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[moggy]

Hi all,after some advice(again )So i will start from the beginning,yesterday at 4pm the boiler stopped working no hot water.The flashing lights indicated safety thermostat lock out,followed the reset procedure in the manual but no joy.Phoned the property management company who said the plumber, was to busy to come out that night but would be here at 9 today.Plumber turns up bang on time today and says its fubar and needs to be replaced.Property company phone today to say a new boiler will be installed tomorrow,excellent i think.But the problem is i have not been able to wash or shower today(i have eczema and psoriasis)and need to do this every day.The plumber said the installation will take 2 days i can't go that long without washing.Also i assume he will have to turn the gas off,and our cooker has a gas hob so we wont be able to cook anything.Do any of you guys know if i can claim some sort of compensation for this,as it not my problem and is a major inconvenience.Could i ask the landlord or the property company,to reimburse me for say a hotel stay or for eating out.I have never been through anything like this before so i don't know where i stand.My wife thinks we should pay less rent this month,to cover any expenses we incur but i am not sure.Any advice as always gratefully received. Dean.

[ronnyd]

Christ Dean, you certainly get more than your fair share of sh*t. As to your problem is there a local baths or leisure centre you can go to while this is on going?

[New POD]

You can't pay LESS rent without going into arrears.  If I were your landlord I'd be evicting at the next opportunity.  (probably) You need to discuss this with your landlord like a grown up.  Explain politely the impact on your health.  And ask him to help out.

Ideas for a free shower -

1) Landlord pays for you to go to a pay as you go gym.
2) You use the shower at work
3) You use a kettle and sink, and a flannel.  I was 30 years old before I had a shower in a house I lived in.  Parents didn't like to waste money filling the bath.  I believe it's called a strip wash. Very old fashioned.

It's summer - eat salad.  It's cheaper than eating out.

When our boiler went, it was minus 10 outside, and it took a week to be sorted.  The house was like a ice block, and I was £2K poorer, so thank your lucky stars that it won't cost you much, and will be fixed within 3 days. 

A new boiler in one of my BTL's would take 40% of the years profit.  Whilst my insurance covers putting the tenant up if the house is uninhabitable, I don't think the loss adjuster would think a boiler out of action should result in the house being uninhabitable.

[moggy]

Christ Dean, you certainly get more than your fair share of sh*t. As to your problem is there a local baths or leisure centre you can go to while this is on going?

Ronnyd,yes i certainly do.Yes there is a baths/leisure center but i could only use the showers,can't swim because of the chlorine. . Dean.

[Andy B]

... and I was £2K poorer,  ....

So was I last week when I replaced my boiler .... 

It took him a day & a half 

[moggy]

You can't pay LESS rent without going into arrears.  If I were your landlord I'd be evicting at the next opportunity.  (probably) You need to discuss this with your landlord like a grown up.  Explain politely the impact on your health.  And ask him to help out.

Ideas for a free shower -

1) Landlord pays for you to go to a pay as you go gym.
2) You use the shower at work
3) You use a kettle and sink, and a flannel.  I was 30 years old before I had a shower in a house I lived in.  Parents didn't like to waste money filling the bath.  I believe it's called a strip wash. Very old fashioned.

It's summer - eat salad.  It's cheaper than eating out.

When our boiler went, it was minus 10 outside, and it took a week to be sorted.  The house was like a ice block, and I was £2K poorer, so thank your lucky stars that it won't cost you much, and will be fixed within 3 days. 

A new boiler in one of my BTL's would take 40% of the years profit.  Whilst my insurance covers putting the tenant up if the house is uninhabitable, I don't think the loss adjuster would think a boiler out of action should result in the house being uninhabitable.

So you would evict me would you,also remember i am out of work.If you can't say anything constructive don't say opps all you knob.I simply asked for advice  Dean.
 

[ronnyd]

Christ Dean, you certainly get more than your fair share of sh*t. As to your problem is there a local baths or leisure centre you can go to while this is on going?

Ronnyd,yes i certainly do.Yes there is a baths/leisure center but i could only use the showers,can't swim because of the chlorine. . Dean.

You don,t have to swim Dean, just use the showers etc, your dosh,your choice.

[biggriffin]

Just go to the local leisure centre, they charge about £2.00 to use the showers, or nearest truckstop.   

If you lived in a council property,be lucky if a plumber called within 2weeks, also why do people think when something goes wrong or breaks they are entitled to compensation.

[Doctor Gollum]

A new boiler in one of my BTL's would take 40% of the years profit.  Whilst my insurance covers putting the tenant up if the house is uninhabitable, I don't think the loss adjuster would think a boiler out of action should result in the house being uninhabitable.

Shit happens. That is the price you pay for being a landlord

No hot water/gas does arguably render a house uninhabitable. However, people (and millennial landlords) have different ideas on reasonable inconvenience. When we moved in to this house, the first job was stripping half the kitchen to enable rear access... We went six months with a sink, microwave and fridge as our kitchen. By choice. The inconvenience was a means to an end.

Two days to get a broken boiler inspected and replaced is actually pretty good going and would suggest a decent, well organised landlord with some pretty good connections.

[LC0112G]

A new boiler in one of my BTL's would take 40% of the years profit.  Whilst my insurance covers putting the tenant up if the house is uninhabitable, I don't think the loss adjuster would think a boiler out of action should result in the house being uninhabitable.

He would. A rental is legally uninhabitable if there is no heating or hot water, so you would be breaching the terms of the contract/lease.

The council can require you (yes you - the landlord) to fix the boiler as soon as practical/possible in all cases. And for some special cases (families with babies) it's "immediately", not "as soon as practical". It's already led to some (admittedly notorious) landlords starting eviction procedures against families with small children.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-44902381

Moggy kicking up an unreasonable fuss (as determined by the LL not us/moggie) could result in a S.21 eviction if the LL decides you're too much bother. Deliberatley withholding some portion of the rent without LL agreement is even more likely to result in a S.8 eviction.

However, given that moggy's LL seems to be trying to rectify the issue as soon as possible, I doubt anyone would argue he was doing much wrong in this instance. I'd suggest moggy posts on the moneysaving expert message boards for more help : https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16

[Kevin Wood]

Two days to get a broken boiler inspected and replaced is actually pretty good going and would suggest a decent, well organised landlord with some pretty good connections.

Yep, I agree with this. He is sorting out the problem as quickly as could reasonably be expected. I'd count yourself lucky.

Should the landlord be held liable financially or otherwise for the inconvenience this has caused? Not in my opinion. He's already been landed with a large bill to replace the boiler at short notice, after all.

Whether you live in rented or your own accommodation, a fault with a boiler is one of those inconveniences you have to live with occasionally, in my view. As said, washing is possible using a sink with water from a kettle. I'm guessing the gas won't have to be off for more than a few hours, so maybe you'll have to sacrifice one cooked meal and have sandwiches instead. At least this has happened in the middle of summer when you aren't relying on the boiler to heat the house.

[LC0112G]

also why do people think when something goes wrong or breaks they are entitled to compensation.

Because the LL has signed a contract to provide a home with certain minimum requirements, including heating and hot water. Failure to provide those items puts the LL is in breach of the contract, and hence the Tennant can to sue for compensation under civil law.

However, withholding rent isn't the way to go about it, because that puts the Tennant in breach of the contract too.

[tigers_gonads]

Hi all,after some advice(again )So i will start from the beginning,yesterday at 4pm the boiler stopped working no hot water.The flashing lights indicated safety thermostat lock out,followed the reset procedure in the manual but no joy.Phoned the property management company who said the plumber, was to busy to come out that night but would be here at 9 today.Plumber turns up bang on time today and says its fubar and needs to be replaced.Property company phone today to say a new boiler will be installed tomorrow,excellent i think.But the problem is i have not been able to wash or shower today(i have eczema and psoriasis)and need to do this every day.The plumber said the installation will take 2 days i can't go that long without washing.Also i assume he will have to turn the gas off,and our cooker has a gas hob so we wont be able to cook anything.Do any of you guys know if i can claim some sort of compensation for this,as it not my problem and is a major inconvenience.Could i ask the landlord or the property company,to reimburse me for say a hotel stay or for eating out.I have never been through anything like this before so i don't know where i stand.My wife thinks we should pay less rent this month,to cover any expenses we incur but i am not sure.Any advice as always gratefully received. Dean.

Dean, I suffer from eczema brought on by stress and believe me there is sweet F all the docs will do about it other then keeping my head in a good place and as you say keeping it clean and sweat free / dry.

BUT a word of warning ...................   You are living in somebody else's house.

How you act will reflect on how long he will let you live in it 
If you start pissing around with the rent you will be out asap trust me 

Right, this is what to do ...............   Go to the rent office and speak to them nicely face to face nicely 
Explain about the medical condition and let them do there job.
Use the showers at the swimming baths / sports centre. If your on benefits, you may get in for free too 

[Doctor Gollum]

Personally I would suck it up for a couple of days

[moggy]

Hi all,in hindsight i should not have said what i said so i apologize.The property management company said the plumber would be here a 9,but he has not turned up.At the moment i am very depressed,what with problems with the car no job and very little money.I know the PM company are doing there best but i could do without the stress.Dean.