Is landlord's "boiler scheme" going to be an issue?

[BiBabbles]

Landlord has a history of sending "cousins" to deal with things. Boiler as been struggling for ages, died pretty much a month ago.

Letting agency sent out someone who bodged it until it could be replaced, but it's not lasting. Told landlord is out of the country, but all he needs to do is sign off on a replacement and it'll go ahead. Landlord called yesterday with excuses, and trying to sell this "boiler scheme" that we'd have to sign up for as private tenants "as long as you're on tax credits or child benefit or something" that will make it cheaper for him. I said we would be open to more information on it. Today we got someone who said they want to come today to take pictures of all the radiators and rooms and still no name of this 'scheme'.

We told them we couldn't do today - two people here are nightworkers and we need to rearrange things for radiators that are blocked (and switched off) if they need to photograph all of them and I've just got a bad feeling. To add the issue, we're in the process of buying a house to get out of here and into a more accessible place so I'm concerned whatever this scheme is - closest I can find is Energy Company Obligation thing [[https://www.gov.uk/energy-company-obligation]] will make ineligible for help we might have been able to get. Obviously this boiler is a major issue, but I don't want to shoot us in the foot. We tried to talking to the landlord again, but he just says its a boiler scheme that we don't have to pay for so doesn't get why we're asking questions...

Just another curveball in a rough week we're having - any insight would be appreciated.

How close are you to moving out....

This site gives more info on what benefits you need to be on - scroll down to the section starting

you receive any of the benefits in the left-hand column you must also receive at least ONE from the right-hand column

Then theres a bit about landlords. So yes he can use the scheme if you qualify...

It seems such grants for landlords do exist but there’s a confusing array of different schemes out there. It can depend on the council you live under, This site has information greenimprovements.co.uk/landlord-grants/
If you’re not sure about your position maybe try ringing Shelter, or the local council.
Sounds like a great deal for the landlord, but of course hopefully you’d benefit too with a functional boiler.

Depends on how long conveyance solicitors and the bank take, we're tentatively hoping to be out by spring - no chain, just however long these last checks take. Literally the worst time for this. Hopefully I'm just being overly cautious, had a few too many surprises lately.

Thanks for the link - there are so many different schemes that it's a bit confusing to figure out which he's talking about. The thing that set me off was his emphasis that we needed to apply for it, after saying he'd used the scheme himself and was having the guy he used contact us and the guy who called was pretty rude, wanting full home access right away -- we have things set up already to give full access to the boiler, but enough access to all the radiators to take full pictures of them and the windows? caught us by surprise and we've some switched off to fit some needed equipment. With COVID, all the kids home, night workers who sleep during the day and limitations related disabilities, just popping out for however long with no warning takes a bit a planning that this guy did not want to consider and he never actually asked about the child benefit that is meant to make us and/or the landlord eligible.

How close is the move?
There may well be a minimum amount of time you have to be in the property after they get everything replaced on the scheme.
I doesn't right that you as a tenant have to qualify, it;s the landlords job to take care of the house.

You know he or his agents cannot enter without your consent ( unless there’s an emergency)? He has to give you 24 hours notice AND get your consent, if you withhold it there’s nothing he can do. As he sounds rather slapdash, has he:
Done yearly gas safety checks
Provided an electrical condition report
An EPC
Protected your deposit and given you the details of the scheme?
Given you the How to Rent guide?

Yeah, there being a minimum time thing or if it renders us ineligible for help when we move (asap) or it being some iffy is my concern. If it's one of the many landlord things out there, then fair enough, but we're not getting much clear info.

We've had annual gas safety (they've flagged the boiler as an issue for years, it's apparently a very iffy type that wasn't made for long, but we lost all useful function last month enough to make it from a bit annoying sometimes to urgent real fast), had a How to Rent with the last tenancy agreement a couple years back, and the agreement has deposit information on it though I doubt we're going to get anything back from that.

EPC I can't remember seeing one, nor an electrical condition report, but we've been here over twelve years.

He's rather slapdash, but it's gotten worse over the years. My spouse and I are in agreement that this would be the last tenancy because it's gotten ridiculous. He's pretty much told us last we saw him that he's happy to wait for us to move out then he's going to gut the place so he's only much use if there is an emergency that the letting agency can press him on, if not, we're left to wait for a cousin or a friend or the landlord to be around. Like we have a hole in the ceiling under the bath after he bodged a repair and a lot of water got in there and it made the ceiling go weird. It's apparently cosmetic so not an issue. I got bits of wood on me while under it the other day, freaked me out.

We'd have been out sooner if accessible housing wasn't so hard to find around me which is why I've everything crossed for this move to happen sharpish - lovely already adapted place, ramp, power shower so at least we'd have that, though the rest of the hot water and heating needs to be brought up a couple decades along with it.

He’s possibly talking about the green home scheme, but it’s unlikely he’ll get money to simply switch a like for like boiler. There are also lots of delays reported for finding suitable contractors - only certain ones can do the work under the scheme.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/green-homes-grant/

I am having a boiler fitted tomorrow under the ECO3 scheme. I contacted my utilities provider.

It has taken about 3 months from when l first applied to get to this stage.

They did say that if my boiler stopped working it would have been quicker.

Not looking forward to it as home improvements never go smoothly for me.

If your landlord is referring the the most recent, well publicised green deal he will not be able go claim for a new boiler. He may be eligible to claim for a new heating system eg. Air Source Heat Pump but they come in around £8000+ and I suspect it could be a long drawn out process from finding a registered installer to installation ( and all that is required to happen in between).
Maybe he knows of another scheme that having tenants in the property makes him eligible for?
I'm sorry but wouldn't get your hopes up. Really he needs to get his hand out of his pocket and just buy a new boiler. The problem isn't going to go away but I don't know how you make him do that.
Sounds like he is waiting until you move out before he is going to spend any money. Might be worth talking to SHELTER to see where you stand legally. Is he in breach of the Tenancy Agreement because of this?

The ECO3 scheme is the only one who does the boiler offer.

the assisted schemes are not overly generous, and there are companies that try to make a profit out of it by cutting quality to the bone.

If you have any chance of getting an installation by one of the major utility companies (you don't even have to be their customer) you can be pretty sure they won't go bust, and if anything goes wrong, there will always be somebody to compain to.

In some cases, local councils and housing associations have preferred suppliers.

I would tell him that having a new boiler is a matter of urgency especially in this weather and you have already waited for however long.

Your priority is that it is done immediately. Stress you have paid rent for 12 years and you would like him to sort it out as a matter of urgency rather than looking for schemes which might save a small a mount if money but take longer.