9 months with crap heating and water

[sosii]

Paid deposit and moved in June, 1st occupant in a Barratt developement. Lovely house, great area, close to my work.

In first 2 weeks we reported problems, with heating, to get hot water at all heating had to be constantly on (with all radiators turned off as was summer), internal doors not closing and numerous little stuff. Was told by landlord to put it all on the snagging list. Other residents in the street tell us that the boilers are the same ones used in Barratts 2 or 3 bed houses and should not be in a 4/5 bed at all.

 

The heating and water however... That's where the fun started, we have three chirldren and this is what is PI***NG us off. Plumber came out in August, we were not notified and were out. September plumber finally came back and told us it was the thermostat on the boiler or a faulty restart button. Told us an electrician would have to check it. Plumber contacted Barret to arrange this. Electrician came two days later and said "YES it's an electrical fault, but it will have to be a plumber who does the work". We waited over a month and then something worse happened.

 

October the 19th, not a day I'm ever going to forget. Our girls are having a bath, we take the plug out and let the water out of the tub. Everything is fine until a fountain of raw sewage is spewed out of our kitchen sink. My landlord was great, within half and hour he was at the door with rods to clear the blockage. It took the two of us nearly an hour in the dark but we found the cause, Barratt had left a bladder used for testing in the pipes. So the linolium, plinths, kitchen appliances, utensils, ruined clothing, trainers, towels... the list is huge. Barratt said they'd square it all through the insurance, but I went nuts at this demanding that they sort it or I would be reporting them to the media. Not on MY insurance, the premiums go up all the time as it is. Unsanitary, unlivable conditions with 3 kids and a pregnant wife? They'd have a field day and so Barratt has agreed to my demands.

 

We waited, summer was going and we were starting to worry. Further calls to my landlord and Barratt customer services netted no results. Plumbers needed a part number, Barratt forgot us when the person dealing with us left the company etc. Pathetic excuse after another. Would it be done before Christmas we asked. Yes was the answer.

 

No they did not. Then the lino and thermostat were supposedly fixed in late January. The job on the lino is shocking and now the heating is even more unpredictable. The kitchen is unfinished. We have had to move one of our children into another bedroom as the one above the garage is just uninhabitably cold.

 

Throughout all this my rent is unchanged (rather a bit overpriced £900pcm) and my sister assures me we can do something about this. We have struggled through the semi-winter and are really hacked off. We love the house (bar problems) and our eldest is settled in her school. We're worried about rocking the boat too much as original lease was 6 months followed by a month to month agreement with a 2 month notice period.

 

Where do we stand, Barratt are useless. One of our neighbours has even went to their solicitor to get a resolution.

[sosii]

* bumb *

[Joa]

sosii; sorry that nobody took up your query for a long time. It is a messy, unlovely issue- disrepairs, compensation, danger of losing the tenancy.

You have made a valid point : "We're worried about rocking the boat too much"- you have not got much security if the landlord gets hacked off and seeks possession.

My opinion is: negotiate small rent reduction to compensate you for the trouble but from the "landlord's goodwill" point- not "I've got rights, you know!" point. Yes, you do have right to be compensated for the breach of contract (disrepairs and quiet enjoyment) but these rights will not help you to stay in your home if you put the landlord's back up.

Your contract is with the landlord, not Barrats, all you can do with Barrats is not encourage the landlord to sue them.

[sosii]

Thanks Joa, have taken on board what you said and have started the ball rolling. Plumber AND electrician coming tomorrow to fix it once and for all. My landlords last property manager has had problems and had to leave his employ so he is taking it all on himself to solve ALL my problems. Seems there was a miscomunicationin january, I told them the problem was even worse but what they heard was problem solved and closed the work order.

 

Waiting to see about Barratt, we lost more than just pots and pans. Peace of mind, wife got pneumonia and I had to take unpaid leave for this in the run up to christmas etc.

 

Anyone know how I could tackle that one?

[Joa]

all you can do with Barrats is not encourage the landlord to sue them.

 

OOOPS, what I really meant was all you can do with Barrats is to encourage the landlord to sue them.

Sorry!

 

Anyone know how I could tackle that one?

in my opinion there are few things that you can do, none of them with very much clout, i am afraid: offer to help the landlord in recouping his costs from Barrats (you can direct him to this website, for example!), you can contact professional association of builders etc, to which Barrat probably belongs, contact local newspapers and environmental health office. Gather all evidence of damages and health problems.

You must realise that the last thing you need is to put your landlord's back up-your ultimate goal is to stay in your home, so explain carefully your actions to your l/lord and try to get him on board.

[MattyH]

My thoughts:

 

1. Barratts are a member of the NHBC (National House Builders Council) and as such the council offer a 10 year guarentee to all of their properties, which I assume is how they are paying for the work. They have various registration numbers depending on the county. check at: https://secure.nhbc.co.uk/BuilderRegister/BuilderRegister/search.jsp?nhbcsite=consumer
   I'd certainly complain through your landlord to them.
   
2. See if the landlord would consider going to the local papers etc, as Joa suggested.

Unfortunately your somewhat in the hands of your landlord on this one, as it is his house, and as Joa and others have said, if you rock the boat too much with him, he'll just evict you. To be fair I think the landlord has been very good with you, and he could not have expected/predicted all the problems you have had with a brand new house.

 

Barratts had major problems a few years ago with shoddy workmanship etc but I thought all the problems had been resolved.

 

Matt