One of the joys of living in rented accommodation is that when things break you don’t have to pay for them to get fixed. One of the joys of owning ones own home, I gather, is that when something breaks you can make sure it gets fixed quickly and effectively.
At 8 o’clock this morning there was a rap at the door and in walks a CORGI engineer for our annual gas appliance inspection. The landlord is required to have our gas checked every twelve months, as a condition of the rent. For once – and I do believe this is the first time this has happened – the landlord sent a guy who was not only properly qualified, but also competent. Unfortunately, this backfired as he found two illegally installed appliances (cooker, boiler), one illegal pipe (gas fire removed – pipe not capped), and a gas leak. A sodding gas leak.
So naturally, he had to shut the gas off. Immediately.
In this apartment, gas is king. It runs the hot water, the central heading system, and the cooker. Sorry, I should say it ran the hot water, central heading and the cooker. Now it does nothing while we freeze our butts off waiting for the gas men to return in the morning and decimate our polished wooden floors with their greasy circular saws in the hope of finding a pipe join that’s not quite doing its job.
So this evening, in the dead of winter and with no heating, Rachel and I have been clearing furniture ready for the gas men. And tonight, while you sleep, we shall not. And we rent so stuff like this isn’t our problem – but it never works out that way.
Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do.
Comments
Not that it helps when you’re cold, but many local gov’ts allow the tenant to deduct a reasonable amount from the rent due to degraded living conditions. Of course your specific location will determine what you can get a way with, and how you would go about doing this. Most include a provision where you have to inform the landlord in writing.
Otherwise, I guess you’re an episode in Rising Damp. :-)
Here in America I have the right to blow myself up, electricute myself, or just cut off a limb. Man, I love this country!
I say until things are fixed, get yourself to the pub, and send the landlord the tab.
You know those snow flurries we had a week or so ago? Well, guess when our gasman turned up to fit the new boiler..? Yep, got it in one.
Personally, I can live without heating short term, even with a 15-month-old in the house. But no hot water? “No a chuffin’ chance, mate – you stay here ‘til it’s fixed and running, or you can explain it to the baby!” She loves “bath!” you see.
Hope it’s fixed up for you double-quick; we got by using a couple of cheap-ish (£30?) thermostatic heaters from Argos.