Tenants' rights - no hot water

[Flutterby63]

I moved into a brand new, new build flat with new immersion boiler last week. I've had four times this past week where there was no hot water.

The landlord (via a managing agency) has been good about getting it fixed each time but I'm worried about it going off again on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. They say they monitor their answering phone and emails for emergencies but I'm not convinced.

Looking at the law I think lack of hot water should be dealt with in 24 hours or less, so if I don't hear back from them would I be within my rights to get someone to look at it and then ask for reimbursement?

Any other advice?

Hope you get this sorted OP, but it sounds like your landlord is being very responsive already and trust me, they'll be just as concerned and annoyed that it keeps breaking, as you. However, don't believe all you read on the Internet. A few days without hot water is not illegal, nor an emergency. Without ANY water, yes. But you are able to boil water for a wash if you need to.

Home owners in the same circumstances have exactly the same wait to get a plumber in, it's not about being a tenant, it's about plumber availability.

Dutch Porn films give householders unrealistic expections about how quickly a plumber will come to your house.

try getting british gas service man out on a service plan & getting it fixed within 24 hours - You are being unrealistic if you believe the plumber can come within 24 hours & fix the water. The 24 is for lack of services ie no water, no electric (at all & if you have no light but the rest of your power works you try getting BG in within 24 hours) or heating or cooking.

Thanks all. Boiler is working fine now, if a bit loud (humming noise which I guess means it's heating water).

@PigletJohn the boiler is roughly a metre width by 1.3m high. I seemed to be able to have a decent shower for well over 15 mins as long as I don't run the shower at full force. Only need to do that if I'm washing my hair though!

I guess having owned a home and usually getting services out within 24 hrs if I really needed to, it didn't seem that unrealistic but guess I need to get back into the swing of things with renting. Appreciate that it would always have taken longer over Christmas and because there's no bath, just a shower, I didn't fancy the thought of washing with boiled kettle water for days on end.

"A metre wide"
Are you sure?

Measure again and post a full photo of it, standing back.

@Pigletjohn Sorry couldn't find the measuring tape earlier due to moving boxes! It's actually circa 60cm wide by 80cm high. Here's a pic.

@doxxed I don't think so because everything is newly built, including the flat which has just been converted from offices. I'll see how I get on. I saw it as a plus because it means I won't water. 😁