get new boiler (minimum of £3500) which is why the LL wanted to try & fix it first

@mumwon

I think you will find that getting repairs in social housing can be just as difficult & prolonged & as pp says British Gas & other private repair/plumbers take along time to install boilers or get repairs It costs thousands to get new boiler (minimum of £3500) which is why the LL wanted to try & fix it first

We used Boxt, called Monday was installed next day. Cost £2100, you must be mad if you paid £3500 (minimum), but agree LL or anyone in fact would try to get it fixed before fitting a new one Gas engineer might have said it needed replacing just to get the business

Keep asking for a re t reduction via the agents.

I’m glad you have heat now.

The boiler replacement sounds like it’s happening as swiftly as possible - remember that it’s a busy time of year for gas safe engineers and there are also delays in parts etc so a replacement‘early next week’ is good.

It’s inconvenient and shit in the meantime but you have heat now so they’re not ignoring the issue.

Push for the rent reduction, plan to go swimming this week/weekend! and make good use of hot water bottles and layers.

I speak with bitter experience but as the agent/landlord has instructed a contractor in a timely manner and now has a plan for repair/replacement they are meeting their legal obligations, especially as heaters have been provided as an interim measure. They are not obliged to rehome you until repaired.

By all means it's worth trying to negotiate a rent reduction for the period that you're having to pay more for electrical heating, but do not reduce rent without agreement or you'll be in breach of tenancy.

Hot water bottles in beds before going will make them cosy and keep wearing plenty of layers. The most miserable part is keeping clean, when our landlord was getting our boiler repaired a couple of years ago we had 4 weeks in total without proper heating or hot water. We mostly did a bowl wash using water from the kettle in a bowl and a flannel. It means you're only stripped for the bit you're washing so you don't get anywhere near as cold. We also booked to go swimming but only actually used the changing rooms to have a warm shower a couple of times.

It doesn't feel fair, but honestly not many people get an instant repair/new boiler irrespective of being a homeowner or tenant. Just make sure you keep pressure on the agent so they don't forget that you need sorting out.

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/landlord_and_tenant_responsibilities_for_repairs

This is awful OP, I’m a landlord and I replaced a boiler the next day for my tenant when it packed up.
There is literally no excuse!
Sorry you’re going through this.

@Bell25

This is awful OP, I’m a landlord and I replaced a boiler the next day for my tenant when it packed up. There is literally no excuse! Sorry you’re going through this.

That would be a bloody miracle at any time of the year, more so in November!

No excuse for what, precisely?

Oh gosh, I feel for you. We had no boiler in winter for 48 hours. Our kids were freezing and miserable so we let them stay at grandparents for two days and we just sucked up the cold.

Two weeks would not be pleasant and your landlord is shitty.

@mumwon

I think you will find that getting repairs in social housing can be just as difficult & prolonged & as pp says British Gas & other private repair/plumbers take along time to install boilers or get repairs It costs thousands to get new boiler (minimum of £3500) which is why the LL wanted to try & fix it first

My social housing landlord left me with a condemned / unusable boiler (with two fan heaters and nothing else) for a year before it got replaced.

I was in a similar position when renting and we were given two fans (only two adults), £50 towards the extra electricity and temporary gym membership (showers).

To wash I used to take two huge pans into the shower, first to get wet and the second to rinse.

I was so glad when the boiler was fixed

I think speak to agent/landlord about reasonable rent reduction (eg few hundred pounds/20% or so of your rent) - for the discomfort!

Agree on flannel wash/showering elsewhere. Broken boiler is a nightmare no one wants, but I expect your LL would not think 2 weeks without a boiler in his own home is a 'minor' inconvenience -in my home I'd desperately try to get it sorted within a few days, and fully replaced a problematic boiler to avoid it going in winter

Those heaters are great heat i room up fast we had the when our boiler broke in December took 2 weeks to replace standard time unfortunately we just boiled pans and kettle and shallow bathed ds and us

@ProudMaiasaura

I speak with bitter experience but as the agent/landlord has instructed a contractor in a timely manner and now has a plan for repair/replacement they are meeting their legal obligations, especially as heaters have been provided as an interim measure. They are not obliged to rehome you until repaired.

By all means it's worth trying to negotiate a rent reduction for the period that you're having to pay more for electrical heating, but do not reduce rent without agreement or you'll be in breach of tenancy.

Hot water bottles in beds before going will make them cosy and keep wearing plenty of layers. The most miserable part is keeping clean, when our landlord was getting our boiler repaired a couple of years ago we had 4 weeks in total without proper heating or hot water. We mostly did a bowl wash using water from the kettle in a bowl and a flannel. It means you're only stripped for the bit you're washing so you don't get anywhere near as cold. We also booked to go swimming but only actually used the changing rooms to have a warm shower a couple of times.

It doesn't feel fair, but honestly not many people get an instant repair/new boiler irrespective of being a homeowner or tenant. Just make sure you keep pressure on the agent so they don't forget that you need sorting out.

@ProudMaiasaura absolutely 100% right here OP.

@Bell25

This is awful OP, I’m a landlord and I replaced a boiler the next day for my tenant when it packed up. There is literally no excuse! Sorry you’re going through this.

Really? Did you have a spare boiler in your garage ready to go? I don’t believe anyone could get a boiler fitted the next day - we couldn’t in the middle of summer, in our own house, let alone in November

I think it's disgraceful that private LLs can get away with leaving tenants without heating and hot water for days (weeks, sometimes).

It's not always that simple. I was in OP's position a couple of months ago. It took 2 weeks from the boiler breaking to getting a new one. As pp days first an engineer has to come out to see if it can be fixed, then appointments made for companies to come and do quotes and once one has been chosen the boiler has to be ordered and they have to have 2 or more engineers available for an entire day. I was lucky I have an electric shower and the weather was mild but there's not really anything my landlord could have done to speed things up.

Really grateful for all of your replies. Thank you so much.

The heaters have worked quite well in the bedrooms. Not having the hot water is hard work but i guess 'it is what it is'. I don't think much is going to be done at this point.

Again, thanks a lot for taking the time to reply!

Have you not got an immersion heater OP that you can use for hot water?

If it's a combi boiler, as many are, there is no hot water cylinder.

Don't forget we are also in a pandemic where trades are snowed under with work after months of very little and there have been/are supply issues for parts too.

Do you not have any family or friends nearby that will let you use their bath/shower?

Whilst it’s getting fixed take some tips from someone who’s lived with no heating before:

Heat 1 or 2 rooms and keep them warm. Stuff any gaps under doors with towels/blankets. Get a lighter and go around all the doors and windows, you’ll be able to see from the flame where the drafts are coming from. Block them with duct tape on the windows, towels and blankets on the doors. Everyone MUST shut the door behind them.

Leave the cooker door open after you’ve cooked and turned it off, it heats the kitchen quite well from the residual heat

Hot water - personal washes will have to do!

Warm the kids clothes up first thing with a hairdryer, don’t sling them over the radiators it stops the room from heating

Blankets blankets blankets. Jumpers and socks - they’ve already been paid for!

@WeAreTheHeroes yes I know that but there’s a surprising number of people who don’t know about their immersion heater so thought it worth mentioning

There are plenty of homeowners who have to go without heating and hot water for some time if they get a boiler breakdown.

Any decent heating engineer is rushed off their feet at this time of the year. I work for a very good gas engineer and his wait time now for a new boiler installation is about 4 weeks for all customers, rented and homeowners. I've never known a next day boiler installation at any time of the year!