What is reasonable compensation for lack of heat?
I’m a tenant in a six unit apartment building. Since Sunday the heat has been broken. Fortunately we have some heat, getting us to about 55 or 57 degrees (hey, it’s better than nothing), but it’s really cold nevertheless. The landlord is on vacation and won’t be back until Saturday. He left his adult daughter…
I’m a tenant in a six unit apartment building. Since Sunday the heat has been broken. Fortunately we have some heat, getting us to about 55 or 57 degrees (hey, it’s better than nothing), but it’s really cold nevertheless.
The landlord is on vacation and won’t be back until Saturday. He left his adult daughter in charge but she says that she is unable to do anything until the landlord gets back. She doesn’t know much about building maintenance and doesn’t have keys to the basement where the heating system is located. We are coping with lots of layers of clothes and electric heaters.
What would be reasonable compensation for us in this situation? We want to come up with something that is fair to us and to the landlord. I would appreciate any suggestions.
Adequate compensation for no heat in February?
Jail time.
it is criminal to be without heat especially at this time. Dear daughter is a true A** or she does not care. It is her responsibility what happens if her father hands the building over to her one day..(she’d probably sell it)
Call 311.
Your landlord returns on Saturday, but will not be able to fix the problem on Saturday. All heating companies are backed up by several days, so the earliest he would get someone out would be Monday or Tuesday. Of next week! If you don’t mind waiting until a week from now to get heat, do nothing. Otherwise, dial 311.
Also the daughter is an idiot. Has she ever heard of a locksmith? Costs $50. What planet is she from?
YOU WANT HEAT MOVE TO FLORIDA
311 complaints are anonymous. I am a super, and I have tenants who always wait before calling me about a problem. It always makes things worse. If repairs have to be made to the boiler it’s going to be a lot harder to get someone out on a Saturday or Sunday. Do you get oil delivered? Do you know the oil company? They can make the repairs. It could be something as simple as a pilot light being out or a tripped circuit breaker. Even a thermo coupling can be replaced in 10 minutes. Tell the owner to come over right away or you will be checking into a hotel at their expense
You won’t have a hard time moving for filing a 311 complaint for no heat.
The landlord is in violation of the law and not you.
The longer you wait to file a report, the lower the chances of getting any reasonable, timely resolution to the lack of heat and the higher the chances of this happening again in the future.
Reasonable compensation is subjective. To me it would be AT LEAST the cost of the heaters, the added electricity consumption if it’s on your bill, any health costs related to illness, etc.
File a complaint and relay exactly what the adult daugher said. If she is the person left in charge when the landlord is gone (where the hell is he that she can’t call him? Climbing Mt. Everest? Trekking through the Amazon?), then she is negligent for failing to respond in a timely manner to the problem.
1) Landlords search landlord tenant court for problem tenants i don’t think 311 calls are part of that.
2) I would ask for 1/30 of the rent for each day there wasn’t sufficient heat. That’s what i have done in the past.
You have to call 311. My God, you have a right to heat. You are not a problem tenant. If you don’t pay rent, and regularly get taken to tenant landlord court, then you are a problem tenant. Are you trying to get your wilderness badge? Stick up for yourself, for Chrissake.
This is the OP here. Thanks for feedback so far. Two things:
1. I’m hesitant to call 311 because my understanding is that filing a complaint means that I’ll have a hard time renting an apartment if I ever move again, since landlords are hesitant to take “problem” tenants. If I file a complaint, I’ll be permanently in the database.
2. Regardless of whether or not we call 311, what is reasonable compensation in the meantime?. 311 says it takes at least 72 hours to get an inspector over to the house, so that’s not quick and the landlord might be back by then.