DiamondEcho wrote:
Scanning back through the topic, this statement from the agent still stands out: 'I appreciate you may be uncomfortable doing this, but if you are struggling you should arrange for this to be carried out by a contractor at your own expense.
Really!
Apologies if this has already been covered DE, but given the mains-electric aspect of this particular problem, can I ask if you're in receipt of an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) for your tenancy?
From the UK Government website -
Landlords must obtain a report (usually an Electrical Installation Condition Report or EICR) from the person conducting the [electrical] inspection and test which explains its outcomes and any investigative or remedial work required.
Landlords must then supply a copy of this report to the tenant within 28 days of the inspection and test, to a new tenant before they occupy the premises, and to any prospective tenant within 28 days of receiving a request for the report.
If the report requires remedial work or further investigation, landlords must provide written confirmation that the work has been carried out to their tenant and to the local authority within 28 days of completing the work.
Landlords must retain a copy of the report to give to the inspector and tester who will undertake the next inspection and test.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities/guide-for-landlords-electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector
If you've not got a copy of that up-to-date EICR, then I'd keep that fact in your back pocket for now if you wish to pursue 'softer' means of resetting expectations around your current position, but if those more moderate means of discussion turn out to be fruitless, then as a final throw of the dice here, and certainly before I went anywhere near any landlord-owned electrical consumer unit, I'd be making sure that I was in possession of an up to date and valid EICR, and importantly, that it contained no requirement for 'remedial work' that might render the current electrical installation unsuitable for a tenant to go anywhere near...
Cheers,
Itsallaguess