or is my landlord?..........

[hatesponge]

will put this in context by saying am having v busy/difficult week, reasons as follows:

• DC are going to Mexico for 2 weeks on Friday with their dad, my Ex. We - DC & I - are very close. I have never spent more than 3 days away from them before (eldest is 10). I am finding thought of them going away for so long a bit sad & painful

• Half my office is out with swine flu/suspected swine flu, couple of people have been hospitalised so atmosphere at work not good - people are both worried & very stressed trying to cover the extra work.

• have been late to/from work every day this week due to train/bus problems, not a big issue I know but annoying

• have been comfort eating, feel like crap & at weekend have to go to close friends v v smart wedding with lots of trendy media type people feeling like a fat heifer

so, am having a shit week......bearing this in mind, I live in a rented house. Been here a little over a year. Have never met landlord but have spoken a couple of times over the phone, exchanged emails etc

Last weekend he phoned twice - I missed the calls - & second time left a message asking me to call.

I was really busy with various things and completely forgot to call back. Monday I had a call from one of his maintenance people, to do annual checks on boiler etc (who needs to come before the end of the month but who tells me he will only come round mon-fri 9-5 when i'm at work - so i tell him i will have to come back to him as a) we are swamped at work as mentione above & b) im reluctant to lose precious holiday on waiting for gas man!), & then landlord phones again - whilst im on phone so leaves another message. I intend to phone back once I'm in a better frame of mind but dont get round to it.

Hr then called again twice yesterday (by which time - as I hate being chased unnecessarily am even less inclined to call back ) and then tonight come home to a note through my door from landlord saying he had called round, he must speak to me URGENTLY & I need to phone him, its IMPERATIVE! (and yes he used those words & caps...)

I will phone tomorrow. But AIBU not to have phoned already (probably but I can live with that ) also AIBU to think landlord is being a BIT excessive? In fairness I could be on holiday - and if I was I certainly wouldnt be phoning him til I got back!

[Indith]

Tricky, I know how you feel being swamped etc but it is very important for him to have the boiler checks done. I believe it is against the law for him to rent a property without a current certificate for the boiler so if his is about to run out then I understand why he is getting impatient. If he is local then perhaps he can come round to be in for the gas man? My landlady is always happy to come round to let people in.

[Longtalljosie]

YABU. He has called four times, and left messages. He says it's urgent, and until you call back you won't find out whether it is. Call him now.

[FeelingLucky]

Sorry you're having a rubbish week, but do think you should call your landlord if he could be prosecuted for not having your boiler checked for safety.
If you can't be available to open the door for the engineer, maybe landlord wants your permission to enter your home and wait in for him in your absence?

[hatesponge]

I fully appreciate checks etc have to be done which is why when I spoke to maintenance chap on Monday - which was the first time he had called me, I told him he could come round any evening this week. He couldnt do this & as I cant have any time off this week for above reasons it will have to wait to next week (provided I can get some time off then). It's not like he phoned weeks ago & I've been cancelling appts etc.

I honestly dont think anything could be that urgent to require such an immediate response. I would never dream of chasing any of my work clients like this............

[hatesponge]

I wouldnt be happy with anyone being here (that I dont know) in my absence to be honest. I have never met my landlord so would be a bit uncomfortable with him being here without me, if that makes sense.

[Indith]

well we won't know who is being unreasonable until you find out what he wants (I want to know now ). Maybe there is something urgent. I'd be pretty pissed off if I'd beed leaving a landlord messages and he thought it couldn't be that urgent so didn't respond right away. Heck it could be anything, maybe he is going on holiday tomorrow and wants to make sure you know who to contact (medium importance), maybe he is behind on the mortgage and your house is about to be repossessed (major importance), or maybe he is being a twat who just wants to arrange an inspection or somesuch (unimportant).

[Silver1]

Perhaps he needs to tell you the house is about to repossessed? I'd call.

[Hassled]

It does sound like your week has been truly horrendous. However, none of that is your landlord's problem. He's effectively running a business - the rent from your house is part of his livelihood, he almost certainly has his own problems (don't we all?) and whatever he needs to tell you/organise is obviously quite important. Just call him. And good luck over the Mexico period - I really feel for you.

[Longtalljosie]

"I honestly dont think anything could be that urgent to require such an immediate response. I would never dream of chasing any of my work clients like this............"

You would do if it was urgent and imperative you spoke to them. Sorry, but you're being ridiculous. Call him. I feel sorry for your landlord, I must say. You have a business relationship with him, he's doing everything right, and you've come to the conclusion what he's saying to you isn't true on the back of no evidence at all.

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

Sorry you are having a bad week. As the other say, it is illegal for the flat to be let without a current gas safety cert, though I'm sure there are some dodgy ones who do let them lapse. It is ultimately for your protection and I think it is good that he wants it sorted and not his problem that your week has been as it is.

[Besom]

Yes yabu. You should have called back.

Don't know if landlord is bu because we don't know for certain why he is chasing you like this.

[JackBauer]

YABU. Call your landlord, find out what he wants and then moan depending on what he has to say.
Sorry you're having a shitty time but he doesn't know that as you havent called him

[MadameCastafiore]

Lets hope the boiler isn't faulty and your precious children don't die of carbon monoxide poisoning and if that happens you will have no legal come back on your landlord as you have on numerous occasions made it impossible for his man to come and check appliances!

Maybe look at it like that and you are being very unreasonable!

[Buda]

It might be something totally unrelated to the boiler inspection for all you know. It is downright rude not to return so many calls. OK you are having a shitty time but in the current economic climate he may be too and as others have said he could be about to have the house repossessed or something. You are assuming it is about the boiler but it may not be.

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

Again - sorry you are having a hard time but...you must let the landlord in if you aren't available - it's in your tenancy agreement. Landlords are rarely thieves/weirdos and even though you haven't met him you need to let him in to sort stuff out.

[readyfornumber2and3]

YABU and as for saying that you wouldnt feel comfortable having him waiting there for the engineer himself then YABVVU its HIS house not yours!!

We live in rented accomadation and have regular checks (3 monthly) they tell us when they are coming and if we are not in they use their own key,same with any maintainance.

It is very important that the boiler is serviced and you could lose your home if its not done because he will be breaching the law!!!

You do realise that aslong as he gives you 24 hours notice he can enter the property anyway? I would ring him if I were you because if you were my tenant and behaving like this I would have to seriously consider renewing your lease!!

[MrsGuyofGisbourne]

YABU - suppose it was the other way round ad you were trying to get hold of him cos eg teh boiler had broken down, and he did not return your calls cos he was 'too busy'/on hols. You'd be here on MN complaining and of course we would al sympathise with you.If he is late with his check he can be prosecuted.
And not his fault you were late for work - if the buses and trains are rubbish, leave home earlier!
If you have time to post on MN, why not instead use that time to extend the simple courtesy of returning a call .
I have had tenants in the past, if a gas check need to be done they are happy to leave me the key (I do not go in without asking) - and I do not nose around in tehri ansence!!
If you can't be there, get someone else or let him, and give the poor man a break.

[Notalone]

YABU - by the time you typed this you could have called him . I appreciate this is a very bad week for you and you are probably very stressed but do you really want to make the relationship between you and him tricky? You will be even more stressed if the relationship becomes turbulant and you worry that he may give you notice. . Oh, and if I were you I would apologise and explain your reasons for the delay. Once he is aware he should be understanding. Think of the relief you will feel once you have got it over and done with

[wickedwitch81]

YABU - we live in rented property and we had to have these checks recently - me and df couldn't get a day off work so was quite happy for our landlord to come round and the let the man in - think about the safety of you and your children... What is worse having your landlord let the man in or have a major gas explosion... Think about it

[Bathsheba]

From reading your OP it sounds to me that not calling him back is FAR more about your own petulance and some sort of chip on your shoulder about him calling you 4 times, than it is about your bad week or being busy.

Nothing to do with your kids going on holiday or you comfort eating and far more to do with you being stroppy and sulky about it for no reason.

Very childish.

[sandcastles]

He has called 5 times, left at least 2 messages...YABVU!

Call him!

[TrillianAstra]

You haven't met your landlord, that means he hasn't met you. He's probably quite worried that you haven't responded.

(AIBU to have put this note through my tenant's door, I called her 5 times and she hasn't called back?)

Do what Notalone says - you need to have a good relationship with your landlord.

[paisleyleaf]

It could be anything, and you don't know because you won't ring him
maybe the boiler has a little while longer left under guarantee/free service.
maybe his certificates etc are being looked into
...he does have to show that he has taken reasonable steps to comply with the law.

It does sound as though he's been a perfectly reasonable landlord and not pestering you at all if you've never met him yet.

He would feel a whole lot better if you would speak with him and organise an actual appointment. And it would keep things more pleasant than him having to give you 24 hours to enter the house house himself.

[ReneRusso]

YABU. Sorry about your bad week but the landlord knows nothing of that and is just wondering why you won't return his calls. And surely just let the gas guy come in while you're at work - saves you any hassle. Why does that bother you? As readyfor said its his house and he has the right to enter the property on a regular basis anyway. You don't need to take a days holiday for that.