Anyone know what to do or what I can do legally? We have been without heating and hot water for three weeks. I want to withhold rent but understand they can then legally chuck you out (which I would mind but the partner and kids might object)

Wrong forum…

Withhold rent, but keep it safe and be prepared to pay it to the landlord, keeping it in a separate account goes a long way to demonstrate this, and write to the landlord informing them of your intentions, and that if no resolution if forthcoming you will contract a repair and it will be paid from the withheld rent…

But tbh I’d be doing that, and looking for somewhere else to live in the meantime, as you will never have a good relationship with them again, and if they want fix heating quickly, they sound like problems

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/repairs-in-rented-housing/disrepair-what-are-your-options-if-you-are-a-private-rented-tenant/withholding-rent-because-of-disrepair/

Having no heating or hot water can be considered hazardous to your health, especially if you have children. You can get the council involved if you want to escalate it:

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/health_and_safety/health_and_safety_assessments_of_rented_homes

If you’re getting no joy from the landlord, and you can’t easily move, then it’s another option for you. Absolutely scandalous that a landlord would leave a family without hot water and heating for that length of time.

Outrageous. Do they work through an agent, if so go them. As above to the council. The deposit holding agency will not allow the landlord to take the rent out of your deposit as a result of this.

Are you dealing with the landlord direct or through a letting agent? I know its unheard of for letting agents to lie through their teeth of course…..

Alternatively you could get the work carried out yourself and get the boiler repairer to invoice the landlord direct.

You can’t legally withold rent, you can however pay for the repairs yourself and deduct the cost from your rent, the net result is the same though.

You’d need to be able to prove that youve been reasonable though, i.e. prove the landlord/agent has failed to act, and the price of the work should be fair, i.e. have more than one quote as evidence.

Obviously be prepared for a soured relationship if you go down this path.

Alternatively you could get the work carried out yourself and get the boiler repairer to invoice the landlord direct.

No way any company or tradesman would accept those terms. They’d be chasing the landlord for the money to kingdom come.

Alternatively you could get the work carried out yourself and get the boiler repairer to invoice the landlord direct.

I’m not sure anyone undertaking work would appreciate being instructed to by one party and left to pursue payment from a second party on the basis that the second party is too tardy and recalcitrant to instruct and pay for the work themselves. You’re asking them to act both as a heating engineer and a debt collector. Its also a bit fraud-y.

If i was the OP I wouldn’t be wasting time, thought or energy on anything other than looking for a new home.

Three weeks is clearly too long. What attempts have been made, and have you got an electric shower and alternative heat sources? Do you know what the actual problem is with the boiler?

Are you dealing with the landlord direct or through a letting agent? I know its unheard of for letting agents to lie through their teeth of course…..

Having now sat on the opposite side of the tenant/landlord fence, I’m going with thick and incompetent. They don’t have the nouce to pull a convincing lie.

If i was the OP I wouldn’t be wasting time, thought or energy on anything other than looking for a new home.

Given the cost of moving house* he could probably replace the entire boiler and probably be in profit.

*EA fees, removal company, delays getting deposits back on the current place

The deposit holding agency will not allow the landlord to take the rent out of your deposit as a result of this.

Yep (assuming your deposit is properly registered) it cannot be used to cover unpaid rent.

Boiler is goosed (been fixed many times before) we have no other source of hot water apart from a kettle. It’s through a letting agent who suggested we get legal advice (which means they know we have no chance of sorting it) Time to walk away I think as they will never get another tenant till it’s sorted. We have another 5 months on the lease but now have a reasonable grounds to leave. Thanks all

It’s through a letting agent

Do you pay them the rent, or directly to the landlord? If it’s them, get them on the case to fix it.

Given the cost of moving house* he could probably replace the entire boiler and probably be in profit.

Theres not satisfaction to be found from giving more of your money to **** though.

We have another 5 months on the lease but now have a reasonable grounds to leave.

Yes it’s petty and vindictive, but I’d make sure quite a lot of the services were goosed before I left.

Wrecker by name, Wrecker by nature 🙂

Do youknow a heating engineer? It’d be worth getting them in to condemn it and isolate it on your way out 😉

If you talk to your agent, will they agree to you repairing it and subtracting the cost from the next rent payable? Then use fixed price repair from BG or similar. Shouldn’t have to be that way though, as you know.

I dont care much what the law says at this point i would be withholding rent and treating the landlord with the contempt they have been treating me.

What they are doing is out of order and they need some instant karma – not quite at Wrecker levels but i would ensure they were as put out by all this as I was.

Walk away and good luck with your new landlord.
But take legal advice on the implications for breaking your tenancy agreement and how to get your deposit returned first.

Good luck – not enough people realise how utterly below standard most rental accommodation is – and landlords and agents.

My LL is well-meaning and finally starting to get stuff sorted but she’s failed to get a whole raft of stuff sorted in my flat – dodgy electrics, troublesome neighbours (flooding my kitchen, and needing to call the Police for various violent antics), no TV signal… all well-below standard when you’re paying full market rent…

Cement down the toilet (if you are in a house) as you leave

A second for get legal advice before you walk out on the lease. If you don’t you could find yourself on the receiving end of a claim for loss of rent etc. You might also find something in the lease to help you.

I wouldn’t suggest breaking anything or cementing it. Sure fire way to end up in trouble.