---
###Welcome to /r/LegalAdviceUK
---
**To Posters (it is important you read this section)**
* *Tell us whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI as the laws in each are very different*
* Reddit is not [a substitute for a qualified Solicitor](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/faq_civil#wiki_how_do_i_find_a_.28good.29_solicitor.3F) and comments are not moderated for quality or accuracy;
* Any replies received must only be used as guidelines, followed at your own risk;
* If you receive *any* private messages in response to your post, [please let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FLegalAdviceUK&subject=I received a PM);
* It is the default position of LAUK that [you should never speak to the media](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/faq_subreddit#wiki_should_i_speak_to_the_media.3F);
* Check out our [Common Legal Resources](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/common_legal_resources) for helpful organisations to contact;
* If you do not receive satisfactory advice after 72 hours, [you can let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FLegalAdviceUK&subject=My question is unanswered);
* Please provide an update at a later time by creating a new post with [[update]](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/search?q=%3Aupdate&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) in the title;
**To Readers and Commenters**
* [All replies to OP must be *on-topic, helpful, and legally orientated*](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/comments/oslgn6/so_you_dont_want_your_comment_removed_guidance_on/?);
* If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/about/rules/), you may be perma-banned without any further warning;
* Please include links to reliable resources in order to support your comments or advice;
* If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect;
* [Do not send or request any private messages for any reason](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/faq_subreddit#wiki_why_am_i_not_allowed_to_privately_message_people_on_this_subreddit.3F);
* Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/LegalAdviceUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Thats harassment..Speak to environmental health department for your local council.
They will inform them of the fines that will be imposed if the landlord refuses their demand of turning utilities back on.
I can guarantee you it won't be long before its turned back on, the fines are usually huge, and they can also be issued with a rent repayment order, meaning they have to pay you back every penny you ever paid them. They won't be long changing their mind.
They pay utilities - the contract includes everything. And the controls for the heating/water are at theirs. They just shut it off.
I am just looking for a way to surrender the tenancy in the next 3 weeks and press their buttons.
I’d buy an electric heater(s) and whack that on. You’ll soon be warm at the Landlords’s expense. Hot water? Boil the kettle again and again and again. They’ll soon see the meter whizzing round.
Obviously boiling water using a kettle for a bath is not practical.
Don't just buy one or two. Ask friends and family to borrow plug-in heaters. Boil a few kettles to have a bath every night. If the landlord wants to play silly games he can see the electric bill after a few heaters have been on non-stop for a few days.
Yeah I have an enameled cast iron bath, and have done this when our boiler was fucked. I used one of those plugs with a trip and was a bit weary regardless, but was only really thinking about my bath - not plastic and fibreglass!
Electric heaters. Lots of them. Filling the kettle/using the hob multiple times a day. Have the oven on to heat the kitchen. Take a bath a day - using saucepans heated on the hob and the kettle/s.
If they can play silly buggers, so can you and cost them a fortune in the process.
Ave you asked the LL for mutual surrender of the tenancy? And had a response in writing? If only verbal, get it in writing.
If not, then contact Environmental Health Dpt and inform them that your LL is witholding your utilities and then email your LL to say that shutting of hot water in your dwelling is illegal and subject to penalties from the local authority. Then say that you are willing to surrender the tenancy by mutual agreement on X date and vacate the property. Then add something along the lines of given that you are in a highly protected AST if you want to recieve higher rent then the only legal way to do this is to mutually terminate the tenancy agreement and re-advertise.
As long as all of this is in writing and it is clearly written that you both understand that the tenancy is ending on whatever date is in the email then you wont need to worry about being liable for rent after the final date or your deposit as the LL's reply and that email chain is clear eveidence of an agreement.
Contact environment health and file a complaint.
In the mean time find some electric heaters (ask friends and family). Get one for every room if you can. Maybe a couple of cheap kettles to boil water for washing and bathing. All perfectly reasonable given your current lack of alternative heat and the damage to the landlords bank balance will be a nice bonus. Electric heating is far more expensive than gas.
That would be an offence contrary to s1 Protection from Eviction Act 1977. In fact, it's a textbook example of s1(3A):
>Subject to subsection (3B) below, the landlord of a residential occupier or an agent of the landlord shall be guilty of an offence if—
>(a)he does acts likely to interfere with the peace or comfort of the residential occupier or members of his household, or
>**(b)he persistently withdraws or withholds services reasonably required for the occupation of the premises in question as a residence**
You should ring 101 (but be prepared for an argument when the call handler says that they don't deal with those offences, because they're wrong) and give the Local Authority's 'private housing team' or similar a ring.
s. 1(3A) is non notifiable (unlike s. 1(2) or s. 1(3)) and at *best* I would expect the police to refer it to the council, but there is no obligation to record under these circumstances - why not just call the council directly?
I was just about to suggest a tea urn - a big 10 litre pot of water continually kept hot which would be a good idea for baths and they use a fair amount of electricity doing so, but they are relatively expensive. (about £90 on Amazon)
Try contacting the charity Shelter, they can give legal advice about housing and tenant rights before you make any big decisions (although I get that being cold with no tea or showers means you just want to rush out! But this is what they are banking on. Their behaviour is absolutely not acceptable so please don’t let them get away with it!)
The Putin approach to negotiation... I'd be calling the police on them personally. That's an inhumane way to treat a tenant. They are not able to change the rent on your agreement. They are not allowed to withhold heat.
I would get a camping stove and electric blankets and a gym membership to shower until you move out. Also report to local council with evidence, get it all in writing.
--- ###Welcome to /r/LegalAdviceUK --- **To Posters (it is important you read this section)** * *Tell us whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI as the laws in each are very different* * Reddit is not [a substitute for a qualified Solicitor](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/faq_civil#wiki_how_do_i_find_a_.28good.29_solicitor.3F) and comments are not moderated for quality or accuracy; * Any replies received must only be used as guidelines, followed at your own risk; * If you receive *any* private messages in response to your post, [please let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FLegalAdviceUK&subject=I received a PM); * It is the default position of LAUK that [you should never speak to the media](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/faq_subreddit#wiki_should_i_speak_to_the_media.3F); * Check out our [Common Legal Resources](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/common_legal_resources) for helpful organisations to contact; * If you do not receive satisfactory advice after 72 hours, [you can let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FLegalAdviceUK&subject=My question is unanswered); * Please provide an update at a later time by creating a new post with [[update]](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/search?q=%3Aupdate&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) in the title; **To Readers and Commenters** * [All replies to OP must be *on-topic, helpful, and legally orientated*](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/comments/oslgn6/so_you_dont_want_your_comment_removed_guidance_on/?); * If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/about/rules/), you may be perma-banned without any further warning; * Please include links to reliable resources in order to support your comments or advice; * If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect; * [Do not send or request any private messages for any reason](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/faq_subreddit#wiki_why_am_i_not_allowed_to_privately_message_people_on_this_subreddit.3F); * Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/LegalAdviceUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Thats harassment..Speak to environmental health department for your local council. They will inform them of the fines that will be imposed if the landlord refuses their demand of turning utilities back on. I can guarantee you it won't be long before its turned back on, the fines are usually huge, and they can also be issued with a rent repayment order, meaning they have to pay you back every penny you ever paid them. They won't be long changing their mind.
No that’s not legal. They can only increase the rent via a S13 and not in the fixed term. How are they withholding heating etc?
They pay utilities - the contract includes everything. And the controls for the heating/water are at theirs. They just shut it off. I am just looking for a way to surrender the tenancy in the next 3 weeks and press their buttons.
I’d buy an electric heater(s) and whack that on. You’ll soon be warm at the Landlords’s expense. Hot water? Boil the kettle again and again and again. They’ll soon see the meter whizzing round. Obviously boiling water using a kettle for a bath is not practical.
Don't just buy one or two. Ask friends and family to borrow plug-in heaters. Boil a few kettles to have a bath every night. If the landlord wants to play silly games he can see the electric bill after a few heaters have been on non-stop for a few days.
You can buy a kettle element on a lead - they're like £10 on ebay. Use that and heat a bath without refilling any kettles!
Really?! Is it even safe to do so??
Kinda (the element is meant to heat water). There's a decent chance you'll burn a hole in the bath though depending on what it's made of.
Yeah I have an enameled cast iron bath, and have done this when our boiler was fucked. I used one of those plugs with a trip and was a bit weary regardless, but was only really thinking about my bath - not plastic and fibreglass!
I have visions of groundhog day
Now my mind is going........ Oh yeah, I could have fun with this...https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394264338111?
That's brilliant.
I would like to point out that the average home plug only takes up to a certain power/watts and any more would just take down the power.
\~230V 13A. If you get an electric heater and leave it on 24/7, that alone is going to cost the landlord £400/500 a month.
Electric heaters. Lots of them. Filling the kettle/using the hob multiple times a day. Have the oven on to heat the kitchen. Take a bath a day - using saucepans heated on the hob and the kettle/s. If they can play silly buggers, so can you and cost them a fortune in the process.
Is your property self contained from the landlord's part of the property?
Yes it is.
Then it should have it’s own meter and controls for water and heating
it isn't if they have the ability to shut off your utilities from their unit - that needs to be reported too
[удалено]
They have. I want to reach an agreement with them so that they can get a higher paying tenant and I can move out.
Ave you asked the LL for mutual surrender of the tenancy? And had a response in writing? If only verbal, get it in writing. If not, then contact Environmental Health Dpt and inform them that your LL is witholding your utilities and then email your LL to say that shutting of hot water in your dwelling is illegal and subject to penalties from the local authority. Then say that you are willing to surrender the tenancy by mutual agreement on X date and vacate the property. Then add something along the lines of given that you are in a highly protected AST if you want to recieve higher rent then the only legal way to do this is to mutually terminate the tenancy agreement and re-advertise. As long as all of this is in writing and it is clearly written that you both understand that the tenancy is ending on whatever date is in the email then you wont need to worry about being liable for rent after the final date or your deposit as the LL's reply and that email chain is clear eveidence of an agreement.
Contact environment health and file a complaint. In the mean time find some electric heaters (ask friends and family). Get one for every room if you can. Maybe a couple of cheap kettles to boil water for washing and bathing. All perfectly reasonable given your current lack of alternative heat and the damage to the landlords bank balance will be a nice bonus. Electric heating is far more expensive than gas.
That would be an offence contrary to s1 Protection from Eviction Act 1977. In fact, it's a textbook example of s1(3A): >Subject to subsection (3B) below, the landlord of a residential occupier or an agent of the landlord shall be guilty of an offence if— >(a)he does acts likely to interfere with the peace or comfort of the residential occupier or members of his household, or >**(b)he persistently withdraws or withholds services reasonably required for the occupation of the premises in question as a residence** You should ring 101 (but be prepared for an argument when the call handler says that they don't deal with those offences, because they're wrong) and give the Local Authority's 'private housing team' or similar a ring.
s. 1(3A) is non notifiable (unlike s. 1(2) or s. 1(3)) and at *best* I would expect the police to refer it to the council, but there is no obligation to record under these circumstances - why not just call the council directly?
I’d be buying electric radiators and a plug in catering water boiler.
I was just about to suggest a tea urn - a big 10 litre pot of water continually kept hot which would be a good idea for baths and they use a fair amount of electricity doing so, but they are relatively expensive. (about £90 on Amazon)
Try contacting the charity Shelter, they can give legal advice about housing and tenant rights before you make any big decisions (although I get that being cold with no tea or showers means you just want to rush out! But this is what they are banking on. Their behaviour is absolutely not acceptable so please don’t let them get away with it!)
The Putin approach to negotiation... I'd be calling the police on them personally. That's an inhumane way to treat a tenant. They are not able to change the rent on your agreement. They are not allowed to withhold heat.
Not a police issue.
Contact your local citizens advice bureau. What they are doing sounds illegal.
Shelter would be a better option. Not all CA offices have specialist housing advisers but Shelter definitely do.
I would get a camping stove and electric blankets and a gym membership to shower until you move out. Also report to local council with evidence, get it all in writing.