A question for any of you that are landlords!

[User4223131]

If a tenant was to report a washing machine fault and a new machine was needed - how long would you feel was reasonable to leave them without a washing machine?

Tenants have been in 8 months, no issues, rent paid on time every month, property being well looked after. Family with young children. The washing machine that has broken is about 6 years old I believe.

My new washer just took 2 weeks to arrive also communication between letting agents and landlords take time I believe legally they have like 28 days to replace broken items which they have done

I know a washing machine is fundamental so would get on to it right away. My husband is pretty handy and managed to fix the dishwasher in our rental quickly.

Good tenants are worth their weight in gold. Replace the washer as soon as possible
Absolutely!

Depending on the situation I may send someone to have a look at it (if it was fairly new for example) or use any warranty.If it was an older one and/or as soon as I knew it were beyond repair I'd order another, from wherever had a suitable one that would arrive the fastest.

I think It's a bit unrealistic to assume it would be replaced within a couple of days. A lot of things take at least that for the order to process and then finding a convenient delivery slot etc, launderettes are a thing, but in short, as soon as is humanely possible!

Thanks everyone. I do realise that the property manager is pretty stuck here - the landlord is perfectly entitled to choose to sort the issue herself, which is fine. It’s just taking a really long time.

We live in quite a small town and there is no launderette or anything - all we have is an expensive dry cleaners. I also don’t drive so taking laundry elsewhere isn’t an option. Hand washing all my toddlers clothes and my work clothes isn’t fun 😅

I’m a landlord and i will replace it straightaway

We had to wait 5 days for someone to look at ours and a further 2 for repair parts to arrive. Not a landlord but I would expect no more than 5 working days.

(We did use a local laundrette to wash essentials.)

I'm sorry to hear that OP, I'd arrange to replace it straight away but would depend on delivery times from Currys, etc. Do you have a nice neighbour who might be willing to help do a few loads for you?

Miele took 3 weeks to repair my machine that cost over £1000 and was under a year old. They thought that was reasonable. Im not sure why we are putting a dofferent standard on landlords from that acceptable to clnsumers generally.

That said, if the machine is not repairable one could be ordered woth next day delivery from numerous shops. Depends if tenant is aboe to install themselves or whether landlors needa a plumber who might not be avaliable at a moments notice.

I took the best part of 2 weeks from initial reporting. Sounds long but first it had to be verified needing replaced, then as it’s a 1st floor flat and I needed the service for someone to deliver, install and take the old one away the fastest I could get this was 8 days. I could physically have got one there earlier but wouldn’t have been a lot of use sitting kerbside a floor below the flat.
I reimbursed the tenants costs of (2 I think?) laundrette washes during this time.

This is why I always remove all white goods.

It's then the responsibility of the tenant if they chose to have an appliance.

If anything I am responsible for fails then I aim to have repairs completed within a week.

This was actually what we had wanted. It was verbally agreed with the landlord (she requested that we have a viewing of the property with her after we’d met with the letting agents before she accepted us as tenants) that she would remove all white goods bar the cooker and dishwasher as they are integrated. When we turned up with our removals company to move in the white goods were still in the property. She’d been unable to have someone remove them and because it wasn’t in writing that she’d agreed to, the letting agent couldn’t do anything! So we had to sell ours that we’d brought with us

I don't leave them without , repairs and replacements are done asap

2 days.

Straight away.... We bought a cheap (less than £200) one for our tenant the other year. She really appreciated it and (having had broken washing machines & children myself) I felt sorry for her.

Tell them that all your damp clothes from swimming are starting to mould up the walls. That might start to focus their minds.

When the machine we supplied for our tenants broke down we replaced it wi

When our tenant's machine broke we replace and fitted a new one within 3 days.

I would order a new one the day I was told, so as long as it took to arrange delivery.

Yep, max a couple of days.

If I couldn't get it sorted, I'd let the tenant buy one & reimburse but there's no excuse. But I can't think of a single reason why a 6 yo washing machine isn't replaced immediately, other than access issues.

I replaced an 18 month old one last month. Tenant pays for decent customer service.