My flatmate and I received the keys to our flat on 4th October and we moved in gradually (bit by bit with the car) over the next three or four weeks and we actually started living there at the beginning of November.
Each time I put the heating or hot water on, there was a gassy smell but not being familiar with gas boilers I thought that perhaps a slight smell was normal. On 7th November, however, when I put the boiler on I noticed that there was actually a draught coming up from where the boiler was under the worktop. There was also a very strong smell of gas when I opened the boiler cupboard door.
I called the gas emergency service, who disconnected the boiler and turned the gas off. It turns out that the front of the boiler was not on properly (a clip is loose or broken at the top) and fumes were escaping from all around two sides.
This was on the 7th, so over a fortnight ago. I understand that it takes time to repair such things and I would not expect it to have been repaired within this time, but almost nothing has been done.
I phoned our agency contact (technically the landlord, as the contract is with them) immediately that evening and he told me to tell the gas man he uses and to arrange for him to visit.
My partner contacted the gas man but he said that he had to have permission from the landlord before doing anything. I phoned the agency contact, who said they would speak to the landlord. I heard nothing for a week so I phoned the agency contact back, who said that he'd spoken to the gas man and he had asked him to phone me but he would ask him again. I waited a couple of working days and heard nothing so I phoned the gas man this morning and he asked me whether I was available today. I am working a late shift today so I said I would be available until midday. He said he would be there.
I waited in all morning (even though I have a lot to do) and he didn't turn up; he didn't even bother phoning me. At 12:00 I phoned him to say that I was leaving for work and he asked me whether I would be in this evening. I said I wouldn't be but my flatmate might be. He asked me to text him my flatmate's number so he could phone him. I did but my flatmate hasn't heard anything from him.
I tried phoning him just now to see whether I could arrange for him to come on Thursday but he rejected the call.
The trouble is, I think he will keep doing this because he was supposed to come to connect the cooker and give a gas safety certificate on the morning of the first day of the tenancy and my flatmate waited in all day in a cold flat with nothing but a chair, only for him to arrive at about seven in the evening (if I remember correctly). (Incidently, no certificate has been issued: the gas man said the flat was safe but he said he may as well wait until the cooker has been fitted before issuing it. The cooker couldn't be fitted because, he said, it was a high-level cooker in a space for a low-level cooker.)
My question here is: shouldn't the agency be arranging all this and waiting in for the gas man or is it our responsibility? And if it is our responsibility, can we insist on using a different gas man? We do not have all this time to waste!
Also, has this been a reasonable amount of time so far? I don't mean 'should a boiler take over a fortnight to repair?', I mean 'should it take over a fortnight before the boiler is even looked at?'.
Many thanks in advance for any help. Winter is almost here and we need some hot water!
Each time I put the heating or hot water on, there was a gassy smell but not being familiar with gas boilers I thought that perhaps a slight smell was normal. On 7th November, however, when I put the boiler on I noticed that there was actually a draught coming up from where the boiler was under the worktop. There was also a very strong smell of gas when I opened the boiler cupboard door.
I called the gas emergency service, who disconnected the boiler and turned the gas off. It turns out that the front of the boiler was not on properly (a clip is loose or broken at the top) and fumes were escaping from all around two sides.
This was on the 7th, so over a fortnight ago. I understand that it takes time to repair such things and I would not expect it to have been repaired within this time, but almost nothing has been done.
I phoned our agency contact (technically the landlord, as the contract is with them) immediately that evening and he told me to tell the gas man he uses and to arrange for him to visit.
My partner contacted the gas man but he said that he had to have permission from the landlord before doing anything. I phoned the agency contact, who said they would speak to the landlord. I heard nothing for a week so I phoned the agency contact back, who said that he'd spoken to the gas man and he had asked him to phone me but he would ask him again. I waited a couple of working days and heard nothing so I phoned the gas man this morning and he asked me whether I was available today. I am working a late shift today so I said I would be available until midday. He said he would be there.
I waited in all morning (even though I have a lot to do) and he didn't turn up; he didn't even bother phoning me. At 12:00 I phoned him to say that I was leaving for work and he asked me whether I would be in this evening. I said I wouldn't be but my flatmate might be. He asked me to text him my flatmate's number so he could phone him. I did but my flatmate hasn't heard anything from him.
I tried phoning him just now to see whether I could arrange for him to come on Thursday but he rejected the call.
The trouble is, I think he will keep doing this because he was supposed to come to connect the cooker and give a gas safety certificate on the morning of the first day of the tenancy and my flatmate waited in all day in a cold flat with nothing but a chair, only for him to arrive at about seven in the evening (if I remember correctly). (Incidently, no certificate has been issued: the gas man said the flat was safe but he said he may as well wait until the cooker has been fitted before issuing it. The cooker couldn't be fitted because, he said, it was a high-level cooker in a space for a low-level cooker.)
My question here is: shouldn't the agency be arranging all this and waiting in for the gas man or is it our responsibility? And if it is our responsibility, can we insist on using a different gas man? We do not have all this time to waste!
Also, has this been a reasonable amount of time so far? I don't mean 'should a boiler take over a fortnight to repair?', I mean 'should it take over a fortnight before the boiler is even looked at?'.
Many thanks in advance for any help. Winter is almost here and we need some hot water!