Advice on renting cold house

obnicc · 23-02-2015 5:53pm #1

Hi, I'm looking for some advice about tenants rights, or landlords obligations.

We moved into a house in December, and while viewing the house we were told that the fireplace wasn't working and needed to be fixed.

We paid €950 deposit plus €950 first months rent up front, then the week we were due to move in we asked the letting agency to have the landlord organise the hallway carpet cleaned and to find out when the chimney would be fixed.

The day we were due to move in came, we went to the letting agency to sign our lease and they told us that they landlord had gotten someone to look at the chimney and that it was a big job so it would be fixed but not right away.

At the end of December I asked the landlord about the chimney and she said she had no intention of having it fixed and that she was sorry if the letting agency told us otherwise as she made it very clear with them that it is not going to be fixed.

The house is constantly freezing, anyone who comes in comments about how cold it is. We have gas heating, which while on warms the house, not to comfortably warm though, and very quickly once the heating is turned off the house is back to being bitterly cold.

We have a 9 month old baby who is constantly cold, we bought an electric oil heater for the bedroom which helps somewhat but you can feel the cold air near the windows and the walls, the windows look new enough on the house but you can feel draughts coming in.

The attic has very little insulation. We received a gas bill today for just under €600 for December/January, I almost had a heart attack! But I can't have my 8 year old and my 9 month old freezing all the time, I know the house has gas heating but it doesn't hold the Heat whatsoever, do we have any way or getting the landlord to properly insulate the house or anything to help?

Sorry for the long post, and thank you in advance.

Cuddlesworth · 23-02-2015 6:18pm

The Gas heating would be more efficient than the fireplace. And no, you can't insist on a landlord putting insulation in. Thats something most wouldn't even consider for their own homes.

Fratton Fred · 23-02-2015 8:46pm

If you have it in writing from the agent that the chimney was to be fixed, then you have been deliberately mislead and may have the right to terminate the contract.

MarkAnthony · 23-02-2015 11:20pm

Did you inspect the BER cert before moving in?

Moonbeam · 23-02-2015 11:22pm

I was going to ask the same,what is the BER rating?
Is there anything about the chimney on the lease?

the_syco · 24-02-2015 12:09am

First off, the chimney. If you don't use it, but a chimney balloon into it. And even if you do use it, get one anyway, and see if it works out better not using the fireplace.

Secondly, the windows. Do you use all of them? Consider covering the breezy windows with plastic, like the following video, but get heavier plastic, as the stuff they show looks fairly flimsy;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IYuEI6mLRw

xper · 24-02-2015 1:37am

the_syco wrote: »

Secondly, the windows. Do you use all of them? Consider covering the breezy windows with plastic, like the following video, but get heavier plastic, as the stuff they show looks fairly flimsy

The insulation film used in those secondary glazing kits is deliberately flimsy. This is so it tightens up and smooths out easily when you heat it with a hair dryer after sticking it to the window frame. The film itself does not provide the insulation, that is provided by the air trapped between the film and the window pane.
If you have single glazing windows, these kits are actually surprisingly effective without being a substitute for proper double glazing. They will at the very least massively cut down condensation if applied properly and that by itself will reduce heat loss significantly.

MouseTail · 24-02-2015 9:09am

Buy thermal lining for the curtains, cheap enough. if no curtains are provided, buy some, 90*90 will do most windows and can be brought with you when you move.

ted1 · 24-02-2015 9:55am

Are the draughts coming in around the window frames? If so just get a silicon gun and run it around the frames, use draught excluders for the letter box.

600 is pretty high, get the landlord to service the boiler. Did you submit a meter reading? Are you sure that your not paying previous tenants bill aswell. Does the 600 include a deposit to the energy provider?

Chemical Byrne · 24-02-2015 10:23am

If you honestly think an open fire is going to heat the house in any meaningful way you are very much mistaken. An open fire is probably less than 10% efficient with 90% of the heat (and 90% of fuel money) going up the chimney and gone like a fart in the wind.

To be honest you've noone to blame here but yourselves. If you were concerned about having a warm house and reasonable heating bills you should have done your research and requested the BER rating before signing any lease.

You didn't do your due diligence here and now you're reaping the rewards.

If a house has single glazing it should be taken as a given that it is also very poorly insulated unless proven otherwise.

sulli · 24-02-2015 2:29pm

Same thing happened us! Unfortunately the reason we took the house was that it was in the area that we required for creche and family! Its a very old house, draughts coming in everywhere. I just went about draught proofing the entire house. All windows got the draught glazing film,...did make a bit of a difference to be fair but also curtains helped and all doors got the draught foam and the brush strip for the bottom of the doors.

Also looked at what rooms we didn't want heating in...for example our room...we are grand under the blankets so turned the heater off in our room, toilet and kitchen! Brought a small blow heater for kitchen that within 5-10 mins is sufficient enough to heat for length of time we are in there!!! For the babys room, thankfully it was the cosiest room of the house but for extra measure we have a gro egg for temperature reading and have an oil heater on a timer to come on when needs be!!!

best bet would be just buy a cheapo blow heater like this one http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4152174/Trail/searchtext%3EBLOW+HEATER.htm in argos! sorts us right out for a short burst of heat!!! We are quite cosy now in it and our 1 year is flying!

Hopefully the cold weather snap will be coming to an end shortly and you will have no more worries around it!

Advice on renting cold house

Comments