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I moved into a house on 26th November 2012. Before signing the tenancy agreement and handing over my £1100 deposit I asked if the boiler was working, as I knew there had been issues with it, and I also asked what cooker I should get (gas or electric). I was told the boiler was working but the timer on it was broke so it had to be either on or off but it would be fixed ASAP and I was told I could get an electric or gas cooker as there were points for both but if I got gas I would have to pay to have it installed. I was happy with this and paid my deposit and signed the agreement. Upon arriving at the property I saw the front of the boiler was hanging off and not on. I thought this was because there was no had on the meter so I went and topped up with the pre payment card I was given. The meter had a fault on it and would t work. British gas came out and reset the meter ( large debt on there from previous tenant to whom the card belonged which the landlord didn't mention so I presume he was hoping I'd pay it off) the boiler still wouldn't work. An engineer came out on behalf of the landlord and couldn't get the boiler working, by this time it was 1am. The boiler was broke completely. As I have a 5 month old baby and a 9 year old daughter I was forced to use oil filled radiators to keep us warm in one room of the house which subsequently killed the electric which is also pre payment (the type where you insert pound coins and turn the dial to get electric) £20 in 26 hours. I also noticed there was no cooker box for my electric cooker I had purchased after being told I could buy either. After many irate calls to the agent by me I was assured the boiler would be fixed and a cooker box inserted. The agents electrician and gas engineer came to look at boiler and said the fuse board was blown as the landlords engineer had put two live wires in instead of a live and a neutral and that the fan didn't work. The agent and I spoke several times on the phone as they said I could get a boiler for free Audi was in receipt of tax credits but it wouldn't be until the Monday (6 days after) at this point I was in tears I couldn't cook for my kids and they were freezing and we were living in one room of the house because it was all I could afford to keep warm. My guarantor phoned the agent and she finally came down to the property and said the boiler needs a £400 fan but there was no guarantee it would work even with that so they didn't want to fit it. My guarantor insisted that they did as it was worth a try as they had said it was working before we have them alot if money. It did work but I was told that if the boiler was turned off there was a chance it may not come back on which led to me spending a fortune in gas to keep it on all the time for the 5 days til the new boiler was fitted. The new boiler couldn't be fitted until the following Saturday. Nrly 2 weeks after I moved in costing me £50 in gas. The cooker box would be fitted ASAP an electrician would be found to supply a quote. The first electrician tht wa there for the boiler said £250 so they sent another electrician 2.5 weeks after I moved to quote and he said it was a large job that would take at least a day and cost a lot. I heard nothing back from the agent so I rang to see what wa happening and was told the landlord wasnt willing to 'throw away anymore money on the property' and would give me £69 towards a gas cooker (don't know where he shops but even reconditioned ones aren't tht price) and I would have to pay to have it installed. I do t do d this acceptable as I asked before I signed anything which cooker to get and was told by him either gas or electric so why should I pay towards yet another cooker when I e already bought an electric one? I also found out the day after I moved that my electric meter powers the light In the shop next door ( my house is above and behind the shop also owned but rented out by my landlord ) I also found out when my new boiler was fitted I am paying the shops water rates the la slits denies all this when I told him but I had a phone call from the engineer who fitted the water meter to my property who says the landlord knew all along as the engineer had told him that this was the case. The gent and landlord have l own this at the very least since I told them on the 27tj November and have done nothing to rectify it and we r now 3 weeks after I moved in. I have spent £280 in takeaways as I have nowhere to cook food e my kids £65 in pound coins for the electric meter £80 in gas. I have got him a free boiler and feel he has not fulfilled his contractual o locations so why should I fulfil mine. He said I had a garden and a shower in the property in the description he put only e when the shower doesn't work at all and the garden belongs to the shop. I told the agents yesterday I wanted my £1100 back n I was moving out and they have emailed me today saying I can't have my money back and they've tried to rectify things in a reasonable time frame and installed a new boiler so therefore I cannot get out of the agreement. I got them the new boiler for free or they wouldn't have fitted one and is three and a half weeks a reasonable time frame to leave me without the. Poker they said I could use or to leave me paying for the shops electric and water?? I really need some urgent advice on wht I can do and say as I have to pho e the agents back soon and I don't know my legal position. PLEASE HELP!!!!!
Thank you in anticipation. Of your help.
Thank you in anticipation. Of your help.
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