The legalities of oil boilers, tanks and solid fuel

[Fiona Gallagher]

Hello. I am not a plumber.

I am tenant my oil boiler hasnt seen a plumber in 3 years and hasnt had the flue cleaned in since I moved in four years ago. My landlord is a local letting agent that rents out quite a large amount of properties in the county. He doesnt shedule any form of maintainance on any oil or solid fuel appliance.

I have rung OFTEC who said contact local building control. Local building control came out yesterday said the tank which breaks Reg J in every direction is outside of the window for action because it was put in more than two years ago and he said the oil boiler wasnt his department. I asked if he could contact the HSE, he said they do gas not oil. i have had environmental health out. He said boilers and electrics weren't what he checked for. I told him the boiler when we used it drank fuel, barely heated the radiators and occasional made smells like an old bus, he said it looked like it would be OK to use!!!!!!!

OK so who, if anyone is reponsible for investigating and prosecuting landlords that rents properties with unsafe non gas heating systems?

Have I been fobbed off or do I need to contact the local MP to get the law changed, because I think my landlord might kill someone sooner or later.

 

[Dotty]

Whereabouts are you kid?

 

[Fiona Gallagher]

Whereabouts are you kid?

I am in tumble in Carmarthenshire. Its about 10 minutes from the end of the M4.

I have pictures but the forum software wasnt letting me post them yesterday

 

[Dotty]

Email them to [email protected].

I'll put them up for you.

 

[P J F PLUMBING]

We cover your area if you want us to take a look

 

[lame plumber]

council environmental health is who chases up properties below standard for occupation. Best you can do is to check your contract, see if your responsible for servicing, has been known, or tell landlord it needs servicing, he has 10 days to comply or youll do it and take it off the rent payment.

 

[Nostrum]

There's no legal requirement for your oil boiler to be checked annually as there is gas. This is because there is no specific regulation covering oil boilers in rental properties.

Of course, the landlord has a responsibility to provide you with safe heating, but normally unfortunately they are only proved to be unsafe when something bad happens.

Without any regulation you are relying on the landlords good will to get the boiler serviced or even checked over. Perhaps just ask nicely?

 

[CXR100]

I am in the middle of doing my oftec in a training centre, shouldn't he provide you with a CD/12 landlord oil installation safety check every 12 months the same as a CP12 gas certificate? , a CD12 cert will cover ventilation, flue termination , combustion , safety controls, and oil storage - supply.

 

[lame plumber]

a responsible land lord with oil appliances will provide the same paperwork and care as a land lord with gas appliances, if they dont and tenants get hurt they wont have a leg to stand on.

 

[basildog]

a responsible land lord with oil appliances will provide the same paperwork and care as a land lord with gas appliances, if they dont and tenants get hurt they wont have a leg to stand on.

Wish I lived in your world ?
Chances are they do not give a toss and trying to find who actually owns the property is probably the next nightmare ?
Yes there are great landlords out there but the bad ones really know how to play the game !

 

[lame plumber]

Wish I lived in your world ?
Chances are they do not give a toss and trying to find who actually owns the property is probably the next nightmare ?
Yes there are great landlords out there but the bad ones really know how to play the game !

soon find out who the landlord is if the rent isnt paid.

 

[SimonG]

Depends what is in the tenancy agreement. Normally servicing is tenants responsibility but repairs are the landlords. Thats the norm round these parts when it comes to oil and solid fuel.

So check your agreement and if repairs are down to the landlord, it can be very easily broken.

 

[Fiona Gallagher]

I am moving out within a fortnight. I dont want the boiler serviced, I want my landlord taken to court and taken out of buisness. The letting company must have over 100 properties in carmarthenshire and cardiganshire.

My contract doesnt say anything about servicing the boiler at all. The law states that a rented property must have provision for the heating of water and space and this provision must be in good working order. This provision is the landlords responcabilty.

Years ago when I was student landlords turned up with vacuum cleaners and gaffa tape to clean gas fires. It is shocking that law wasnt tightened for the 2 million households that dont have gas. If there is no enforcable law, I am going to try make sure there is one. I presume most people here would like things tightened up and in a proper sense, not just you have to pay to somebody to your job, while nothing is done to protect the public.

Failing that there is a local tradition called cyffyl pren where a bunch of trannies with black up faces drag bad landlords into the town square and tie him to a wooden ladder. :45:

 

[Millsy 82]

I am moving out within a fortnight. I dont want the boiler serviced, I want my landlord taken to court and taken out of buisness. The letting company must have over 100 properties in carmarthenshire and cardiganshire.

My contract doesnt say anything about servicing the boiler at all. The law states that a rented property must have provision for the heating of water and space and this provision must be in good working order. This provision is the landlords responcabilty.

Years ago when I was student landlords turned up with vacuum cleaners and gaffa tape to clean gas fires. It is shocking that law wasnt tightened for the 2 million households that dont have gas. If there is no enforcable law, I am going to try make sure there is one. I presume most people here would like things tightened up and in a proper sense, not just you have to pay to somebody to your job, while nothing is done to protect the public.

Failing that there is a local tradition called cyffyl pren where a bunch of trannies with black up faces drag bad landlords into the town square and tie him to a wooden ladder. :45:

If your moving out then I would save wasting your time and effort. As far as I'm aware there are no laws stating that oil boilers must be serviced/ tested every year, it is of course advisable to have any appliance no matter what fuel serviced/ checked annually so more than likely nothing will happen let alone the landlord being taken out of business. Put it down as a bad experience and if you move into another rented property then make sure it is in the tenancy agreement that all appliances be checked and serviced annually but a suitably qualified person (although I think if you started sprouting that a lot of landlords will just move on to another tenant).

Oftec have tried for many years to get it the same as gas safe but they cannot get it passed, if you feel you will be able to then go for it I for one and I'm sure many others on here would like that to be the case.

But why trannies? Although it would be good to watch lol.

 

[Pipes Plumbing]

Oftec have tried for many years to get it the same as gas safe but they cannot get it passed, if you feel you will be able to then go for it I for one and I'm sure many others on here would like that to be the case.

True indeed! If you were staying in the property, I would recommend stumping up for a service and a well written condition report. Use the latter to try and force the landlord / agent into action.
As you are leaving though, I fear that you may have been left in the lurch by a bad landlord / letting agent, without much in the way of comeback to them. By all means try to get changes heard in parliament although you had better be ready for a long and drawn out process with little chance of success.
I for one would really like a standardised set of rules for all fuel burning appliances when it comes to safety in properties.

But why trannies?

Can you think of anything more terrifying?

 

[Fiona Gallagher]

cyffyl pren translates as wooden horse. Like the english morris dancers, the welsh blacked their faces to confere anomnimity, when called to administer community justice. The english tradition was the morris dancers turned with up sticks and at best made alot of noise to embarrass wrong doers. The welsh turned up with a ladder. Womens clothes thing was so you really couldnt recognise who they were and a handful of peeved off rugby players dress in drag is pretty scary. Some how the present legal system of no-win-no fee lawyers and laws that favour the rich has supposed to have made these practises obsolete.

I have emailed my photos to the mod.

How much would a written report cost?

 

[Millsy 82]

I would either ask for a service or just a check and ask for a filled out cd11 and t133 forms. 1 covers the appliance and 1 covers the oil tank. Prices will vary from company to company but try and get someone recommended who is also often registered. (If you put your postcode in on often site it will bring up all the engineers that cover your area.

 

[Dotty]

Fiona's pictures.

20150119_084226_zpsjelsvbcz.jpg Photo by lepista | Photobucket

20141125_105119_zpscle29cdg.jpg Photo by lepista | Photobucket

20150112_085722_zpsyaxhcnmk.jpg Photo by lepista | Photobucket

20150112_085722_zpsyaxhcnmk.jpg Photo by lepista | Photobucket

[DLMURL]http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u152/lepista/20150112_085722_zpsyaxhcnmk.jpg.html[/DLMURL]

20150108_135118_zps04alzu0k.jpg Photo by lepista | Photobucket

 

[Millsy 82]

I would turn it off and get it checked!!!!

 

[Fiona Gallagher]

It is switched off at the point and the tank is empty.

So it is pretty minging?

It is a testament to worster that it has managed to survive no servicing. The tank is a good 18cm from anything. 1.8 m 18cm is same distance when you are out on day release. The scary bit is that I am one of at least a hundred other properties ran by these muppets.

 

[Dotty]

Whatever the outcome is Fiona, I truly hope you continue posting.

You've a fantastic turn of phrase that's making me laugh!

 

[Silent Dancer]

I'd suggest writing a letter to your MP. Unfortunately I think it will require a few fatalities before annual inspections are made compulsory for oil and solid fuel.

 

[lame plumber]

oil and solid fuel dont go boom, folk just sleep to deeply, so not newsworthy.

 

[Millsy 82]

oil and solid fuel dont go boom, folk just sleep to deeply, so not newsworthy.

Sad but true.