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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:
wowfudge · 10/11/2018 21:27

Might be worth reading your tenancy agreement OP as there may well be something in there about unwarranted call outs. Your LL got someone our straightaway. They didn't question your judgement or put it off so the least you can do is bloody pay for it.

Clickncollect · 10/11/2018 21:28

Maybe the LL will take it out tenant’s deposit at the end of the tenancy. Hence why LL texted and asked if OP agreed with the plumber’s summary so that LL has written evidence of OP’s error.

updownleftrightstart · 10/11/2018 21:30

If you can't afford £80, will you be able to afford the deposit and moving costs for a new place if the landlord decides they want to give you your notice and instead rent to someone who doesn't insist on emergency call outs because they can't read a manual?

There is a chance if you don't offer to pay for your mistake you'll be looking for somewhere new as soon as the landlord can get you out.

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Property legal advice
Original poster
DonutCone · 10/11/2018 21:32

Shit. Ok you’re all right. I’m going to say I will pay for all of it, but can it be taken over the next 3 months.

I don’t want to ruin the relationship as they have always been really good and quick with repairs, and PP is probably right, they have all the evidence to take it out the deposit anyway :(

Painful mistake. But yes, my mistake.

OP posts:
cheesymashandbeans · 10/11/2018 21:35

You should def pay this. Your error. Why should the LL pay for your stupidity? You have said that you had the manual, you have been shown how to use it. I can't believe you're even asking. If you were my tenant it'd be a black mark against you when I came to consider renewing your tenancy if you didn't pay.

cheesymashandbeans · 10/11/2018 21:36

What makes you think the LL has got the money to spare? Not all landlords are rolling in cash.

AlisonWunderland · 10/11/2018 21:37

Sunday evening?
I had no heating all last weekend.
I contacted plumber to come on Monday, but then I knew I was going to be paying....

Tiscold · 10/11/2018 21:37

Agreed, if you were my tenant and made me paid for your massive fuck up, you wouldn't be having a renewal.

JuniperBeer · 10/11/2018 21:41

Why didn’t you google? If it’s been explained before. You really can’t go one night without hot water and heating?! It just smacks of “It’s not my boiler, it’s yours, I want it fixed right NOW”. Hopefully you will take this as a bit of a lesson and become a bit more self reliant.

DamnCommandments · 10/11/2018 21:41

Why are you offering to pay?! You're shooting yourself in the foot.

VimFuego101 · 10/11/2018 21:42

You had the manual and admit you misread it, you need to pay.

Smurf123 · 10/11/2018 21:49

My landlords would always have asked if I had tried x, and z and usually come out and had a look themselves before phoning a plumber..
But if the hot water wasn't coming on either are you sure nothing was wrong? As surely you have been using hot water up until then even if you didn't have the heat on??

MadeForThis · 10/11/2018 21:49

You never know, if you have been a reliable tenant and offer to pay in instalments the LL might agree to let you off this time or split the charge.

They won't want the hassle or reletting the house either.

But you need to be prepared to pay.

AlexanderHamilton · 10/11/2018 21:52

The landlord might have been unable to come out on a Sunday evening. Or they might know nothing at all about heating and thought I’d better leave it to the experts.

Maelstrop · 10/11/2018 21:54

As mentioned, Google or read the bloody manual. Given you were previously shown how it works, it's pretty disgusting that you even think the ll should pay for something that's entirely your fault.

DamnCommandments · 10/11/2018 21:55

It's not her boiler. It's the landlord's. I'm a landlord. When I've persevered with e.g. an old temperamental boiler in my rented house, I've accepted tenant call-outs as par for the course. I'm also a tenant. My landlord is currently insisting on nursing an ancient boiler through its last winter. It's so crappy that you have to use an ice-cream tub to top up the pressure. I expect my landlord to pay a plumber to top it up for me. His decision to keep a stupid boiler, so it's his bill to pay.

Are all you "you're a dumb shit so you pay" posters actually serious that you would pay if you couldn't figure out a complex and dangerous piece of machinery which didn't belong to you?

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 10/11/2018 21:59

Are all you "you're a dumb shit so you pay" posters actually serious that you would pay if you couldn't figure out a complex and dangerous piece of machinery which didn't belong to you?

I didn't say she was dumb. But yes, I'd pay if I'd had a demonstration of how to use a boiler and had the manual and still called out an emergency plumber. It would be different if she had not been shown how to use the boiler and had the menu; but she had both. And it's a boiler...

AlexanderHamilton · 10/11/2018 22:03

But the OP’s boiler hadn’t lost pressure. She’d just forgotten how to turn the heating on.

DamnCommandments · 10/11/2018 22:04

No, Anchor you were much more polite than some.

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 10/11/2018 22:06

Ah, sorry damn. I'm multitasking and the thread hasn't loaded everything.

giveitfive · 10/11/2018 22:15

As a tenant, not only would I pay but I would be keen to make amends if, as you say you had the manual and have been shown before.

I see you have said you will pay but I would be concerned that the Landlord would decide to cut their losses on a tenant who causes extra costs like this....

Having been a landlord... I would be thinking of giving notice to a tenant making this kind of expensive mistake....

I recently had my heating out for four days while the Landlord faffed about with it. We cracked the immersion heater on and dug out the duvets.... I thanked the Landlord warmly when they got it resolved. Whoever holds the legal responsibility, there is a lot to be said for keeping the relationship good and being seen to be an excellent tenant....

babydreamer1 · 10/11/2018 22:23

Definitely the right decision to pay OP, it was your mistake and the landlord shouldn't be out of pocket for it. Not all landlords have an endless pot of money. I would think highly of a tenant who offered to pay, even over a few months, and would be more inclined to help them in the future.

CluedoAddict · 10/11/2018 22:28

You should pay it all. What was the emergency? We were without heating and got water for 5 months until we could get a new boiler.

DoAsYouWouldBeMumBy · 10/11/2018 22:54

We rented our very nice flat out for a couple of years, but the tenant was so demanding with stuff like thus, plus redecorating requests (seriously not needed) that we barely broke even and had to end the tenancy and sell the flat at a loss just to get away from the ridiculous extra bills.
(HMRC charged us zero tax on the rent).

Why the heck did you need an emergency call out on a Sunday?? Monday would have been fine. Hot water bottles and baby wipes are what the homeowner would have done. I think it was quite childish to ask for an emergency call out. As your LL I might have paid it but then chucked you out as soon as I could. Not all LLs are property magnates - many are just ordinary families like us who have had to move house for personal reasons.

PippaRabbit · 10/11/2018 23:05

Hot water bottles and baby wipes are what the homeowner would have done

I disagree with this. If it had been a genuine boiler issue I would have had no problem getting an emergency heating engineer out. I wouldn't have seen any of my tenants being without hot water or heating. I wouldn't want to be without it so why should anyone else just because they're renting a house?

The OP has already said she'll pay for the call out and that she made a mistake. I also never understand landlords who won't let tenants decorate as long as the house is returned to it's original decorative state when they leave. It's their home after all...

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