No heat in Apartment

By Len

I have been renting the same house for 8 years.  Throughout those years, I have had annual problems with the heating system in the beginning of winter but after numerous phone calls to the landlord, they have been patched – not repaired.  At the beginning of this winter, in November, I complained that the compressor for the living room zone was screeching.  By the time the landlord’s cousin (owns a plumbing/heating company) got out to the house, the screeching had stopped and although it was again working, it took 2 days for the house to heat up again (radiant glycol heat). This happened 3 times, always with the “professional” stating there was nothing wrong.  I felt impending doom but couldn’t do anything about it.  Last week I was out of town on business.  When I came back there was no heat.  I called and again the same guy came out and replaced the compressor only to have it burn up and screech within 12 hours.  I called again.  This time he said I have either a frozen or burst water line, that the ratio of water to glycol was probably incorrect, and that the whole system need to be flushed and refilled – he said the same thing last year about flushing and refilling the system but failed to do it.  He said I was in for a cold winter as he couldn’t do it until spring!  I have no heat.  This is the coldest winter in years with temps below zero for days and strong winds.  The temperature in my house is 48-54 unless the sun comes out (rare this winter).  I cannot afford to move but I can’t stay here, I’m freezing.  What am I supposed to do?  Any advice?  I can stay with my Dad (horrible thought, I’m 50) but where am I supposed to put my belongings?  If I leave the house, can I pay only a storage fee since it’s ultimately their negligence (the landlords admitted they should have flushed and refilled the system)?  HELP!!!  Freezing in Erie, PA

Edited on: Thursday, December 9th, 2010 11:01 am

4 Responses to “No heat in Apartment”

My response: (We welcome stories, examples, explanations, answers and a touch of your personality)
 

Scott

February 2nd, 2009 9:47 am

You landlord is required to provide a working heating unit. So, the landlord has breached agreement by not providing heat. I really doubt that the problem can’t be fixed until spring. I’m sure it can be fixed now, if not radiant heating would never be installed. I imagine that your landlord is delaying the process, most likely due to financing problems.
I suggest doing whatever it takes to get the heat fixed and working. You may need to get some legal help.


Kelly

June 21st, 2010 12:51 pm

I have been renting an apartment for about 5 years. It is in a basement and there is  no heating  system in the unit.  In my first year my landlord provided me with a space heater when I noticed there were no heating ducts in my apartment. I had to run the space heater all day along with my oven just to try and warm the apartment up. But to no avail I am always cold every winter in Ohio.  I pay $350.00 a month and can’t afford anything higher.  Can a Landlord rent an apartment without adequate heat?


Kristen Windler

April 10th, 2011 10:12 pm

I have been renting the apartment that I am currently in for almost a year now. It sucks here because I havn’t had heat for over two and a half months! When it went out the building manager told me that it would be 2 days to a week until it was fixed. Now here it is two and a half or more months later and I am still freezing my ass off. The landlord has given me crappy space heaters that either were so old that they almost caught on fire and or blew out the power in the rest of the building so, that one was pointless…about a month into having no heat I complained AGAIN to the building manager but this time I was not as nice about it and said that this was some “Slum Lord” stuff because it is! They finally provided me with a decent space heater (by decent I mean it didn’t seem so damned dangerous) however, yesterday the “matinence kid called me and said he had to come get it because the person that they borrowed it from had said that it had been gone for too long….Now, shouldn’t that say something to someone? My dog is shivering right now as we speak and is curled up under the blankets…What can I do? I really don’t want to pay anymore money to these people…what do i need to do because clearly they don’t give a shit.


sandra eisenhauer

November 27th, 2011 7:35 am

I have been living in an apartment {basement}. I pay 1,000 a month. Every winter we have to beg for heat, Our landlord is a jerk and
he always tells us I can;t put the heat on because you always have the windows open. He is full of crap because the windows are always closed. He a thick italian from the other side. I am getting sick because one night it was 37 degrees and we had no heat. I would
like to know what I should do to get his ass in trouble.


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