Locked out and blamed for leak
AN angry tenant is fuming over a dangerous boiler and an even dodgier landlord.
I receive many letters about nightmare owners but few compare to the one who rented out a twobedroom home to a reader called Steve for £695 a month.
He did the deal directly with the landlord and all seemed fine. There was a written tenancy agreement and Steve was promised his deposit would be put in a deposit protection scheme.
The house appeared clean, tidy and in a good state of repair.
But looks can be deceptive, as Steve found out only two days into his 24- month tenancy, which started on February 1.
Condemned
He smelled gas throughout the house so phoned the landlord, who directed him to call a emergency gas number.
Within a few hours an engineer confirmed that not only was there a gas leak but there were also high levels of carbon monoxide.
The boiler was condemned and the gas supply switched off.
The engineer also said part of the problem was that the boiler had been installed by a novice, not a gas safe registered engineer. Steve immediately told the landlord who said it nonsense but assured him he would deal with it.
Steve agreed to vacate the property, in Berkshire, for seven days so it could be dealt with. The landlord promised he would ensure Steve could then move back in.
After two days came the real kick in the teeth. Steve went back to the house to see if a new boiler was being installed and found the the locks had been changed.
The landlord told Steve he was evicted and accused him of tampering with the boiler and causing thousands of pounds of damage.
Later that day Steve received a l etter stating county court proceedings were being taken against him by the landlord, who was claiming £6,000 from him. The landlord is clearly dreaming if he thinks that a court will find in his favour. The law is clear, landlords must keep the property safe and free from health hazards.
They must also make sure gas equipment is safely installed and maintained by a gas safe registered engineer, who should carry out annual safety check.
Tenants should always ask to see a record of this before signing a tenancy agreement.
Steve does not have to worry about this claim. It is he who has a claim against the landlord, who has broken every rule in the book.