Law-Forums.org

[tonibraxton]

hello
i live in a rented flat and have lived in it since 1998. 3 months ago, i received a letter from my housing association/landlord informing me that electrical rewiring work is due to be carried-out on my property. last week, they sent me a letter stating work is due to start within a month. they have only given me 3 months notice. the thing is, a few years ago, both, kitchen and bathroom areas were rewired. also, the electric mains-box were replaced. like i said, i have lived in my flat since 1998. my home is now absolutely beautiful, and its taken me years to get it like that. i'm not happy about this work being undertaken, and my landlord says the work will cause a lot of damage. they're offered me compensation, (£350) i have refused this rather pitiful sum of money, and i have refused the work. they, say, i have to agree to the works or i face court. i really do not need this work carried-out, my house is very much to my liking, and it has cost me many thousands.

they say its the law, but i must surely have rights. please, can someone help me, i'm very worried. i love my house the way it is.

[breasal]

The thing is it is not your house it is your home, but the house, the property. is owned by the HA. If they say it needs rewired it needs rewired. You don't really have any legal way to stop the work being done and it is after all for your safety as much as anything to ensure wiring is up to date and fit for purpose.

[langford59]

Just because you don't like it or want it done doesn't alter the terms of your tenancy agreement - have you looked to see what that says? If they say 'It's the law', ask them to be absolutely specific: which law(s) and why now?

[morcan]

It is NOT your property, you do NOT own it. It belongs to the housing authority, you pay rent to them. You have no comeback. Sometimes work has to be done to comply with current Health & Safety regulations.
UK

[adin55]

You say re-wiring was done a few years ago. By who? If the landlord did it then this certainly does seem bizarre.

But I have a suspicion that you might have done it. In which case, did you inform the landlord? Depending on the terms of the lease this might have been required. Even if consent was not required, did you have the work done by a suitably qualified professional who issued the correct building regs certificates? If the answer to any of these questions is no then you cannot blame the landlord (who has a legal responsibility to ensure the electrics are safe) from wanting to redo and/or check the work.

[nann]

You cannot refuse updating work to plumbing, heating and electrics. It is their property not yours and if they want to update the services then that is exactly what they will do whether you like it or not. You cannot refuse the work and they WILL if need be get a court order.

[shadrach]

If you have an Assured or an Assured Shorthold tenancy then section 16 of the 1988 Housing Act says:

"It shall be an implied term of every assured tenancy that the tenant shall afford to the landlord access to the dwelling-house let on the tenancy and all reasonable facilities for executing therein any repairs which the landlord is entitled to execute."

So yes, they'll get a court order under that clause, and you'll be he one ordered to pay the £175 court fees plus the HA's solicitors fees (£150/hr?)

If an organisation owns lots of similar properties it often makes sense to do major works on all of them at the same time, because that way they know when the whole lot are going to need re-doing and they'll be able to do it all at one time.