Bathroom heating obligations?

Our Experts Answer:

You have raised two issues here. The first and most important is a safety issue. I would advise you not to have an extension cord and external fan in the bathroom. It is fraught with danger, and someone can easily get electrocuted by the mix of water and electricity. There are safety standards which apply to bathroom heating, and these must be followed by an electrician when installing a heater. The second issue is whether you can require the landlord to install a bathroom heater. There is no requirement that a bathroom have heating provided by a landlord. I presume that when you viewed the property and then signed a tenancy agreement there was no bathroom heating. That being the case, you accepted the property as viewed. The landlord has no obligation to improve a property to a condition other than what you agreed to rent. It’s a bit simplistic to say “what you see is what you get”, but really that is the reasoning here.