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alexis1205 · Dec 1, 2012, 05:36 PM

I need advice I live in Pennsylvania in an apartment building with no heat. I was told by the other tenants that the landlord said he can't afford the oil to provide us heat. The landlord was ever so nice to provide me with one small electric heater but problem is I have two plug sockets in the entire apartment and I had to run the heater off an extension cord five days ago the power in my apartment kept going off I went the whole night with no electric and no heat the next day they unlocked the basement and turned my electric back on couple hours later it tripped again here it turns out the heaters have too much wattage for an extension cord and the heater plug had melted too the extension cord so here I sit freezing laying in bed all day under a comforter trying to stay warm. Wecant report him because we don't want to be homeless what do we do need some advice quick before I frezze to death. I have no money and can't afford to move any where else.

joypulv · Dec 2, 2012, 04:55 AM

Alexis, someone will move this to a new thread. This is a 5 year old post.
Of course you must report this, and you don't need to be homeless. Withhold your December rent and get all the other tenants together, and go down to town hall (or call first) and find out who handles lack of heat complaints.
Plug the electric heater directly into an outlet that has nothing else on it, and nothing on other outlets around it.
Who pays the electric bill?

ScottGem · Dec 2, 2012, 08:36 AM

First its not a good idea to piggyback your question on another thread. This can lead to confusion. So I've moved your question to its own thread.

Your only choice is to get the tenants together. Inform the landlord, that you will be paying for an oil delivery and deducting it from your rent unless he fills the tank immediately. The tenants send him a letter signed by all of them saying that if he doesn't keep the tank filled and repair the electrical you will report it to the local housing dept.

alexis1205 · Dec 2, 2012, 01:13 PM

The landlord pays all utilities the problem I'm having now is I'm flat broke and I can't even buy another heater if I wanted to and like I said the one he supplied me melted so I'm stuck here with nothing but blankets. And as I stated there are two plug sockets in the entire apartment one in the living room and one in the bedroom which is off the living room so if I found a heater I can only plug it in one of two rooms and then I'm still stuck with no heat in my kitchen or bath room I can't shower in the freezing cold I'm seriously considering a shelter but then I lose all my belongings because I can't take them with me I don't know.

alexis1205 · Dec 2, 2012, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by alexis1205

The landlord pays all utilities the problem I'm having now is I'm flat broke and I can't even buy another heater if I wanted to and like I said the one he supplied me melted so I'm stuck here with nothing but blankets. And as I stated there are two plug sockets in the entire apartment one in the living room and one in the bedroom which is off of the living room so if I found a heater I can only plug it in one of two rooms and then I'm still stuck with no heat in my kitchen or bath room I can't shower in the freezing cold I'm seriously considering a shelter but then I lose all my belongings because I can't take them with me I don't know.

Also we pay our rent weekly there is no lease and the one family works for the landlord to cover there rent none of us have money to have oil delivered.

ScottGem · Dec 2, 2012, 01:59 PM

Sounds like an illegal apartment. I would suspect building codes require more than one outlet per room.

But I'm sorry, if you are afraid to do anything about it, then you will have just shiver.

joypulv · Dec 2, 2012, 02:24 PM

LISTEN: You keep saying you can't report him, you can't do anything, you can't move, yet you want us to advise you. ALL TENANTS POOL THEIR DECEMBER RENT MONEY TO BUY 100 GALLONS OF OIL, the usual minimum order. Try to get enough for more.

Let the landlord know that the electric heater could have burned the building down, and he would have been liable for moving expenses and possibly even accommodations for everyone. Is no one paying rent? Did you pay November? How can you have NO MONEY and yet it's 12/2? Do you get a monthly check? You aren't helping yourselves at all. How many apartments in the building? Where does the landlord live?