UK Housing Rules and Heating

Just to get some of your thoughts on this, I appologise in advance but I really could do with some other opinons here.

OK, I rent a small bedsit from a property management company, Hadley and Co. When I moved in, I was provided with a small space heater and told there was no central heating system. When I moved in it was the summer so the lack of heating wasn't really that big of an issue.

However, the winter came in thick and fast and I found my heater didn't work efficiently at all, this thing drained my electric and heated around 6 inches around where it was placed. I often went in to see if I could be provided with a new one and told that it would be looked in to. It never was.

As a result, I developed pnuemonia, which has worsened my asthma and possibly caused some scarring in my lungs. Now my questions are:

1. Are there any legal requirements for adequete heating within a property considered for human inhabitation?

2. Is there any legal action I can be taking against my housing people, as I have been paying £270 a month for a home which they have done nothing to improve the situation?

3. What does everyone else think of this situation?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope to hear back soon.

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Go to your local council and speak to there Housing Department. Ask them to carry out a Housing Health and Safety Rating System inspection under the Housing Act 2004. Tell them who you are renting from. Explain you have asthma and the effects having this type of heating on your health (you will probably be classed as being in a vulnerable group. It will probably come up as a category 1 hazard which will require a notice to be served on the management company.

You are probably also in fuel poverty and may be able to access a grant of some form from the council. Not all councils have the funds for this... so this may vary depending on the area you live in.

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HI

I have just been to the DirectGov web site about your problem with the insuffienct heating within your bedsit. Your landlord is obliged to make sure that the properties he rents out include adequate heating arrangements. You can ask your landlord to rectify the situation, if they do not, then you can contact your local council and speak to the Environmental Health Department, they can then carry out a review of your heating arrangements and and insist that your Landlord sorts out this issue. Hope this information is of benefit.

Katina

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thank you both for your replies, have looked up directgov and have found it to be a useful resource. I really hope we can get this sorted on a cival level rather than go through the hassle of legal action.

I don't care about any compensation or personal gain, but it does worry me when landlords cut corners. I'm only 21, young enough to bounce back to a degree, but someone who is elderly or more frail for any other reason may not bounce back and it worries me how many others are in the same situation.

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Just an update here really, have looked up on some articles and have found that it is my right as a tenant to adequete heating. Going to go and see the housing people first and see if i can get this sorted at thier level, then I shall be going on to environmental health as well as applying for new housing.

what a hassle!