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Problem with landlord - 3 months to replace oven

Question

Hi,

The oven in our rented apartment broke in late November. We contacted our landlord's handyman on the 30/11/2018 to inform him of the issue. When we had not heard back we contacted the landlord to let him know of the issue two weeks later. He said it was not possible to fix it before Xmas and it would have to wait until the new year.

When we returned to Brussels in the new year we contacted the handyman again. He came last week to measure the oven and said that he would be able to install the new oven early this week (it is now Wednesday). He came again last night to take measurements again because the landlord wants to go for a cheaper oven found on a website. The problem is that this new cheaper option can take up to another 4 weeks to arrive which means that we could be waiting until the 20th of February for a new oven.

I emailed the landlord last night to say that we were not happy with this extra wait and he told me that the model of oven which we currently have no longer exists and that is why we need to wait for one ordered off the internet. However, as mentioned above the handyman had said that the reason why the landlord needed new measurements was actually because he wanted to get a cheaper option and the handyman also said that it was indeed possible (if more expensive) to purchase a new oven directly in a shop this week.

The landlord also told me to try and not focus on material things and that I will see that life is easer (!).

Even accounting for the Christmas holiday period, I find this to be quite unreasonable to be without an oven for almost three months whilst continuing to pay full rent. I responded to him this morning to ask him to reconsider but have not received any response.

Do we have to make do with this situation or could we go to a 'juge de paix' in a short delay to ask him to be quicker? Any advice much appreciated!

becasse

Given that most "built-in" ovens slide into a standard space, are fixed in position with just two screws and even plug in to a standard socket, I am quite surprised that your landlord has even accepted that it is his problem.

Jan 23, 2019 21:04
J

I think you're doing fairly well here. Your landlord has a competent handyman for a start.

Jan 23, 2019 21:25
kasseistamper

What does your contract say? Is a repair to the oven definitely the landlord's responsibility? It isn't automatically the case.

Jan 23, 2019 22:15