Heating is broken again! - What to do now?

seanynova

hi,

just wondering if anyone here would be in the know regarding this,

live in a rented apt, lived here almost a year, in a ghost apt block! (well, one block is finished, the other is not complete, and has being lying idle for quiet a while now....the developmer seamingly owes over 230million! by news reports)

but the heating(gas boiler) has brooken in the apt around 4-5 times since sept, everytime the hot water/heating wont work but in the last 2 weeks its brooken twice and the heating is not working!!!

is there anything that can be done regaiding, getting this resolved permanently? should we be compensated for these inconvienences?

any advice?
Thanks

odds_on

Your Landlord is obliged to provide and maintain in good working order, a facility for heating:
Every room used, or intended for use, by the tenant of the house as a habitable room shall contain:
(a) a permanently fixed appliance or appliances capable of providing effective heating,
(b) suitable and adequate facilities for the safe and effective removal of fumes and other products of combustion to the external air.

If the heating system (central heating) has broken down then the landlord should supply an alternative by way of temporary heaters for each and every habitable room.
This is especially important considering the present weather conditions.

Contact your landlord - again and advise him of his obligations - this is not something to be done tommorrow or next week - this is an emergency.
If the landlord does not respond immediately, notify him in writing (for proof, if necessary at a later date) that you will purchase a number of heaters (one for each room) and deduct the cost from the next rental payment.

OS119

personally i'd leave - whilst you'd certainly be within your rights to take the action outlined above, you'd also be within your rights to find somewhere else to live.

if you live in a ghost block where the developer effectively no longer exists you're just going to face more and more of these issues - stuff is going to go wrong and no one will fix it (sticking heaters/oil-filled radiators in your place because the heating has packed up isn't fixing it, its staving off hypothermia and cluttering up your flat) - my own view would be to leave asap.

if your LL has broken the lease sufficiently for you to be able to deduct money from the rent to pay for things he should be supplying, he's broken the lease sufficiently for you to leave with no notice.

edellc

http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,19428,en.pdf

requirements of what a rented property should supply

like the other replies, tell LL it needs fixing now or you are going to have to hire some one to fix it and deduct from rent (see how fast he moves when he is getting no money but make sure you keep receipts)
or move either way he looses why are LL idiots

seanynova

cheers for the info, i guess at this stage we dont really want to move out, although lease is up soon, so if the rent doesnt come down then we might move anyway....but until then regardless of the issues with the place (and the heating is just one of a few!) its prob just as handy for us to stay here until next summer anyway....

ill request a heater etc tomorrow if the heating isnt fixed, but its only a short term solution. one thing is being within my rights to request this....but is there any way the LL can chuck us out when the lease is up, as he might be sick of our complaints/demands??? even "IF" we dont want to move....

all that said its freezing in here now!!!

Graces7

The heating is part of the rent?

Halogen heaters are cheap. At present the vital thing is to keep warm.

OS119

Graces7 wrote: »

The heating is part of the rent?

the ability to heat is a fundamental legal requirement of renting - its like having a roof and walls.

a rental property needs the ability to be heated in the same way that a hire car company needs insurance or a resturant needs food hygene certificates - unless they have those basics they don't get to play.

Wisco

Interesting link, thanks for providing that.
I see (according to that article) they have to provide running water as well- I've been without water since Tuesday- do I have any recourse? For example, do I not pay for the week that I have no water (I've been staying elsewhere as I do view toilets and showers as necessities!!)?
Sorry for hijacking the thread and thanks in advance for replies.