Flat Issues

Marenghi

I got some issues with my flat and I was wondering what I'm entitled to have my landlady fix.

The immersion tank is set too high so the hot water comes out scalding to the touch. My landlady says this is to compensate for the small tank so you can mix more cold water to less hot for a shower. She said to change the thermostat would require a plumber so she won't do that.
The problem with that is sometimes the cold water supply stops so only hot water comes out.
That's another issue but she says it's a fact of living in a flat. The old supplies are shared across all 9 units so the water might go if someone else is using it or something.

The shower head is also too low for my height and I'm not that tall, I'm only 5'10 or 11 but I have to slighty crouch to get under it. It's a fixed metal head and I'd prefer a removable one but she said it's not possible to change for some reason. She seemed intentionally vague on that.

ProudDUB

OP - I had the exact same problem in my old apt. The hot water came out scalding hot and the cold water wasn't cold. My letting agent was very slow in getting it fixed as it did require a plumber to come out. However, I put my foot down when a guest (that I forgot to warn about it) was badly burnt when they went to wash their hands.

I told the letting agent that the water was a health hazard & that it breached health and safety regulations that as a landlord she is obliged to abide by. I told her that I didn't want to face a law suit for damages, that could impact her too. She soon changed her tune and a plumber came out the next day. It wasn't a big job to fix. The letting agent paid the bill, but I know that it cost less than 200 euros, for parts and labour.

Don't let her fob you off with the fact that you are in a flat or apt. That is irrelevant. You are entitled to live in a home that is not dangerous. As it stands now, the water in your immersion tank is constantly on the boil. If this issue is not fixed, sooner or later it will cause bigger problems that will cost a lot more than just a couple of hundred quid to fix. Tell your landlady that too.

When my plumber was out, he also replaced a fixed shower head with a new one that had a removable head. The old one was knackerd as the gaskets were blown from all the scalding hot water going thru it. The new fixture wasn't expensive. I got it for free as the plumber keeps spares in his van, but it would have only been about 30 quid to buy if I had to. He installed it after he replaced the thermostats. It only took him about 10 mins to remove the old one and install the new one. If your plumber can do both jobs on the same day, that would save a lot of money.

Your land lady should be paying for all this. She can claim them as business expenses/tax deductions too, so its not like she will be majorly out of pocket for the work.