Private Landlord says I must wait for grant to get hot water!

Private Landlord says I must wait for grant to get hot water!

7:54 AM, 3rd March 2017, About 8 years ago 45

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I am looking for advice regarding an issue I am having with Private Landlord. I am a lone Parent in a Private Rented Property. I have a Short Assured Tenancy which has been a rolling contract as I have stayed many years at the property.hot tap

My Boiler stopped working properly a fortnight ago, and although I still have heating, I’ve no hot water. My Landlord instructed me to get a Heating Engineer out which I did and paid for myself. I was told the problem cannot be fixed and I need a new boiler. Having told my Landlord the outcome, he said I must wait till he applies for a Grant through the Energy Savings Trust.

I find this completely unacceptable as it is going to leave me without hot water for weeks on end, and even then there is no guarantee he will get the grant. I have been in touch with my Local Council who are looking into it, but they stressed they cannot enforce measures right away.

Meanwhile my Landlord wants access to allow his own Heating Engineer to write up a Green Energy Report, which I am presuming is part of the process to obtain this grant. I feel by allowing him access I’ m somewhat being forced into agreeing that I will be without hot water for a considerable time.

Can you please advise on what I should do? Do I have to give him access for this? Can he legally force me to wait several weeks under the guise that he is ‘fixing’ the issue? Thank you.

Janet


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Mike

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1:34 AM, 16th March 2017, About 8 years ago

hi again Janet,

really sorry to hear about your ordeal, I have no longer any sympathy for your landlord and it is rouge landlords like him who have made lives of those responsible landlords like us here a big misery, that is why the Government had to introduce so much legislation.

I wish I knew where you lived and if it were close enough I could pop over to rescue your boiler, with my friendly gas safe engineer, we could change or free your diverter valves and repair or replace other minor things and get your hot water going in the mean time, seems like your landlord had been trying to squees the last drop of blood out of your boiler!

Please let me know where about you live but don't give your full address, if it is anywhere near me, I would give you a new sim number to call me to arrange for a temporary repair to your boiler if my gas safe engineer feels it can be safely done.

in the mean time good luck with everything else.

kind regards
mike

Mandy Thomson

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7:14 AM, 16th March 2017, About 8 years ago

Hi Janet

If your current tenancy agreement is dated on or after 1 October 2015, you have the protection of the Deregulation Act which makes it much more difficult for your landlord to evict you via section 21 if the local authority have put an improvement notice against the property and/or he can't prove he's issued you with an EPC, current gas safety certificate and "How to Rent" guide.

I strongly advise you from now on to keep hard evidence of every communication with the landlord and any tradesperson that either of you consult, as you may later need the evidence to defend yourself against eviction or to prosecute the landlord for disrepair. If you can't communicate via email or post, at least try to follow up and reinforce any verbal communication with email or text.

Far from ideal I know, but have you tried suggesting to the landlord that you get the boiler repaired or replaced yourself, but you will deduct a cost from the monthly rent until this is paid off, plus a small amount of interest, say 8%? This way, he still gets most of his rent, and you get working hot water. Again, make sure your landlord agrees to this in writing. If the problem is he's stalling because he can't afford it, this might be a way out for both of you. However, if he is a rogue landlord, this won't work.

Janet Carter

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12:57 PM, 16th March 2017, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mike " at "16/03/2017 - 01:34":

Hi Mike,

I appreciate your offer very much, but I've just had a look at your member profile and see you're in London. Unfortunately, I'm near Edinburgh, so out of the question.

I have made up my mind today that I must move out. It's a sad end to a tenancy that has spanned nearly 20 years, but I cannot accept this situation anymore.

Thank you all for your advice.

Regards Janet

H B

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21:43 PM, 28th March 2017, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Janet Carter" at "16/03/2017 - 12:57":

Do not pay any more rent. He is in breach of contract.

Daisy D

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17:45 PM, 30th March 2017, About 8 years ago

Hi Janet,

I have just noted you are in Scotland, so quite a lot of the advice on here does not apply.

Firstly your Landlord should be registered check https://www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk/

And secondly contact https://www.housingandpropertychamber.scot/ who will take your complaint seriously.

Here is a link to the repair reporting form:- https://www.housingandpropertychamber.scot/sites/default/files/documents/REPAIRS%20APPLICATION%20FORM%20CHAMBER.pdf

Shelter and CAB should know this information and should have directed you to the housing and property chamber (formerly private rented housing panel) at first contact.

Hope this helps

Daisy

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