As the title of this thread implies, I have a tenant who uses one of those cheap and nasty portable gas heaters in his flat, and he's not keen to stop using it. I have asked if he would like me to install a heatpump for him a few times, but he always refuses. I think he believes that using the gas heater is somehow cheaper. Or maybe he thinks I will hike the rent if I install a heatpump.
I sent a plumber around to the property on Friday on an unrelated matter. The plumber called me as soon as he left the site saying that the air quality inside the unit was pretty appalling due to the gasses being given off by the heater and the lack of ventilation, and he was genuinely concerned for the tenant's health and welfare. I advised the plumber that I am aware of the issue and that so far the tenant has been reluctant to switch to another heating source.
With the law as it sits today, I am pretty sure I can't demand that the tenant stop using the gas heater - or can I? I don't want to go to the expense of installing a heatpump if he's not going to bother using it. There is also the health of the building to consider - the tenant has lived there since long before I bought the unit in 2003, so if he has been using gas heaters for the entire time (which I suspect he has), I'd hate to think how much moisture could be present. Having said that, every time I have visited the property, it has seemed to be well ventilated and mold free - but I can't say I remember ever visiting unannounced in the middle of winter though. He's been a model tenant for 15 years - never missed a rent payment, never asked for anything other than urgent repairs - so I pretty much leave him alone most of the time.
If portable gas heaters were outlawed (or even just outlawed in rentals) it would make this so much easier... Any advice from other landlords would be welcome. All my other tenants jumped at the offer of a heatpump!
I sent a plumber around to the property on Friday on an unrelated matter. The plumber called me as soon as he left the site saying that the air quality inside the unit was pretty appalling due to the gasses being given off by the heater and the lack of ventilation, and he was genuinely concerned for the tenant's health and welfare. I advised the plumber that I am aware of the issue and that so far the tenant has been reluctant to switch to another heating source.
With the law as it sits today, I am pretty sure I can't demand that the tenant stop using the gas heater - or can I? I don't want to go to the expense of installing a heatpump if he's not going to bother using it. There is also the health of the building to consider - the tenant has lived there since long before I bought the unit in 2003, so if he has been using gas heaters for the entire time (which I suspect he has), I'd hate to think how much moisture could be present. Having said that, every time I have visited the property, it has seemed to be well ventilated and mold free - but I can't say I remember ever visiting unannounced in the middle of winter though. He's been a model tenant for 15 years - never missed a rent payment, never asked for anything other than urgent repairs - so I pretty much leave him alone most of the time.
If portable gas heaters were outlawed (or even just outlawed in rentals) it would make this so much easier... Any advice from other landlords would be welcome. All my other tenants jumped at the offer of a heatpump!
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