boiler dead and snow is forecast...

**oracleslave** · 31 December 2009, 11:11

What's that smell

Hang on, has HAB got a spare room? You might be in time to join him for his weekly bath.

**Doggy Styles** · 31 December 2009, 11:14

Originally posted by Boudica View Post

i'm not sure i can cope for four days with no shower...

Pah! In my day we had to bath in the kitchen sink, in water boiled on the cooker.

**SantaClaus** · 31 December 2009, 11:19

http://www.theplumbingacademy.co.uk/Home.aspx

Sorry I cant be of more help!

**Diver** · 31 December 2009, 11:32

Under the 1985 Housing Act - Section 10 "Fitness for Human Habitation" it states:

Fitness for human habitation.In determining for the purposes of this Act whether a house is unfit for human habitation, regard shall be had to its condition in respect of the following matters—

repair,
stability,
freedom from damp,
internal arrangement,
natural lighting,
ventilation,
water supply,
drainage and sanitary conveniences,
facilities for preparation and cooking of food and for the disposal of waste water;

- and the house shall be regarded as unfit for human habitation if, and only if, it is so far defective in one or more of those matters that it is not reasonably suitable for occupation in that condition.

It says nothing whatsoever about Heating.

Provision of Heating is Not covered under the Housing act unfortunately.

I'm afraid that there is no letter of law that obliges the Landlord to provide you with heating

However there should be something under the "Fit for Habitation" regulations in the Housing Act 2004. Housing, Health and Safety Rating System or HHSRS, should you wish to pursue the matter with the Landlord, but I would check with a solicitor first.

I would simply ask the landlord to provide you with some heaters until the system is repaired.

As a landlord myself, I personally would have no problem with providing my tenants with temporary heating, or temporary accommodation until repairs were carried out.

**Platypus** · 31 December 2009, 11:34

I can only suggest you get the landlord down to Argos pronto to buy some more electric heaters.

If the boiler can't be replaced until Monday, can an electric immersion heater be installed in the hot water tank?

**Boudica** · 31 December 2009, 11:35

thanks for your help mr diver & mr platypus, it's as i feared! i guess the agent knows this

landlord is away, i'm dealing with the dreadful agent who won't even answer the phone or return calls!!!

**sunnysan** · 31 December 2009, 11:40

Boiler

Originally posted by Boudica View Post

hello everyone

i'd be grateful for some experiences/opinions...i'm in a rented flat without double glazing and the boiler has died. the letting agents have arranged for a heating 'engineer' to turn up sometime today, they have already told me on the phone that if the boiler needs replacing it couldn't happen untill monday at the earliest.

i'm wondering if the boiler can't be fixed what am i entitled to do eg. go to a hotel or something, i have a small electric heater, but it's about 15 degrees in here today and i have a horrid flu and i'm not sure i can cope for four days with no shower...

I assume you do not want to foot the bill for the hotel so it may be worth signalling your intentions to stay in a hotel with your letting agent as if the landlord is insured he may be able to put in a claim for your hotel while the boiler is dead. I am not sure if it will wash but no heating in Winter may constitute uninhabitability but I think this is a long shot.

AFAIK some "home and contents " cover may cover this sort of thing as well so you may be able to claim it back from your own insurance if you have it, but once again it is down to whether not having hot water and heating makes your flat uninhabitable according to the definition of insurers.

Then again fan heaters are quite good at warming a place up so you may want to bathe at a mates and just stick it out, rather than staring at a ceiling of a manky hotel for 4 days.

**SueEllen** · 31 December 2009, 11:46

You are entitled to get alternative heaters off the landlord and that's about it.

All the law states is that repairs have to be done in a reasonable time so due to the bank holiday and weekend, 4 days is reasonable.

In addition all the landlord has to do is provide you with the means to heat the accommodation. There is no legal temperature guide. So the fact that you have an electric heater and a kettle for this emergency situation means the landlord could argue that you have adequate heating and hot water for this emergency.

Anything else is up to the discretion of the landlord so you need to get them agree to give you a rent reduction for any extra costs you may have if you are using electric heaters.

Most landlords if they have got to the point of having to provide the tenant with alternative accommodation such as if there is a fire or a major water leak, will agree to allow the contract to be broken without any penalties on your behalf.

Personally when I rented and my boiler broke over Xmas I went and visited family and friends. Even though I was offered an electric heater by the landlord as I had to wait 5 days for the part to come in and then another day for it to be fixed. I also had the advantage that I got other people to cook for me for 5 days.

**VectraMan** · 31 December 2009, 11:46

I had much the same thing once over Christmas week. I think I just stuck it out and let myself get smelly.

Boil lots of water on the stove, put it in a jug and use that to wash. It's what people used to do in the olden days.

boiler dead and snow is forecast...