Defective Heating and Electrical Issues
One of the last things you want as a tenant is to find your rented property is freezing cold because the heating does not work, or has an electrical fault that needs fixing. Fortunately, it is your landlord’s responsibility to get these things fixed.
The Landlord’s Responsibilities
Under the Landlord and Tenants Act 1985, the landlord is responsible for keeping in repair and proper working order installations for the supply of gas and electricity, and space heating and water heating. There are also requirements under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 which confer a statutory duty on landlords to ensure electrical equipment is kept in a safe condition. As these are statutory requirements, the landlord cannot get out of these obligations no matter what the tenancy agreement says.
Steps to Take
If the heating stops working or there is an electrical fault, contact your landlord immediately. Keep records of the notices you give the landlord and how he or she responds. Some electrical faults are extremely hazardous. The landlord should tell you when the repairs are expected to be done. Most work needs to be done by a qualified electrician, not your landlord. If the house is still safe to live in, you will have to keep paying rent while waiting for the work to be done.
If the fault means the house is in a state that might be harmful to your health and the landlord does not carry out the repairs, this may be a statutory nuisance covered by the Environmental Protection Act 1990. If this is the case, you can either contact your local authority and they will investigate or you can apply for a court order in the Magistrates Court to stop the nuisance.
Our Role
Faults with heating or electricity can cause a lot of worry, especially if you are concerned about their impact on the health and safety of you and your family. Please contact us if you are having issues with these matters and your landlord is not taking any actions to resolve the problem.
To talk to us about defective heating or electrical issues, please call our Bayswater office on freephone 0800 524 4709 to make an appointment or fill in our contact form.
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