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Original poster

Tenant false call out. Who pays?

132 replies

DonutCone · 10/11/2018 19:29

If you are a tenant and you ask the landlord to arrange someone to fix the boiler as the hot water isn’t working; but when the plumber comes round it turns out that you have had the boiler on the wrong setting Blush Would you then expect to have to pay the call put charge as there wasn’t anything actually wrong. Or should the LL pay as you did really think there was something wrong when you ask for the call out?

OP posts:
PMSwithacockinmydress · 10/11/2018 19:48

That doesn't mean that theOPhas the manual

I think it's quite safe to assume the original poster of this - a post on the internet - has internet access to find a manual.
Besides, the OP said they have it.

purplecorkheart · 10/11/2018 19:49

I would pay if I was you. You admit yourself that you were shown but forgot. Sometimes you have to gave a bit of dignity and take responsibility and pay rather than going down the who is responsible route. You messed up, you pay. I am not, nor ever had been a landlord.

listsandbudgets · 10/11/2018 19:50

Boneyback - the OP does have the manual - she misread it having forgotten how to put the boiler on. If I was tenant's landlord, I would be deeply unhappy pissed off with being expected to pay this one.

OP could you apologise and offer to pay half as you realise it was partly your fault

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Property legal advice
Spamfrittersforeveryone · 10/11/2018 19:54

I honestly don’t understand how anyone could take the piss out of someone else like this.

It was your mistake!! Why should they pay?
Have some morals.

festivelyfoolish · 10/11/2018 19:56

Is it going to leave you short for Christmas op? I think I’d pay, especially as they seem to have got someone out quickly - i.e. a good landlord but if it was going to cause you hardship I’d ask if it could be over a few months - for goodwill reasons on both sides. I sympathise, boilers confuse and terrify me.

Kezzie200 · 10/11/2018 19:57

Tenant but did you leave the manual? If not, then landlord.

Original poster
DonutCone · 10/11/2018 19:59

listandbudgets I think maybe I will offer half. I told them it was an emergency because there wasn’t any heating or hot water.... but the plumber has actually pointed out in the invoice that there is an immersion. So I look like a total twat.

I can’t afford to pay all of it really as being an emergency call out the charge is really high :( I might try throwing myself on their mercy first actually.

OP posts:
Original poster
DonutCone · 10/11/2018 20:01

Spam I didn’t mean to do it! Nothing was working at all. But then the plumber came and pressed 2 buttons [embarrassed]

OP posts:
Original poster
DonutCone · 10/11/2018 20:03

Oh Jesus I can’t even get Blush right now Sad

OP posts:
Singlenotsingle · 10/11/2018 20:06

If you called the plumber out, the contract was between you and him, so it's down to you to pay and he can sue you if you don't. There may be something in your AST agreement that means the landlord should reimburse you but you'd have to check.

Mrstwiddle · 10/11/2018 20:07

No way would I expect the LL to pay it, I would be apologising for the trouble caused by my stupidity (and it is totally the sort of thing I can imagine myself doing!) and sending them the money ASAP.

Why should they be out of pocket for your mistake?

abbsisspartacus · 10/11/2018 20:08

Does the Plumber have a call out charge if they do fuck all? Our area you can usually find someone to come out for fifty quid if you pay for repairs it gets changed into an hourly rate etc if they do nothing but tell you it's going to cost a bomb they just get the fifty quid

Original poster
DonutCone · 10/11/2018 20:08

I didn’t call the plumber out. I asked the LL to call a plumber, which they did.

OP posts:
errorofjudgement · 10/11/2018 20:09

You rented the property with with a working boiler. If that failed then the LL would be responsible.
But it didn’t,
You claimed it was an emergency, but it wasn’t, you had an immersion heater as a backup.
Plumber came out, not an emergency, nor was anything wrong with the boiler.
Totally down to you.
You should pay this bill.

festivelyfoolish · 10/11/2018 20:10

How much was the emerg call out? Yes I’d throw myself on their mercy and get them to spread the cost at least, it’s an unfortunate mistake. If you make it clear it’ll never happen again you might get somewhere.

If you want legal advice, you could ring shelter? I don’t know who legally has to pay for a good faith call out that turned out to be user error

huggybear · 10/11/2018 20:12

I'm sure you can't be forced to pay but I would in your shoes.

Jinglebells99 · 10/11/2018 20:13

I think you would be unreasonable to expect the landlord to pay for this.

DaysOfCurlySpencer · 10/11/2018 20:14

You were in the premises with the boiler and presumably the manual, you have internet access to enable you to check what has caused the boiler to stop working. Instead you asked the landlord to call a plumber.

If I had done that I would have expected to pay and would learn from it.

HellenaHandbasket · 10/11/2018 20:15

I would pay. You have everything you need to hand, yet called the LL saying it was an emergency etc. They respond as they should, and in actual fact there is an immersion as well.

RebelWitchFace · 10/11/2018 20:17

They can't force you to pay but you should. There was no fault and there was no emergency.

bogiesaremyonlyfriend · 10/11/2018 20:19

You should very clearly pay, you've had it explained, you have the Manual, it was obvious once pointed out. You made the mistake and you should pay.

User24689 · 10/11/2018 20:21

I would expect to pay. Last year we repeatedly smelled gas in our house over the course of a few days and when the gas company came out they couldn't find a leak. We had to pay.. We never did find out what caused the smell but it was possibly due to some building work going on behind us.

I was annoyed tbh because we called in good faith and have young children so wanted it checked... But then I suppose it wasn't the landlords fault someone came out for no reason either!

whatsthecomingoverthehill · 10/11/2018 20:22

Did you try to explain what the problem was with the boiler or did you just tell the LL that you needed a plumber to come out?

DevonshireCreamTea · 10/11/2018 20:23

Let the landlord pay I'm sure they're getting enough money out of you !!

PurpleShepNeedsToGoToBed · 10/11/2018 20:24

Tenant 100% should pay. No doubt.