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Original poster

Landlord broken window

55 replies

denimflame · 08/03/2025 09:13

Hi,

I have a small broken window pane on my front door. I broke the window myself when I got locked out of my house quickly nipping to put something in my bin and my toddler shut the door on me, the door has a deadbolt. Both doors and windows were all locked and my toddler was inside with candles on etc and I couldn't get in.

I called the landlord before I broke the window in a panic as he had a spare key and asked him if he'd be able to come round and unlock the door and he basically said no and the only other option was to break the window to get the deadbolt off and then get it replaced it should only cost about £20.

So I did just that.

Skip to a couple weeks later and I've had multiple glazers come round to measure the window pane as it's a weird size and has a leaf pattern design and I've been invoiced about £200-300 for a very small window pane. The door isn't even a nice door to pay that sort of price to get it fixed, it has no letterbox on it when we moved in, the doors not fitted properly so wind comes through the sides etc honestly it's better just replacing the sodding door at this point.

But anyway I bought some window pane repair kit and cut it down to size, putty around it and I don't think I did a bad job.

Landlord comes round and he says he's not happy with it it needs to be leaf patterned. He is selling the house and we have to move out and I'm worried that he's going to deduct £200-300 off for the window pane when he originally said it should only cost £20.

I'll attach a photo of the window.

In no way do I think I'm in the right but I tried my best to replace it so it wasn't just a hole in the door...

Landlord broken window
OP posts:
ChateauMargaux · 08/03/2025 09:21

Well done for fixing it! And I think you did the right thing in the circumstances... getting a lock smith out would have been stressful becuase they would not have been able to come straightaway and would have probably cost £200..

I think you might just have to live with the cost... however.... there might be some mitigation if he tries to replace the door... I think finding an exact match would be challenging... can you ask the glaziers who quoted to quote just for the glass?

WombTangClan · 08/03/2025 09:20

Sorry I think he probably will deduct it. It's just such a mismatch whether you think the door is nice or not.

Lovelysummerdays · 08/03/2025 09:20

In hindsight it’d of been cheaper to kick the door in and patch up the frame. I do think it’s one of those it is, what it is things. He thought it would be cheaper but still not his fault.

Original poster
denimflame · 08/03/2025 09:19

Catza · 08/03/2025 09:18

Unless you have a record of the conversation where the landlord specifically instructed you to break the glass, there is probably not very much you can do to challenge it.
You can replace a whole door for £250 which is probably something the new owners will do anyway.

Unfortunately I don't I was in a panic at the time and called him on the phone 😣 I did think the same that I'm going to fork out to get it fixed for the new owners to just replace the door 🤧

OP posts:
Catza · 08/03/2025 09:18

Unless you have a record of the conversation where the landlord specifically instructed you to break the glass, there is probably not very much you can do to challenge it.
You can replace a whole door for £250 which is probably something the new owners will do anyway.