Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

New tenants want everything but do nothing

201 replies

frankiesamson · 27/07/2018 16:37

The ongoing saga with our various tenants is that they want the place to be clean but don't want to clean it or pay for a cleaner. They're never happy. We went away for 10 days and they had destroyed everything, let the plants in the house & garden die by not watering even once, and the house looked like animals lived there. Literally. It was a shock to walk through the front door- the dirty body smell in the house, blocked toilet, unclean floors & surfaces..etc.

Out of 8 tenants we've had, only 1 was a relatively normal reliable responsible person.

Our latest problem is that we had to go away for a few months & one of the tenants told us the shower is broken. Apparently it's been broken for ages but none of them informed us! She wants us to get it fixed asap, so I called a few plumbers & found one. However, the tenant(s) don't want to give us any specific time they can be in to let the plumber in to the house. They want it done, but don't want to let him in.

We've even offered to pay one of the less irresponsible tenants £200 every month just while we're away, to look after the house & garden.. she agreed.. but as soon as I mentioned to keep it clean, she changed her mind- so I offered her £100 a month to let workmen in to do repairs as needed but no cleaning- she agreed- but as soon as I mentioned the plumber was going to call around, she changed her mind again.

We don't know what to do. We don't know anyone in the area & have had awful experience with agencies where they take £300 a month and do nothing.

The strange thing is- for £100 a month it would involve in average maybe 1 hours work every 6 months. The tenants are all interested when we offer them the money but as soon as it comes to actually doing anything, they don't want it anymore.

I wish my landlord had offered me £200 to clean or £100 a month to let the plumber in when I was renting - I used to do it for free!!

Wish we could just find someone reliable & willing to be paid for this simple task.

OP posts:
PlatypusPie · 27/07/2018 23:01

So they were already lodgers then you went away ? Being a lodger is an entirely different mindset from a tenant - you trade autonomy and private space that you would have as a tenant for the household management that takes place when the owner is in residence. You may think it is it fine to expect them to wait in for a trademan , which is what would happen with a tenant, but it is not the same for a lodger. If you cant find a substitute for you, then you have to arrange to be there, long distance or not. If you, or a reasonable substitute, isn’t living there, they aren’t lodgers .

Original poster
frankiesamson · 27/07/2018 23:01

Nosquirrels, we tried that already- airbnb shut down their "find a cohost" function a month ago to our surprise, so we can no longer find air b n b people which is what we wanted!

OP posts:
Original poster
frankiesamson · 27/07/2018 23:02

Bigpinkball thanks for that

OP posts:
Original poster
frankiesamson · 27/07/2018 23:03

Gwen, thanks for your support :)

OP posts:
pennycarbonara · 27/07/2018 23:06

OP, I would also try searching errands services West London (or more specific area name) and/or try Universal Aunts if you would be most comfortable with a long established agency.

newnamenewnamenewname · 27/07/2018 23:07

Whereabouts in West London are you? I might know someone, if you want to PM me more details.

Original poster
frankiesamson · 27/07/2018 23:07

Playpus, our mistake- we hadn't realised there were such different expectations between lodgers or tenants, here we were thinking we're all human beings capable of opening a front door for a plumber. My mistake!

OP posts:
Branleuse · 27/07/2018 23:13

Gardens probably dead like everybody elses garden and fields right now. They probably stink too cos its so fucking hot.

Gwenhwyfar · 27/07/2018 23:15

"You may think it is it fine to expect them to wait in for a trademan , which is what would happen with a tenant"

I'm a tenant and I don't use my previous annual leave to wait in for tradesmen, my LL's agents have a spare key and they let the tradesmen in, or they give the key to trusted tradesmen.

SilverHairedCat · 27/07/2018 23:27

Google Girl Friday West London: first result www.girlfridaylondon.com/about

I can't vouch for this company, it's literally the first one I found online.

Plenty of other options out there, honestly it's a simple concept when you know the name Girl Friday!

OlennasWimple · 27/07/2018 23:27

The problem is, OP, that you started this thread to have a bit of a rant about how terrible your tenants are. Then it transpires that they aren't tenants (and you apparently didn't appreciate that there was a difference), and your crossness at them is entirely mis-placed. They haven't done anything wrong!

You would probably get the answer to the actual issue (finding a trustworthy plumber in W London to fix the shower asap, and how to find other handymen to fix problems as they arise now and then) if your thread had asked about this and not gone down the rabbit hole of bemoaning how terrible the tenants / lodgers are

Haddaway · 27/07/2018 23:35

I think that being a landlord is not for you.

Etino · 27/07/2018 23:37

Anyone else reminded of this tale?
🤔

MyDcAreMarvel · 27/07/2018 23:40

Well as they are midgets and not tentants then it’s not their responsibility to let the plumber in. I can see why they don’t want to.

Joe66 · 27/07/2018 23:48

Am I the only one struggling with this? I do think if you are taking people's money you should appraise yourself of the legal status of your lodgers/tenants and be prepared to deal with maintenance issues as they arise, even if it's inconvenient. Surely it makes sense to have researched a handyman who would be able to attend the property for maintenance and it's easy enough to get a key to somebody . Every suggestion made by posters has been shot down.

OlennasWimple · 27/07/2018 23:48

"Midgets" is a fabulous autocorrect Grin

Joe66 · 27/07/2018 23:50

I thought it was some sort of veiled insult lol

MyDcAreMarvel · 28/07/2018 00:05

Lodgers! How on earth did my phone get so confused .

Original poster
frankiesamson · 28/07/2018 00:11

So we still don't know where to find a reliable cleaner

OP posts:
Original poster
frankiesamson · 28/07/2018 00:13

Branleuse, your garden will only be dead if you don't water it but thanks for that constructive comment

OP posts:
Etino · 28/07/2018 00:14

You’ve had a lot of advice OP. Your most recent post proves that the problem lies very close to home.

Joe66 · 28/07/2018 00:14

OP, there are lots of cleaning agencies out there. Spend some time ringing round.

Original poster
frankiesamson · 28/07/2018 00:16

Etino, thanks for that. Know any reliable cleaners in west london?

OP posts:
Original poster
frankiesamson · 28/07/2018 00:17

Joe66, had nothing but problems with agencies so steering clear. We need a reliable word of mouth cleaner.

OP posts:
Original poster
frankiesamson · 28/07/2018 00:18

Joe, comments aren't being shot down , I've thanked Johnny for his insight & many others. If you say "all Gardens are dead right now" in a post looking for a reliable person to manage a property, it is likely to get shot down by anyone

OP posts:
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.

Swipe left for the next trending thread