Tenant insists on gas fire replacement!

Tenant insists on gas fire replacement!

16:40 PM, 18th September 2020, About 4 years ago 23

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Hi, first-time landlady here, hoping for advice. When my tenants moved in 3 years ago there was a gas cooker, fire and central heating. The cooker was old and so when they complained it wasn’t working, I replaced with an electric one. They weren’t happy but agreed.

This cooker needed replacing before the end of the warranty then needed repairing again just out of warranty (faulty thermostat). I admit it wasn’t a great cooker, but was all I could afford. It still gives problems but they seem to accept it. The wife complains but not much I can do.

At the last gas inspection, the gas fitter said the fire was completely unsafe and should not have been passed, ever! It’s switched off now (has been since May) and I intended to replace with electric. Tenant very unhappy, started talking about health problems and listed a number of other complaints. Accused me of profiteering by reducing cost of annual inspections. I replied that if she didn’t want to live in my house she didn’t have to. Would have served eviction notice (threatened to, in fact) but, of course, I’m not allowed because of covid-19 rules.

Currently, stalemate. I don’t want a new gas fire in there. She doesn’t want an electric. Husband is more reasonable, but she is the one with apparent “health problems”.

I need to raise the rent. Can I evict if they refuse to pay increase? Can they force me to replace gas fire?

Sorry, I am a bit new to this and I’m not sure I want to carry on.

There must be less stressful ways to earn a living!

Bidipus


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Comments

Mike

16:21 PM, 3rd October 2020, About 4 years ago

If your gas safe engineer condemned the gas fire , he should have given a reason why, do not buy a new gas fire until it is clear that your flue is not blocked up, or you will simply be wasting money and time, did you ask the gas safe engineer for what reason is the fire unsafe? presumably he has no experience on how to test it or set it up correctly on the gas valve, there is nothing in this world that cannot be repaired if there was enough motivation, many gas safe engineers will simply fail an appliance without checking to see if a minor fault could be repaired using new parts or setting up the correct gas pressure, and allowing for other factors such as permanent ventilation required for open flue appliances , these are tested for spillages using smoke bomb and keeping all doors closed while having all extractor fans in kitchen or bathrooms on. It may be easier for them to just condemn it by giving it a quick look and seeing that since you have central heating why bother with elaborate testing a gas fire requires. Many houses don't use gas fires these days , although i still have mine and I di use it from time to time and do my own spillage testing to make sure no flue gasses can draw back into the house. For this you don't need to be a gas safe registered person to perform a flue and spillage check as longa s you know the method to check, since you are not fumbling with any gas parts or tampering with gas valve etc.

Mike

16:39 PM, 3rd October 2020, About 4 years ago

Not many people know, not all gas safe engineers are licensed to check gas fires, and most cannot check Warm Air Heating systems, they need special training for this, so they will try to talk you out of having them serviced and will tell you to replace them rather than tell you that they are not qualified to check them , so will tell you to replaced with electric gas fires or wet central heating systems, years ago when I first bought my first rental property, I invited a gas safe engineer to give me a landlords safety record, he condemned my Warm Air heating appliance and recommended that I replaced it with a wet central heating using radiators and a combi boiler, this was 1996, but I did not take his words for the truth so I invited another gas safe engineer and he came and promptly checked the appliance and cleaned its dust filter and checked flues etc, spillage, made sure permanent vents were not blocked up, all was fine and that heating unit which was most probably installed around 20 years prior to my buying the property still works brilliantly to date though in 2015 I finally decided to replace it due to pressure from energy performance (EPC ratings.)

To be a landlord we all need some knowledge in everything from Housing Law to gas safety to Fire regulations, .....

paul kaye

17:31 PM, 3rd October 2020, About 4 years ago

Landlords can take action to make the home safer !
If it means capping off gas fires,so be it.
replace with electric,even cookers and hobs.
If the tenants do not like it,well they have the option to move !
NO ONE Will see this action,as anything but protecting your tenants.
End of the day it is your property ! you need to be more firmer and not let tenants dictate to you.As I say they can always leave and rent elswhere.
No court in the land will see it AS ANYTHING BUT PROTECTING THEIR INTERESTS and it is not a court matter anyway ! your house your terms,as long as you do not break the law,like not having boiler serviced and gas certificate etc.What anyone says you can cap off and even remove gas fires and gas cookers and hobs.This government want us all to move away from gas anyway and gas boilers will soon be banned from sale.Don't give in it is YOUR PROPERTY be firm but polite.If there is central heating,one does NOT need a gas fire or even electric for that matter !

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