Rented Flat- Broken Electric Shower- Redress?

my friend moved into a new flat a few months ago.  the electric shower stopped working on 24-Nov.  They still don't have hot water.  the landlady told them to get a plumber round, and deduct from their rent.  However, only if the plumber was less than £300. 

well... the quote was £420 and the landlady's refusing to accept.  she's now going on holiday and doesn't know when she'll have time to sort this out. 

what?

what redress does my friend have?  no hot shower for 10 days?

Do they have other hot water they can wash in like a bath with hot running water? If so then they won't have any legal way of getting it done any sooner. 

Poor guys!!  Your friends have my sympathy - you might remember us dealing with the same thing last spring. 

(No helpful advice, though, as our problem wasn't with the landlord but with the letting agency and their utter lack of communication - once we finally got through to the landlord, they fixed it the next day!)

they have hot water in their kitchen faceut- but they don't have a bath- only a shower unit. 

my friend moved into a new flat a few months ago.  the electric shower stopped working on 24-Nov.  They still don't have hot water.  the landlady told them to get a plumber round, and deduct from their rent.  However, only if the plumber was less than £300. 

well... the quote was £420 and the landlady's refusing to accept.  she's now going on holiday and doesn't know when she'll have time to sort this out. 

what?

what redress does my friend have?  no hot shower for 10 days?

Get another quote would seem like a good start.

Vicky

If they have got hot running water somewhere in their flat, I don't think there is any legal redress in this situation. The landlord has to do repairs within a "reasonable" timeframe but it's a bit hazy as to what that means. If they have hot water and sanitation, that's all that's legally required.  The only oterh thing I can think of is that they could argue they have rented the lfat on the understanding that there is a working shower and that if there isn't they want their rent reduced for that period.  They could then use that money to make up the extra £120 to get it fixed. Or as Vicky says, another plumber might give a cheaper quote.

thanks for the advice- they've been trying to get another quote- but the landlady insisted that they use her plumber- they're gonna find a plumber today.

Oh you didn't say that was her preferred plumber! In that case she's being completely unreasonable, she can't say that have to use her plumber then say he's too expensive!!! But still, legally there's not a lot they can do. 

I think that is known as 'pulling a fast one'.


 

Vicky

i didn't think they had legal redress- just checking.

i'm staying with this friend this weekend (for the uKY meetup) and i'm hoping she has hot water!

What exactly has stopped working on the shower?  No water coming through at all?  Water flowing but no heat? 

Whatever the problem, £420 sounds very expensive for a repair on an instant electric shower, even to replace it completely.

aparently the heating element in the electric shower is knackered.  going to be replaced.  the landlady wants it replaced with the same make & model- which is a high end one. 

which is a high end one

It must be really high end, or the plumber comes very expensive.   Even the fancy thermostatically controlled units with super-deluxe heads (nine different spray patterns, etc.) are only about £250 new.   If it's an exact replacement (no need to change the position of incoming pipes and cables) then it shouldn't take more than an hour or so to change. 

If it's just the element burned out and it's a current model, I would have thought it possible to obtain a replacement element assembly, which would normally be no more than about £40, often less.   It can be difficult to source spares for some models though. 

Just out of curiosity, do you have the make and model number?   (I know, probably not as it's a friend's house.)

Hopefully this has all been resolved now, but just to give some idea of prices as I've just had a new shower fitted today.
I bought a shower from B&Q for £110, there are much cheaper and also far more expensive ones around, I would have fitted myself if it was a straightforward job, however some adjustment to the plumbing was required so I contacted a local plumber and he fitted it in less than 2 hours for £150.
So £420 seems very steep - in fact I'm glad I didn't see this thread before today!