Do I have a right to ask my landlord for money off this week's rent?

Question

My boiler has been broken for 3 days now, meaning no heating or hot water. The landlord has been helping me get on the case of the engineers to fix it, but as always the engineers are taking their time, they're waiting to get a part in etc. Hopefully it should be sorted by tomorrow.
Do I have a right to ask my landlord for some money off this month's rent? Even thought it is not particularly his fault and he has tried getting onto the engineers?
Don't know if i'm being cheeky or not?!

Answer 1

You don't have a "right". You can ask your landlord nicely if he would consider knocking a bit off the rent as a result of the problem. Then it just depends if he wants to or not...my old landlord gave us all (five in a house) the whole week for free when we had to go 4 days with no heating, cost him £250 in lost rent.

Answer 2

I have worked for years in property management and I would recommend that you keep note of the dates, problems etc.
A property is legally (in most countries) let with all of the equipment such as boilers in working order, therefore, it is the landlords responsibility to repair these damages in a reasonable period so it may continue to provide the services that you had originally let. Anything over 5 working days is not reasonable in this case.

You could ask the landlord for a discount, calculate how much it is per day to rent the property and request the discount based on the days the boiler has been out of service.

I must warn you though, that it is highly unlikely that he/she will be obliged to offer you a discount. If you like the house, I recommend you don't request a discount. I have seen first-hand how nasty a landlord can become if they think they have scammers living in their house. Best avoid that one, believe me.

Answer 3

Yes u do...
HABITABILITY AND REPAIRS

WARRANTY OF HABITABILITY

Tenants are entitled to a livable, safe and sanitary apartment. Lease provisions inconsistent with this right are illegal. Failure to provide heat or hot water on a regular basis, or to rid an apartment of insect infestation are examples of a violation of this warranty. Public areas of the building are also covered by the warranty of habitability. The warranty of habitability also applies to cooperative apartments, but not to condominiums. Any uninhabitable condition caused by the tenant or persons under his direction or control does not constitute a breach of the warranty of habitability. In such a case, it is the responsibility of the tenant to remedy the condition. (Real Property Law §235-b)

If a landlord breaches the warranty, the tenant may sue for a rent reduction. The tenant may also withhold rent, but in response, the landlord may sue the tenant for non-payment of rent. In such a case, the tenant may countersue for breach of the warranty.

Rent reductions may be ordered if a court finds that the landlord violated the warranty of habitability. The reduction is computed by subtracting from the actual rent the estimated value of the apartment without the essential services.

A landlord's liability for damages is limited when the failure to provide services is the result of a union-wide building workers' strike. However, a court may award damages to a tenant equal to a share of the landlord's net savings because of the strike. Landlords will be liable for lack of services caused by a strike when they have not made a good faith attempt, where practicable, to provide services.

In emergencies, tenants may make necessary repairs and deduct reasonable repair costs from the rent. For example, when a landlord has been notified that a door lock is broken and willfully neglects to repair it, the tenant may hire a locksmith and deduct the cost from the rent. Tenants should keep receipts for such repairs.

Answer 4

This is a problem beyond his control if the engineers are waiting for parts. It would be unfair to ask for money off the rent, but I hope he has made an effort to supply you with some other form of heating at least - free standing heaters or something. I sympathise with you both - landlord and tenant.

Answer 5

You always have the right to ask after all heat is an essential part of what you bargained for. But your request might be better received if it went more to directly solving your problem. After all you do have an ongoing relationship with him and he is trying to resolve the problem. Why not ask your landlord to provide you with some electric space heaters in the interim, or offset your electric bill to some extent if you are already using them. Of course, if the lack of heat is endangering your health, you should ask him to provide hotel accommodations for you until it is fixed. He is most likely insured against this kind of loss.

Answer 6

Since it sounds like the Landlord is really making an effort (and is paying for everything), I would suggest you are being a bit cheeky ...

There is a reason for the saying:-
"Don't bite the hand that feeds you" ..

Answer 7

you can ask but to be truthful i dont think u will get anywhere, please dont withhold any money as this is going to cause alot of problems and may even see you being evicted, check your tenancy agreement throughly and see where you stand. Ultimately your landlord is doing his part so there would be no reason for you to ask for a rent reduction as it is now in the hands of the engineers. Good luck tho

Answer 8

If you've had to go through extraordinary lengths or paid for repairs on your own, it wouldn't hurt to ask. However, the landlord can't control the repair people, though he can chose to use a different company if the one he's using now is too slow. Ask if he'll refund you for rent, but do not withhold it from him.

Answer 9

You're lucky. A lot of landlords would have just shrugged their shoulders and told YOU to pay for a new boiler even though it's THEIR house! I know some really bad ones!

Answer 10

legally it is your landlords responsibility to ensure that things like the boiler are working correctly. However i don't think he has any obligation to give you money off if he has made efforts to get it fixed. Can't hurt to ask though.