Faster, stronger action needed on cold homes

Maggie, Southampton
4 February 2011

My 25-year-old son rents a flat in London.  The living room is basically a conservatory tacked on to the back of the kitchen, with two outside walls and a thin polypropylene roof. 

The landlord refused to decrease the rent to compensate my son for the extra costs of heating the uninsulated flat.

In the end I made thick curtains for him.  These made a huge difference to his heating bills but cost us £100 in materials.

And of course, they didn't stop the heat leaking through the ceiling.

 

Natasha Khan, Bat for Lashes

"We suffered the worst mould you could imagine in my student house. Over our 2 year let, it got to the point where you'd have to dodge at least 20 slugs living off moisture in the carpet to reach the bathroom - then inhale black mould spores if the steam from the shower got too much. The cold, draughts and dampness were pretty extreme!"

Stop tenants feeling the chill

Stop tenants feeling the chill

Help end dangerously cold homes

Stop tenants feeling the chill

Need some help?

For free advice on paying heating bills and how to save energy, visit Home Heat Helpline  or call 0800 336699.

Find out your legal rights as a tenant at Shelter or call 0808 800 4444.