Landlord rant ... do I have to get electrocuted ...

by talesin 27 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  talesin

  ... to get my stove fixed?

  I am so ticked off!!!

  My stove is arcing. I told the GD landlord this 6 months ago! It hasn't worked right since I moved in here. It melted two of my 5mm stainless steel pots - and it's electric. The oven has NO comprehension of what 350 degrees means!

  The stove makes a crackling sound sometimes, that I can hear from the other room.

  "Massuh Landlord" had an 'electrician' in to look at it. He said it works fine, that I let my "cheap aluminum pots" boil dry and they melted. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

  Of course, I couldn't afford to get someone in to fix it, so have been using it --- wtf else am I supposed to do?

  So, just now, I saw the blue spark arcing in the burner well!

  220 volts - ready to course through my body wait till tomorrow morning ...

  I'll be cooled down by then, but I guarantee you this will be fixed ------ ASAP!

  ... we now return to our regularly scheduled programming ...

  tks for listening

  Anyone else have a 'bad landlord' story?

  t
• 

  Euphemism

  Send your landlord a letter (preferably certified) stating that if he doesn't fix it right quick, you will call an electrician yourself and deduct the cost from the rent.
• 

  Gadget

  Do you rent direct from the landlord or do you use a management agency? In the UK its compulsery for all landlords to have a current Gas safety certificate(valid for 12 months), but most local managment agencys also require you to have an electrical certificate too. If its the same in Canada can you ask to see the safety certificate? I'm a landlord, and the main risk for me is that if I leave something unsafe in the house then I'm liable to get sued if the householder gets injured by it unless I can prove I took reasonable steps to prevent it. I would get an independant electrical inspection on the cooker, and confront the landlord with the findings reminding him of how open he is leaving himself to be sued in case of an accident.

  Also, in the UK you can legally withhold part of the rent if something is out of action, if its the same in Canada that might be an incentive to fix it sooner rather than later.

  BB, Paul
• 

  Odrade

  Yep, I'm with Euph. I had this problem in an apartment one time. They treated it exactly the same way. Said I must have poured water on my stove.

  Anyways, I found out later that tenant rights would have allowed me to deduct a portion of my rent for the entire time it wasn't safe to use the stove.

  Look at it this way: if you send the certified mail saying your stove is messed up, and it shocks you, you can sue them for pain and suffering because of their deliberate negligence. whoohoo! free money!
• 

  Bas

  our wiring has to be replaced, I'm tired of replacing the lightbulbs every two weeks
• 

  Puternut

  Don't pay another cent toward rent until this is fixed properly. You'd be amazed how fast things get taken care of.

  OR.... keep plugging in the damn stove and spark away safely, perhaps the entire apartment complex will loose it's power.

  I know how frustrating this can be.. sorry to hear about your troubles.

  Puternut
• 

  bikerchic

  First off serve him with a certified letter stating exactly what you are going to do about his non compliance to fix the appliance ie; with hold rent money or bill him for the repair/replacement of said appliance.

  Most importantly DO NOT PUT YOURSELF AT RISK! DO NOT USE THE STOVE! I would even go to the electrical box and switch the fuse to off for the stove they are usually on a fuse of their own, this is a very dangerous situation and could cause a house fire!

  Hubby and I recently replaced our old stove with a new one due to the faulty wiring as it was a potential fire waiting to happen.

  Good luck!

  Kate
• 

  Rabbit

  You should never have 'arcing' on an electric stove. Gas stoves sometimes have electric arcs as an ignition source. On an electric stove the power may be arcing to the normal neutral wire, if it cannot get to ground that way (damaged)...it will go to the chassis of the stove. That is a 'safety' ground...ONLY if it has been properly grounded itself. If your body has less electrical resistance and you are in contact with it...it will go t h r u you!

  I would say turn it off at the breaker, then unplug it if possible. Stainless steel has a very high melting point, much higher than would be possible at your house.

  Be careful !

  Rabbit
• 

  hillbilly

  is there any aluminum foil in the bottom of your oven? Is it touching the heating element? Any foil on you stove top burner drip pans?

  If any foil turns up and touched the heating elements weird things may happen with your stove.

  ~Hill
• 

  the_classicist

  Tenancy law depends on which province you live in. In BC, you send them a letter telling them to fix your appliance or you will withhold your rent. If they try to evict you, you can appeal even all the way to the courts (seriously, you can even represent yourself, just study up). If they kick you out with no notice of eviction, you can sue.