Plumbing and landlord troubles, what to do?

[CoolFunkMan]

As some of you might know, I've moved into my own flat recently.

 

My plumbing uses a Saniflo system that helps get rid of all the waste that goes down the toilet/sink/etc. Yesterday it wouldn't stop going, then I found that it was pumping everything back up into thhe shower (sorry if that was too much info.)

 

I was told to turn it off and call the plumber, I couldn't use the water in the flat at all. I called the plumber and he said he'd sort it today.

 

However, I called him again today, and he reckons the pipes are frozen and he says, if that's the case, then there's nothing he can do. I also have to pay £80 to call him out. I phoned the landlord and he said that it happened to someone else before and that they used the facilities of a pub up the road. I tried to reason with him, but he said it was "extreme weather conditions and not the landlord's responsibility."

 

So now I'm in a flat, that I'm paying rent for and it's uninhabitable. Surely, if anything goes wrong, it's the landlords responsibility? I know it's due to the weather and not his fault, but if it's happened before shouldn't he have prepared for this issue?

 

If everything's this bad, then I'm going to have to move back to my parent's for the winter. Shouldn't I get some kind of compensation for it?

 

Sorry to rant and everything, but I really have no idea what to do. I don't know where else to turn.

Edited December 20, 2010 by CoolFunkMan

[Diageo]

Our water gets turned off every day after 7PM, because of adverse water conditions. There's a problem with our water pressure whenever the water gets turned off, when it returns only the kitchen sink gets water. Then we have to turn on the water and hold it in the tap tap with our finger so it gets pushed to the bathroom. It doesn't always work however, and it's too much effort.

 

So now I take showers in my friend's house.

 

Our landlord says there's nothing he can do.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

I know nothing of the responsibilities involved, but common sense tells me this isn't fair to any of you.

[Yars Revenge]

I know nothing of the responsibilities involved, but common sense tells me this isn't fair to any of you.

 

My thoughts exactly Dannyboy but is there no larger body or orgaisation who you call who then bounce up and down on landlords or provide help.

For example i think here in the UK if you suspect your landlord is messing you about or not providing adequate repairs with plumbing or gas i think you can call the environmental health who then take a great interest in whats going on and get involved,although even mentioning that you are going to call someone makes the offender suddenly spring to life and get things done.

[CoolFunkMan]

I called the landlord again, and apparently the building it happened in was somewhere else accross the other side of town. I'll look into phoning these organisations though. Thanks for that.

 

Still, things are looking bad right now. I may have to move back into my parents' house for a bit until this weather blows over. Thing is, how long is it meant to last? :/

[Will]

If I'm reading this right noone has actually been round to check out the problem? Just the plumber and the landlord having a guess over the phone? I'd be straight onto the landlord to get a plumber over to have an actual look at it.

 

I'd have a look in your contract as it should give a pretty specific breakdown of the landlords responsibilities in this situation, then take it from there dependent on what it says.

 

It may pay just to get someone in to sort it and then recharge it back to the landlord later.

[Charlie]

No idea what the official script is here; but our landlord has asked us to have the heating on at least once a day to make sure the pipes don't freeze.

[ReZourceman]

Pipe down eh.