Last Monday night, my window broke in my apartment... The handle has broken and as a result it is jammed wide open. I reported it immediately, yet the man who's job it is to fix it wouldn't...
I called his Manager and she said she'd send experts round to mend it on Tuesday Morning. They never arrived... Text message sent to her regarding a stiff neck from sleeping in a room that's too cold. No reply.
Thursday, snotty letter sent regarding the lax attitude towards my problems with the apartment... (There are a few) yet no avail...
Friday, sent Chris to demand that they come up and sort it... The "gent" who originally refused to help me was ordered up to help, but he only made the window stick out wider... It was re-reported and a man was to be sent out on Saturday...
Saturday - hoorah, a man comes out, but cant fix it... Looks like we need a new window or another "expert".... They'll be coming Monday he says...
Its Monday, its 7pm and I'm sat in a room that is only 15.7 degrees warm. I've been frozen all week, had my sleep disturbed and had a stiff neck every morning...

I can't find any legislation that I can frighten them with on the internet.... Does anyone know what on earth I can do?

BRRRRR!

Looking at the title of the thread, I would say the best answer is 'next to the heater' :hihi:

Can you not just refuse to pay rent until it is fixed, or demand they pay for a hotel for you intil it is sorted? That should make them get a shimmy on!

I don't want to refuse to pay the rent cos you get in serious crap for that lol! The hotel idea is good... But I only stay in the Ritz my dear... lol

This apartment is on the 7th floor, so with heat rising and what not, it tends to average out at 22-23 degrees, which is more than adequate...

Anyway, why should I have to pay to put the heater on when we've only ever had it on once (and that was to test if it worked!!!)

They're having me for a right mug... grr

Try this website here (http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/family_parent/housing/private_sector_tenancies.htm#Repairs) - it is the Citizens' Advice Bureau website and it explains the landlord's responsibilities in respect to repairs.

I am actually a law student and I'm doing my housing law module coursework right now, but I'm too snowed under to answer your problem myself right now - sorry!

But the advice on that site is as good as any. Good Luck with it! :thumbsup:

Thanks isha, the site looks promising although I couldn't find anything relating to a property that is too cold to live in.

I am starting my law degree in september, so from there on after I should be able to sort myself out!

just before i moved up here, i was getting kicked out of my flat in pitsmoor BECAUSE


My heating broke and the council fixed it about 6 times and it kept breaking again just after, i found out all the rest of the flats on the estate had been changed as the old ones wouldnt repair properly (ie mine) i went through to winters without heating and hot water....after the clubs, friends used to come round and we'd be huggled in blankets in the bedroom with a small electric heater on...it was warmer hanging around the peace gardens.

anyway so i refused to pay the council rent, so they took me to court, i moved up here the day before i was due in court

It won't so much come under the property being too cold as the fact that it is the structure ( ie window/external wall) that is in disrepair that will be covered on there.

usually owners have 7 days to repair something, although sometimes this is in the contract, and sometimes not

You should tell them that the rain is coming in and flowing down the inside walls.

They might get a move on if they think the structure of the property is at risk!

I've already told them that there's cracks on the external wall, but they don't care...

They really don't give a monkeys :rant:

Caprice, when one of the main doors into my building broke it was left unrepaired for nearly three weeks. During this time the door was basically propped open - this was in the middle of winter! - and not only could all and sundry wander in without a key, but the draft in my flat was awful. I live on the ground floor and the breeze would literally blow things off my coffee table :o I had my heating on full blast for the duration, but it wasn't until someone walked into the building in the middle of the night one weekend and picked a fight with another tenant that they actually bothered to sort it out... :rant:

Have you read through the contract ? surely there must be something in there stating repair times !!
Give me his number I'll sort him out !!

Originally posted by caprice
I've already told them that there's cracks on the external wall, but they don't care...

They really don't give a monkeys :rant:

Then you must beget yourself a boyfriend and spend your time at his until the problem is fixed!

Close the curtains. :clap:

Patch it up with bin liners as though it was a car window awaiting repair.

Some years ago we had a similar problem.
The advice I was given was to open a bank account in the landlords name and pay rent into this but with- hold book until repairs were done.
It worked but don't know how legal it is now .
good luck :thumbsup:

Originally posted by Deavon
Then you must beget yourself a boyfriend and spend your time at his until the problem is fixed!

I have one... We live together and this is our home that is in disrepair!!!!

Patch it up with bin liners as though it was a car window awaiting repair.

I've done similar... I have the curtains closed (they've been closed a WEEK!) a spare duvet cover stuffed in the gaps and a towel wedged in to keep the cold out... Yet we're still only at 15.7 degrees...

Caprice, when one of the main doors into my building broke it was left unrepaired for nearly three weeks.

My intercom system has been broken for 2 and a half months!!!! How'd you like a lift ride down 7 floors to let in guests!

Try contacting your landlord and telling them that you are going to excercise your right to repair. This gives them 1 week to do the repair, then you get an outside company in and the bill goes to your landlord. t works with the council so I would imagine the same applies to private landlords.

My Mother was a council tennant for years, last place was an old councilflat, no central heating, just two small gas fires, place was always damp, she was afraid to complain as she said the council would be angry with her, well long story/short, i wrote directly to Mrs Thatcher (at that time) from the US,got a reply week later, month later my mom had central heating in, council men asked her if she had anyone working in the council as her name had gone directly to the top of the list.

I've been a Thatcher fan since !

Are you a council tenant, or renting from a private landlord? You do not make this clear, and folk are posting in response to either situation. Very confusing. Can you please clarify who your landlord is - Sheffield Homes or private?

I'm trying to be diplomatic by not mentioning who the landlord is. However, with knowledge of previous posts it wouldn't be too hard to work out who...

I live in a new development in Sheffield and pay to a private and very expensive landlord.

Caprice ,

I have every sympathy with the delays you've put up with and I hope you get some restitution , in the form of rent reduction or something-------but how could you put up with the cold and draughts for a week ! Was it impossible to get something to stop the cold coming in , temporarily ?

p.s.


I read your previous thread about the towel , duvet and so on and it seems odd that they don't keep the cold out better than glass. I'm definitely not , "having a go " because I wouldn't know where to start in a situation like that [ a "z" in D.I.Y.] but don't suffer for their incompetence. Get some good advice on the best way to stop draughts , whilst they sort it out. Also , as someone else said , check with the C.A.B. Used to be in the Central Library , don't know if they still are ?

On Thursday, they'll have had my letter for a week and if its not fixed, then I shall demand to be put up in a hotel, or have rent deducted for every day since the window was broken (9/5/05)... For each day that would cost £15, which already equates to £120... I think that's fair compensation for the cold we've had to put up with.

You wanna calculate your extra fuel bill incurred for this time of year compared to previous years too.

Sue them in a small claims court for the difference. :thumbsup:

UPDATE:
The nights have gotten warmer and we've gotten used to the noise... Yesterday evening, we popped down to the office to confront them (they can't hide from us then lol) and find out exactly whats going off....
We were told that they are coming next week to sort out all the broken bits on our apartment, with the window and intercom having priority... YAY!
They offered to move us to another apartment until it was completed, but I didn't fancy the upheavel cos I've got about 1,500 books and cram packed folders that I need over the next few days lol... So they offered us an alternative, which was 3 months free parking... Which equates to £225! I am quite pleased with the result and look forward to reporting back that our apartment is fixed shortly!

Deleted message, not important.

Message removed, irrelevant due to above user changing his mind lol! Tut Tut!

UPDATE 2: 7 days after my last post...

It's been 18 days since the window broke and a week since they told us that we could have the free parking if we waited until Tuesay to have it repaired.... It is now FRIDAY and it is still broken. AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH! I'm am absolutely fuming, I have a good mind to go round there at 9 when they open and demand that someone comes to see it before 12pm when I get home.
I hate being unreasonable, but I'm getting so mad and they still have not replied to my letter!!! GRRRRRRRRRR! Fuming or what?!

What shall I do now?