London tenant unable to heat his house after landlord cages thermostat

Alex Milsom said he also couldn’t heat up extra water in the house, and ended up having to shower at work when the hot water ran out.

A London tenant was left unable to warm his house up after his landlord put the thermostat in a cage.

Alex Milsom shared a picture of the thermostat on Twitter, where it quickly went viral.

He told the PA news agency: “Hilariously/alarmingly this is a common experience as other people who have replied to my tweet have told me.

“We had the Nest installed earlier this month, and then sometime between Friday night and Saturday afternoon we found our Nest adopted the motto of MC Hammer – namely ‘can’t touch this’ – and lo-and-behold we had no ability to control the thermostat.

“This also affected our ability to control the hot water – and today and yesterday we found our hot water availability in short-supply.”

With the temperature getting increasingly frosty, Mr Milsom said he is unable to heat up extra water in the house, and ended up having to shower at work when the hot water ran out.

He added: “People across London, the UK, and indeed across the world have replied to my tweet to say about their experiences. From landlords who have taken away heating to landlords who have been even worse, it’s a really important discussion that I’m glad we had.

“It was also super endearing how everyone has been willing to support me as well – from free legal advice to everything else under the sun!”

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “This is yet another example of the raw deal private renters get in England.

“If your home is excessively cold or hot, it can be classed as a hazard under the health and safety rating system for rented homes. It is not acceptable for a landlord to provide an inadequate level of heating.

“And if your landlord is coming into your home without notice, then it could be harassment.

“Shelter’s trained advisers are on hand seven days a week to support anyone facing housing problems like this, from poor quality housing to eviction notices. To get advice and support, visit www.shelter.org.uk/gethelp.”

HONOLULU (AP) — Days after the Hawaii attorney general’s office released an outside report that flagged communications issues in the response to the deadly August wildfire, Maui County officials pushed back and offered “clarifications” on some of the report’s details.

Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez released a first phase report Wednesday by the Fire Safety Research Institute that said a broad communications breakdown left authorities in the dark and residents without emergency alerts during the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century.

The report did not answer questions about cause or liability. It also said it is only an initial reckoning and two more reports will follow. Investigators are still trying to get some documents from Maui County.

Late Friday, Maui County issued a statement with clarifications on various details in the report, including when Mayor Richard Bissen issued a county emergency proclamation among other things.

Lopez responded in a statement Monday that the attorney general's office welcomes Maui “supplementing the facts.”

The Aug. 8 fire killed 101 people and destroyed much of the historic town of Lahaina.

FILE - A general view shows the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Several days after the Hawaii attorney general’s office released an outside report that flagged communications issues in the response to a deadly August wildfire, Maui County officials pushed back and offered “clarifications” on some of the report’s details. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - Wilted palm trees line a destroyed property from the August wildfires, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Several days after the Hawaii attorney general’s office released an outside report that flagged communications issues in the response to a deadly August wildfire, Maui County officials pushed back and offered “clarifications” on some of the report’s details. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)