to think that if you call an emergency gas person to fix the oven that

[NeverKnowinglyUnderstood]

YOU cover the cost when it turns out that it isn't broken you just don't know how to use it.

The landlord should not have to pay the £50 call out charge when the invoice states checked oven all fine, taught Mr X how to press the starter button to light the gas.

[HexagonalQueenOfTheSummer]

It depends. Did the landlord show the tenants how to use the oven? Did the tenants ask the landlord?

[NeverKnowinglyUnderstood]

tennant has been in the property for a year. no previous complaints about the oven.
it is through an agent, the agent was told the oven was broken, yes he had checked it was switched on at the wall. had been working last week.

[LIZS]

oops, did they ask you before calling the man out ? Non-working oven is n't an emergency anyway imho, presumably it "hadn't worked" before now or they hadn't tried and cooked in other ways. Did he also service it/Gas Cert it, in which case maybe go halves as it saves a job later on.

[NeverKnowinglyUnderstood]

gas safety cert is up to date
called agent before any action taken, agent is authorised to act and thought that gas appliance being faulty counts as emergency just incase gas is leaking somehow

[LIZS]

Think you (assuming you are ll) are stuffed then. Put it down to experience (and as an expense against income).

[OldGreyWassailTest]

So the tenant has been in the property for a year, yet has only just discovered that they don't know how to use the cooker? Have I got that right? If so, the tenant pays for the call-out, no argument.

[NinkyNonker]

Oh dear, I wouldn't be happy. If it were my tenants they wouldn't ask me to pay in these circs, but I would offer to go halves to keep happy.

Very odd, did they just forget?

[NeuromanticisedVisionsofXmas]

Could be an intermittent fault that wasn't apparent when engineer was there.

[FrillyMilly]

I would say tenant pays or agent. Our agent tried to send out an electrician because a light wasn't working. The bulbs had gone!

[NeverKnowinglyUnderstood]

Am LL trying to understand, I am always happy to pay for stuff for the house, twas my first house when I moved from M&D's and feel affection. The chap was wibbly about gardening last year and it all got over grown, he asked and I agreed to pay for a gardener to get it back to a managable level.

I just somehow feel that this is a bit much... I was going to talk to the agents and ask them to suggest that h made a contribution to the cost of the call out (no specific terms) I know he doesn't have much cash but if he offered a tenner I would think he understood that this wasn't something that needed an emergency call out.

[purpleloosestrife]

I have tried using agents and found that they "authorise" workmen all the time for infuriatingly DUMB things (like frillyMilly we had electricians called for blown lightbulbs) It was hugely expensive.

it would have been impossible to reclaim the money, as tenants blamed agents and vice versa. I now manage my properties and tenants myself, saves me a fortune and is actually much less hassle as have a great relationship with my tenants.

I also have a clause in the tenancy agreement that if workmen get sent out and there is no fault they are liable for call out

I think you might have to swallow this cost - but you could set up a different authority limit with your agent, so that they can't just send workmen out without contacting you first.

[whackamole]

I think it's a bit much to expect you to pay it tbh.

I had the exact opposite when I was a tenant. Moved into a property, when I viewed it, it was clear it had been vacant for some time - broken window, boiler not on, fridge freezer completely unusable as was covered in mould. None of this was rectified before I moved in, which was February and very cold. I had to call the emergency maintenance guy out as I couldn't get the boiler to work - after over 2 hours it was ok, the reason it wouldn't work was it needed servicing as was full of dust! I had £80 taken out of my deposit for that because they couldn't be bothered to inspect the property before I moved in.