Heating issues with 5yo - Landlord Neglect

[Natxo]

I need some advice! We’ve lived in the same rented property since 2019 and have constantly had issues with the gas boiler. It passes gas safety each year however whenever we use the heating, even if just for a few hours, I have to go top the pressure up or it will error code and shut off. We can go all summer with no issues as it doesn’t happen when using hot water, just the heating. The landlords been made aware of this repeatedly and does nothing but tell me to keep topping it up.
It’s an older Victorian house and gets so so cold. I’ve been waking up at 2 in the morning to my monitor in my son’s room going off saying the temp is too low as is dropping to under 12 degrees. What should I do?

Unfortunately you will just have to keep on and on at them. Is it through an agency or direct to landlord?

If you have to keep topping up there is a leak somewhere in the system

Private. Honestly their a nightmare, we reported broken slate tiles that were hanging off the guttering the year we moved in and even after one fall off and went through my sons tikes house roof (it was on a night luckily no one was hurt) he didn’t do anything. It took the roof leaking 3 years later and turning one room into a water feature to get patched.

I thought this and he’s said the same yet has done nothing about it. We’ve had to shut off one of the radiators completely because it leaks from the top so that’s been off for a year in one bathroom.

Private. Honestly their a nightmare, we reported broken slate tiles that were hanging off the guttering the year we moved in and even after one fall off and went through my sons tikes house roof (it was on a night luckily no one was hurt) he didn’t do anything. It took the roof leaking 3 years later and turning one room into a water feature to get patched.

I think you might need to move OP… otherwise you could suggest withholding rent and you pay for the plumber?

We’ve been trying as I have health issues but everywhere is too expensive and we’re over the income threshold for council by £500 a year so they won’t help either. The kicker is the landlord increased the rent by £100 this year too knowing the issues haha

Can you pay for an assessment, show the land lord and agree to pay half the cost of repairs if he agrees to less rent to make up for your half repair cost? It would have to be in writing.

Is there a letting agent? If so, complain to them and see if you get anywhere.

If not, write to the landlord and point out they are responsible they have a responsibility to carry out repairs as your boiler should be in good working order as and when you need it. If not, they have to provide you with other means of working heating. Also, give them a reasonable deadline to get work done, ie 2-3 weeks.

If you don't get anywhere, document all the calls/emails/texts and any responses (or lack of them). Start making a daily record of when this is happening, and photos of the resting pressure and running pressure. Could be there's a slight leak on a heating pipe, but chances are it's the vessel inside the boiler. I think there most Council have a team that support people renting in private housing. Just had a look at ours and it comes under Private Renting/House Standards.

Get onto Environmental Health. It's not legally habitable if the heating doesn't work properly and Environmental Health can serve an enforcement notice, your landlord may be obliged to find you alternative accommodation while he sorts it. That will put a rocket up his backside. I had to do this many years ago and EH were amazing, they found so many more things wrong with the building than I'd even known about, e.g. fire safety, windows that couldn't be closed etc.

thetenantsvoice.co.uk/advice_from_us/contacting-the-environmental-health-department/

I would go to Citizens advice and ask them. They are likely to know what is possible in your area and who to complain to.

In my area landlords have to be licenced. If you complain to the licencing body (normally local council) they may take a pretty dim view of stuff like this.

Personally I would move out. My guess is that a landlord like this is not going to change.