compensation for no heating or hot water for 2 weeks in winter?

[jpucng62]

Providing heaters and a cash sum to pay for the extra cost running them will incur might take the sting out of the situation. I cannot imagine being without heating and hot water for 2 weeks!

[L4NDLORD]

slightly off point you might think at first but stay with it.....i was doing up a fairly good flat on third floor of block and found the gas supply pipe had a smaller bore than as required for a modern combi boiler. So we chucked in a conventional system boiler rated at something like 7 or 8 kw and a tank which of course had an electric immersion back up. The finished installation runs trouble free and is an ideal model set up fr a tenant proof property in so far as its unlikely both forms of heating water will go kaput at the same time

[boletus]

[Moderator2]

Can this be pinned and two or three of the more obscure stickies be removed?

I would be willing to make a ‘sticky’ thread of something that was more generalised but authoritative about a landlord’s repairing responsibilities etc. but this thread contains a mix of opinions. And yes, a few of those old stickies can be unstuck.

[Hudson01]

I cannot see how a cash sum from the LL will help her children get a hot bath or wash their hands with hot water......but that aside, the real issue is the lack of a water storage tank, with just a combi boiler if this happens again the tenant will be in the same position. I would provide the extra heaters and say you are doing all you can and to boil kettles for hot water in the sinks for any cups etc, in terms of baths/showers it maybe a trip to the local pool or the charity of friends.

[boletus]

I think a fortnight is reasonable, it's winter and engineers are busy.

Can this be pinned and two or three of the more obscure stickies be removed?

[jpkeates]

It's the landlord's responsibility to provide heating and hot water.
It's not the landlord's fault if something breaks.

But there's a world of difference between responsibility and fault.

Heaters are a reasonable replacement for heat, but hot water is more difficult - particularly with children.
I think a fortnight is reasonable, it's winter and engineers are busy.

I'd be tempted to offer something off the rent or to pay for a hotel room for a night a week, so everyone can have a shower or a bath.

[Aps]

so if you didn’t have heating or hot water for 2 weeks, what would you do?

It happened to me as a tenant for 1 month. I used the kettle and electric heaters and accepted it wasn't the landlord's fault.

[Neelix]

Exactly, that's what I think. Even a home owner would have to wait. Why should tenants be any different? I have done everything possible as quickly as possible.

so if you didn’t have heating or hot water for 2 weeks, what would you do?

[Neelix]

A decent LL would be flexible . No heating or hot water for 2 weeks?

that’s bad

[DoricPixie]

Exactly, that's what I think. Even a home owner would have to wait. Why should tenants be any different? I have done everything possible as quickly as possible.

I guess you'd need to weigh up her legal entitlement to zero versus her as a tenant. For example, a long standing tenant who was relatively unproblematic I might offer something to keep the relationship cordial. If on the other hand the tenant is a pain in the backside I might be more inclined to tell her to jog on.

[Aps]

Have you offered to supply some electric fan heaters - about £20 each

Going to do that now. They have some but Im going to order some more now. Thanks

[Aps]

You just have to carry out the repair in a reasonable time frame and it certainly seems as if you acted as quickly as you could. Legally the tenant is entitled to diddly squat in terms of compensation from what you've described. Presumably she has a kettle so could boil it to get hot water and flannel wash at a sink the same as she would have to do if she were an owner-occupier and it took two weeks for a gas safety engineer to fix/replace a boiler.

Exactly, that's what I think. Even a home owner would have to wait. Why should tenants be any different? I have done everything possible as quickly as possible.

[Aps]

Is there no immersion tank in the property?

Hi, no, no immersion heater. Just the boiler.

[davetg]

Have you offered to supply some electric fan heaters - about £20 each