Thanks Annoying Twit for the information. I have written to the landlord about my heating problem and have offered to pay a undisclosed amount. I will wait to see what they have to say on the matter, should they continue being shirty with me then I may instigate court proceedings with regards to the (TDS) Once again thank you

well I did say you might be lucky !!!......as I said you need to keep contacting the council, enviromental health (noise), the citizens advice and police. It's all you can do really and you need to be relentless...my friend lived in a small 2 bed house with her partner and 4 kids. They rang the council and was told weekly that they were 40th on the list and then the next if could go up and down. Eventually they had enough and rang everyday, they became such a pain that after 5 weeks they were rehoused to a 3 bed. If you have a genuine problem then don't feel bad about hassling them that's what they are there for, it's their job.

I'm sorry to read about your housing issues...from what you said I take it your a council tenant. I know how bad things can get (past experience). I agree with what binkus said you need to keep complaining to the council, ring everyday and I mean everyday,write letters. When you start becoming a headache for them thats when they seem to start doing something about it. You need to keep a diary of all the events and also try if you can to film such events as evidence.You can try to get your local MP involved, I havn't personally done this but other people have and it has worked for them. You said you are on anti-depressants contact your doctor and ask him to write a letter on your behalf outlining how this is effecting your health. Also have you tried a house exchange or transfer? you never know you might get lucky !!!!! and remember if all else fails don't let the bast**ds grind you down....

I assume the gasman took the fire apart because he wanted to get access to the back boiler. Perhaps my financial position isn't relevant but they can't take what I havn't got.After contemplation I now accept I should pay some of the costs but it was the landlords fault that they chose to call a gasman that lived over 60 miles away when they could of chose to call someone local. I have received telephone quotes and they range from £30 to £51 I won't be paying anything until the fire is fixed. Today I received conformation that my tenancy deposit isn't held with either of the 3 agencies involved (TDS). My landlord hasn't given any information on this matter. Didn't really need all of this just before xmas....don't know what to do as I like the house and don't want to rock the boat....but starting to feel like the landlord is taking me for a mug.....

Many Thanks blitz for your advice it was well written and to the point. As with regards to Ed999 advice : "There was no disrepair, so the landlord is not legally liable. I don't see how you can expect anyone to take seriously your statement that you didn't know the appliance had to be switched on!" Not anywhere in my post did I state that I didn't know that the appilance had to be switched on. I said "that a item of furniture had turned the switch off at the wall. I had never been shown what the switch was for." Obviously I knew that the fire had to be switched on it was just that I didn't know it had been switched off. I think I will take your advice Blitz and get 3 local quotes but before I pay anything I want the landlord to come and fix the fire because since the gasman had it apart it has never worked since

Course she wouldn't go to court, she wouldn't be that silly....afterall this is the MITCHELLS we're talking about....I wouldn't you'd probably end up at a pig farm in Norfolk.....

I'm a private tenant and recently my central heating and hot water stopped working but my gas fire worked. I called the landlord and it wasn't until 12 days later a corgi reg friend of the landlord came from Bedford some 60 miles away. He couldn't work out what the problem was, he took the fire apart and then noticed that a item of furniture had turned the switch off at the wall. I had never been shown what the switch was for. The corgi man said no harm done and put the fire back together it had took him 45 minutes. The fire hasn't worked since it had before and then today I received a letter that stated: "We have received the bill which was £200. As its not your fault that the plumber came from Bedford we are only asking £70 for the time spent at your address, as there was nothing actually wrong with it at the time. We shall pay the rest" I'm a single parent to 2 boys and I already pay top up rent of £20 a week and then they decide to serve this on me just before Christmas. I need to know legally are they entitled to do this?? I have enquired and a local call out charge ranges from between no call out charge to £60. Surly a turned off switch should have been noticed before he took the fire apart. When your car doesn't start you would surely check to see if it had petrol. I would appreciate any comments on my situation. Many Thanks:-)