My lad is in his final year at uni.

Last week on Monday he reported a boiler flue leak to his landlords, who inspected, declared it needing repair and turned the heating off.

By today they have still not given him a date for the repair, (it apparently needs a new boiler), and have further failed to supply alternative heating, despite promises. Nor did they "get back to him" on friday when he again complained about cold in the flat.

What are his rights, please?

He spent most of the weekend trying to work on his dissertation wrapped in a quilt, being able to see his breath in his room. No hot water to wash hand or wash up either, but an electric shower in the bathroom, which is also perishing cold inside.

 

What does the contract say? Is there an agent involved or someone between the landlord and your lad? Get someone at the uni to make a fuss. Buy your lad an oil filled electric heater. dl

 

Yeah, agents.
They are poor.
He told them Friday that the maintenance guys said they no longer do heaters because of h and s, she promised to get back to him and didn't.
I've told her I'll buy heaters and knock it off their rent.
Up to them

 

No heating in cold weather is a massive no no for landlords. does he have hot water?

Speak to the council is the next step.

 

O also, make sure its reported in writing to the designated party (agent or LL)

 

If gas ,electric is all included then just get a couple of convection heaters going.
Let the landlord know as he wont wont them blaring all day long that's for sure..!

 

Did he take out insurance and will this cover it?

The students Union can also help if he is a member - they should have a 'welfare' officer who should take on the problem. We had something similar and i think the union paid for the repair to be done straight away and then chased it up from the landlord later.

 

Very sorry to know about your son's plight, Alkazar. You're lucky that he lets you get involved in such matters. Our daughter went through these sort of things by herself and with her house mates. She trouble-shot stuff like that, didn't want us to get involved and survived her Uni.

Does he have house mates to kick off for his support, or other mates he can go to, while the house is cold and freezing? Buy him a heater/oil filled radiator, as David suggests, but until that happens, he can doss with one of his mates and carry on with his homework, I suppose?

 

Speaking as a landlord, and one that has dealt with this very situation, however I do look after my tenants they have a reasonable amount of time to resolve. This gets them out of lots of situations and puts me in bad light, I got a new boiler fitted and working within three days, iirc I had a week to resolve for this kind of issue.
Itmt a temporary solution like heaters would be appropriate

 

After much nagging and them being told we are knocking off one week's rent as the place was/is uninhabitable, they have promised heaters by 5.30, but the boiler can't be done until 07 Dec. They have had to get the Landlord to sign off on it, they are agents for the property, not owners.

They have also promised compensation for the lack of hot water, other than the electric shower.

We shall see

 

Should not need that long to get "sign off".
Its broke then replace it, simple as that.
From a Landlord also...

 

Withhold rent until issue sorted, that tends to grab landlords attention.

 

The maintenance free lk dropped off four heaters last night, so the tenants are happy enough.
I've no idea why it's going to take so long to fit a new boiler.

 

Alcazar, if the boiler is delayed in repair or replacement. My letting agent would take oil heaters around pronto. It's right thing to do

 

Prob find the plumbers are busy, with temp dropping its when you get alot of failures so they are manic.

 

This!

I've never had a problem with a boiler in summer, they always **** up just when you start using them again/ really need them, trying to find a plumber / heating engineer at the begining of winter is like trying to find a white tiger in a snow storm.

 

Yep, I reckon that's it.

I shouldn't have had to get involved but he's in his final year and working very hard, so did it for him. The lass who is manager now knows she was unacceptably late in doing anything.

Let's hope she learns from it.

Now...do I knock them a week off this month's rent, or the final month?

And what do we hold out for as comp for having no hot water for a month?

 

Fire up the boiler once a week in summer so it doesn't **** itself in winter when it gets turned on for the first time in months to have to work hard.

 

This.

Poor maintenance and use by owners....

 

Got a new combi boiler now £2k later so it's always doing something, shame as I prefered the old baxi which wasn't actually that old, and immersion.