Am I, as a tenant, required to heat my rented house?

Ludups

Just need an answer to this. Like, if water pipes freeze ect. and cause damage am I liable to pay for the damages for not buying oil and heating the entire house?


(I did use 2 eletric heaters btw)

egan007

You could take the view that it's your duty to respect someone elses property.

Daniel S

Yes, you'll cause the place to become damp, and the pipes could freeze. If I was your landlord, you'd have a hard time getting any of your deposit back.

Ludups

mtb_kng wrote: »

Yes, you'll cause the place to become damp, and the pipes could freeze. If I was your landlord, you'd have a hard time getting any of your deposit back.

Aye thats what I thought. Its a sticky situation. One of the tenants( there are three of us) has not given the money for oil that i told him about 2 weeks ago. And thus Me and the other tenant cant afford the minimum of 250 euros worth of oil between us!

Just now the toilets( 2 upstairs 1 down) have stopped working but the kitchen sink is still running!

Its also worth saying that this landlord has not done a tap with the house since day 1, and there are plenty of problems( broken bathroom window, no vent thingy working in the kitchen, no hot water in the kitchen ect.) He has promised to fix these several times but never does.

Ludups

Any help appreciated

djimi

Yes in this weather its up to you to ensure that the pipes dont freeze. Its not the landlords problem if you cant afford oil, but I would suggest that you talk to the landlord and explain the situation to them; maybe they might be able/willing to help in some way.

Cookie_Monster

the pipes will only freeze if they are not insulated properly in the first place so that's the LL problem with them not being suitable for the conditions IMO.

Pkiernan

OP:

read the rems of your lease (assuming you have one). You are MOST LIKELY NOT liable for any consequences of not heating the dwelling.

As to the issues you raise with the LL - keep on him. He is required to maintain the property to minimum habitable standards. You can also call your local Council for advice on the housing standards.

LL's like this upset me know end. I get to my tenants issues as soon as possible, and am always fully compliant with housing standards. I could save a lot of money by being like your LL, but then I couldn't sleep at night.

Pkiernan

Sorry, hit the send button too early.

The following is from a standard Residential Tenancy Agreement, under "Tenant Covenants":

"3.25 To take all reasonable precautions to prevent damage by frost."


This could be interpreted as requiring you to maintain a minimum level of heating. However, the lelvel of heating required to prevent freezing of pipes would be far lower than that to heat the dwelling to a comfortable level.

steven.blanc

Currently your Landlord is at fault, send a request to him/her in writing informing him that all items must be repaired. Regardless in the event of pipes bursting caused by a lack of heating in the unit, you as tenant are liable as the Gent above has just posted! From experience the PRTB has found that tenants not heating their property are liable in the event of a claim made by a Landlord!

Perhaps it would be worth explaining your financial problem to the Landlord. If you were my tenants and you look after the unit and pay the rent on time would have no problem deducting 100 off this months rent

gossipgal08

Some oil companys allow you to set up an accout and pay monthly. See if there is someone in your area who will do that

astrofool

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

the pipes will only freeze if they are not insulated properly in the first place so that's the LL problem with them not being suitable for the conditions IMO.

For insulation to work, there has to be be a source of heat in the system. No matter how well insulated a system is, it can freeze. Most modern boilers have a frost stat to prevent this (kicks in at 5c), but the boiler would need oil to operate.

gaeilgegrinds1

Our pipes are insulated and still froze a week ago, just wondering is that actually not normal? I would have thought oil was a normal enough expense when you move in somewhere though.

Cookie_Monster

astrofool wrote: »

For insulation to work, there has to be be a source of heat in the system. No matter how well insulated a system is, it can freeze. Most modern boilers have a frost stat to prevent this (kicks in at 5c), but the boiler would need oil to operate.

the water at 4c or so is the heat source, as long as you are using water in the house it should never sit long enough to freeze if properly insulated.

TKline

Yes, tenants responsibility.

astrofool

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

the water at 4c or so is the heat source, as long as you are using water in the house it should never sit long enough to freeze if properly insulated.

The central heating system is pretty much a sealed unit (it will top itself up automatically if needed), and only circulates when the heating is being used. It is independent of the water that comes from the taps/toilet, and is left sitting as long as the heating isn't turned on.

planetX

How could it be proved you didn't have the heat on?
I heat my house and the pipes still freeze.