Landlord being unreasonable?

[Wildrosa]

I’m needing to get this out, really. I’m currently renting a barn conversion that’s beside my landlord’s home. I moved in December, 2020. All bills are included in the rent but all amenities are controlled by the landlord i.e. heating etc.

Since I’ve moved in…
I don’t have bins; bins are shared and they’re usually full pretty fast so I constantly have rubbish bags at my door.
The heating hasn’t been on in close to a year. As it’s a barn conversion (high ceilings, drafts coming under doors) it gets so cold. I layer up but sometimes it’s so cold (I can see my breath) I have to cart about one portable electric heater.
I don’t have an address… I use my landlord’s.
The past couple of months outside of set hours there’s no hot water - it’s ‘hot’ from 5-8am (enough hot water for one 10 minute shower then it’s freezing cold until 5pm when again, the water only stays hot for one shower. Washing dishes, filling mop buckets etc. takes from the hot water time).

I haven’t complained about any of this before yesterday night.

Last night I had a birthday party to go to. I had to be there for 7. 5 o’clock came - no hot water. I waited about… 545, it’s still absolutely freezing cold. I message my landlord, remaining polite, apologising for messaging but could I possibly use hot water. She replies that she’s turned it on… another 45 minutes and it’s still freezing cold. I message again in frustration to tell her and say ‘it’s a nuisance’. She’s straight over, ringing my doorbell 3 times. I’m bent over the shower trying to wash my hair with the cold water so don’t answer. 20 minutes later I pop a light on and she’s ringing the bell again so I go to the door. She’s extremely rude. She said I am at the end of a cycle for use of the hot water; she doesn’t know why it’s not hot within the set hours. Then she starts, “does the doorbell not work, only I’ve been ringing…”. She then asks me if I am “aware that there’s currently an energy crisis?”. She says I had the ‘luxury’ of hot water outside of the set hours before they realised only a couple of months ago. She then suggests there’s going to be a rent review. Finally, she hands me a box of plug-in night lights and tells me I use a lot of light in the evenings.

I guess I’m asking if I am being unreasonable at all?

Because this time last year there was absolutely nothing on the market to rent and if Northern Ireland is like the rest of the UK that has not improved.

Contact your local Council, they are cracking down on rogue private landlords and sub par accommodation

Wait, are you OP with a name change fail?

As bills are currently included, boil the kettle for washing up water and floor mopping water.

How about leaving the oven door open and on too. Your kitchen will be warm....

What are you talking about

I know shouldn’t have to, but is there anything stopping you buying plug in radiators?

Move.

None of it sounds legal. The property should have its own address and its own bins etc. It sounds like she is avoiding paying council tax, and if bills are included it indicates that there aren't separate meters for electric and water etc. I don't know how different things are in NI though regarding tenants rights etc.

The LL shouldn't be in control of the hot water, you should have access to it whenever you want.

I would be reporting it to the local council, and get advice from somewhere like Shelter, and start looking for somewhere else. It could have been built as an annexe and is now being illegally let out.

She can't stop you using the lights, but obviously it's common sense to just have them on in the room you are in etc. Put the nightlights to one side and ignore them, she can't make you use them.

Buy more heaters if you need them? They are not expensive and the oil filled type throw out a lot of heat. If bills are included, its the LL's problem not yours.

Buy some draught excluders to put on doors, they really do make a huge difference.

If she increases the rent then make sure it is within the law.

Make sure that you keep a record of each and every contact with her so that you have a record in case she tries to keep your deposit for some silly reason.