no hot water, rented accomodation, one year old ds what are my rights?

[cyan]

i am seething, i live in a rented house with my ds and for the 2nd time since i moved in just over 4 months ago, my hot water isnt working. Ive contacted the letting agent who deals with my property and he sent some oddjob handyman around this afternoon. The blok did not have a clue as to what he was doing, he didnt bring any of the correct equipment. AFter an hour of him fiddling with the pilot light for the hot water he decided that he couldnt sort out the problem and so rang the letting agency who told him to get me to ring the number that was situated on the boiler thing. (sorry im not clued up on the correct terminology). I told him that this wasnt my responsibility and what the hell am i paying the letting agency for? HE obv couldnt answer this and so i rang the agency who told me they would ring me back in a few moments. I then rang the number on the boiler and they told me that if I was a tenant or a council tenant then i should contact my landlord who would need to sort out the ptoblem. However, my landlord/letting agency said that I was supposed to ring the heating company? I rang the letting agency back and they'd gone home, so i left a message on the answer phone. I dont have an emergency out of hours number as they have not provided me with one.
WHen this happened last time i withheld the rent and the landlords sister came round to my house and threatened me with an eviction order unless i paid up that day. I felt extremely threatened but fortunately i was able to get my father to rectify the problem, which also made me feel like sh*t seeing as i felt completely useless as a woman/mother/human being that they only took the situation seriously as my DAD had got involved. LAst time i had no heating/hot water for a month.
I'm at my wits end chasing up the letting agency, they never seem to fulfil their obligations and i just dont know what to do. I have 8 months lefts on my tenancy agreement and am stuck here for the rest of the duration.
I will go to CAB to see what i can do, but in the meantime can i tell them that i will not pay my rent until this is rectified. Last time I said this they tried to belittle me saying we know our rights/law etc
HELP please

Right, have you had a gas safety check since you've been there? If not tell them you need one- it's illegal not to give you a certificate saying one has been performed. There are quite stringent penalties for not doing so. I'd be calm but icy tomorrow and ask them to fix it. Read your tenancy agreement, see what it says and take it to the CAB if necessary.

Your landlord should've have some kind of insurance policy with the heating i.e 2 star or whatever. Our water heater blew up and as soon as we rang British Gas they checked the details from our address and said "oh yes, your landlady has 5* insurnce we'll send someone out" (and she'd be billed later! ) DH says he got the number in yellow pages Emergency Gas Appliance. It was a seperate ad to their usual one.

Sorry this is a bit broken in the mnessage.. I'm thinking as I type. If you're near me you're welcome to come around for hot water etc

Don't not pay the rent, you'd put yourself on shaky ground legally and they could start eviction procedures if you do. Get CAB advice asap but your local council may be able to put pressure on them, or direct you to someone who can, to sort it out even though it is a private rental. You may find this site useful and could quote it at the agent. Is the agency a member of ARLA or NAEA, both of whom have complaints procedures.

hth

btw BG only prioritise families with under ones so you probably wouldn't get much joy there tonight anyway unless there was a leak or real emergency.

is that the CORGI thing? because if it is then yes I had that done just before Xmas. Just after the last incident occurred. I went through my tenancy earlier and I think because I was so irate I couldn't take it in. They seem to undermine at every possible opportunity, for example when I called them to tell them about they said we have a complaint from a neighbour about you. To which I responded, ok what about? Your washing machine being on too late at night. I told them my last load finishes at 8pm at the latest and this doesnt happen v often as I usually do it throughout the day. They told me it was waking up the occupier below me. (I live in a town house and have the 2nd and third storeys). I feel as though every time I query or make a complaint they have somthing to bemoan at me about. Last time I went to pay my rent the letting agent had the audacity to ask me how much housing benefit I was in receipt of? I told him it was none of his business and that he was getting his £££££ on time. Sorry to go on but feeling v fed up

just checking gas supplier and im pretty sure its not BG. I live in Stanmore, Middlesex and thanks for the offer of a hot bath the only good thing is that i ahve an electric shower, piddles out water but its better than nothing, but only so much boiling water in a kettle and saucepan you can do IYKWIM x

no direct advice but v angry on your behalf. get yourself to cab asap and have a look for some advice websites. do you like your house? if cab say you could get out of your tenancy agreement would you consider moving? I just wonder whether it would be better than putting up with shoddy treatment like this

I like my house to some extent but it just doesnt feel like mine, if that makes sense. I have tried my local council but they have told me Ill be on the housing list for 5 years before i get housed by them. The thing is because im on benefits my choice is v limited as to where I can rent, alost of agencies in my area will not let to people on the dole! Im not a bad tenant, have always paid rent on time but you know how it is other people in receipt of benefit give other claimants a bad name (not everyone). I just feel trapped as to what I can do and TBH am so fed up and feel v crappy.

oh cyan, sorry to hear your predicament. Your letting agency sound like a bunch of monkeys. Like our last lot who tried to run off with one months rent and our deposit! (about £1600 )

You're still welcome round, but I'm rather far from you, in essex. Bugger! We also have a shower that piddles out water.. must be a rented house thing!

I'd find out where you stand, like othewrs commented about the Citizens Advice, and see if you can get out of there and find somewhere else.

Hope you get it all fixed soon x

thanks for all your advice and support. I had same sort of thing in Brighton when I was at Uni, still fighting my old letting agency for my deposit back. Have seen a solicitor about this who says I have a strong case. The landlord was a sneaky git. He was living in the accomodation over the summer, not paying his electricity bill and then letting it runover to the next tenant. I got a bill for £890 once, for stuff he hadnt paid. The majority of them are sharks.

have you had any luck this morning ?

.. what's happening about your flooded kitchen? how bad is it?

ive managed to sort kitchen out still wet but not too bad now, and am contacting CAB now. Also trying to sort out my IS still. just trying not to get too upset x

oooww cyan .. would you like me to come up to stanmore .. go out for some lunch or drink? i don't know anywhere suitable up there .. if you have anywhere to suggest?

thumbelinas thanks so much, but I have to go into Harrow to Job centre. would love to meet though my mums with me at mo.

no problem .. just thought you might have needed it, but you're with your mum
You're strong .. i would've probs still been at home and in tears!!