We've been wondering for a while why our apartment is unusually cold and our heaters struggle to keep it warm so much. Turns out there are holes in the outside wall behind the kitchen cabinets leading to a cold draft.
At first, we thought it's just one hole behind the dishwasher which was easy to access and the owner agreed to have it sealed. But it turns out there are more behind the cabinets. Fixing those would require the cabinets to be removed first, so it would be an expensive repair for the owner.
As tenants, do we have a right to have this fixed? It's a major inconvenience and our electricity bill is through the roof due to all the heating we have to do to be comfortable in the apartment. Not to mention how ecologically irresponsible this is.
I suppose legally the question is whether an apartment with holes in outside walls can be considered to be in a reasonable state of repair.
At first, we thought it's just one hole behind the dishwasher which was easy to access and the owner agreed to have it sealed. But it turns out there are more behind the cabinets. Fixing those would require the cabinets to be removed first, so it would be an expensive repair for the owner.
As tenants, do we have a right to have this fixed? It's a major inconvenience and our electricity bill is through the roof due to all the heating we have to do to be comfortable in the apartment. Not to mention how ecologically irresponsible this is.
I suppose legally the question is whether an apartment with holes in outside walls can be considered to be in a reasonable state of repair.
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