Tenants getting handyman to do work. I'm just really peed off about it

[Porridgeaddiction]

I moved on with my now husband when we met into his house and I rented mine out.

I wanted to be a good landlord, so when the tenants moved in there were a few bits that they wanted doing so I asked my friend who's a handyman to do it.

There has been a couple of little things that have needed doing eg fix the guttering, and I've got my friend to do the job.

A couple of times he's messaged me to say that xyz needs fixing, is it ok for him to do the work.

Yesterday he messaged to say that he'd been to the house a few weeks ago to fix the leaking shower and a loose tile. Parts and labour £100. I didn't even realise that there was a problem with the shower and I'm p**sed off that the tenant went to the handyman and didn't tell me.

I just have a horrible gut feeling about all of this - either he's mugging me off or the tenants are getting work done which I'm not really required to do as a landlord. I know that they're very houseproud and like everything perfect, bit IMO as long as there's running water, central heating and no leaks, shouldn't that be enough?

This is a ridiculous post. Of course she wants to fix things that need fixing, she just wants to know that a problem exists before the bill to fix it is due! That’s really not much to ask. Tenants have a duty to report these things to their landlords.

You sound like a demanding tenant. It’s often not possible to fix things that cause a lack of hot water instantly and it’s perfectly normal for both tenants and homeowners to have to wait a few days for repairs.

Blimey; you retired the utility room because they didn’t like the lino?

And paid for the loft to be boarded? Their rent was surely based on the house as seen!

Just make it clear that any repairs or alterations need to go through you, and you will not pay for anything not agreed or commissioned by you. That’s normal. Otherwise you are handing them a blank cheque.

People are missing the point. This isn’t about the LL not wanting to keep the property maintained.

This is about the fact that any works need to be authorised by the LL before they go ahead, if the tenant wants the LL to foot the bill. When there is a problem the tenant needs to let the LL know first. Usually the LL will then authorise quotes and approve the work with the contractor. Sometimes they might ask the tenant to ge the quotes (unusual) but will need to approve them beforehand.

There is possibly a communication failure….and tenants have etc understood that they can’t go direct to the workman government authorise work and the Ll gets the bill. If this was allowed, tenants could be asking for any kind of work and giving the go ahead to any size of bill. That’s not viable.

Its unusual for a workman to not know they need authorisation from the LL before doing work….otherwise they cannot guarantee they will get paid.

In lots of cases, an agent is used and it would be they who the tenant contacts and get approval from, usually with the agent checking with the tenant first.

OP hasn’t said she doesn’t want to maintain the property. What she rightly doesn’t want us unexpected bills that she hasn’t authorised. It could well be that this is work she would approve…but she might be able to do the work herself or have another contractor she wants to use..and that is her right to choose and arrange, not the tenants.

In this circumstance, if the problem was genuine and price fair, I would pay bill and make clear to the tenant and contractor that if this happens in future you won’t pay and any work requests and quotes must come via you and be approved by you. If however I thought the bill was unreasonable or the work not needed, I wouldn’t oay, in the same way I wouldn’t pay any other workman who turned up and did work at my own property without my go-ahead.

Lots of this thread seem determined to misinterpret the incident as a LL not willing to maintain the property. It isn’t that.

@ClocksGoingBackwards no she said she didn't think it was something she should do
Yes the tenant should go through her and also her friend Handyman should also of checked
So just needs to make them aware , just a miscommunication thats all but op said she didn't think it was something she was liable for and seems to think only an handful of things are which is not the case

Personally I think you sound fine as a landlord. Based on what you've written you would have had the shower fixed straight away if they'd informed you. What's wrong with this situation is that the tenant and your 'friend' are spending your money for you and you have no say in it, even if your say would be 'yes of course'.

Tell them both you have to agree to the repairs and that anything that's done without your permission will have to be paid by the tenants. And put it in writing - preferably text and email. Don't rely on a verbal instruction.

Just talk to the tenants rather than coming on Mumsnet, surely?

Is it possible that the tenants intended to pay for the repair themselves but the handyman got the wrong end of the stick and billed you?

I rent, and have a very decent landlord. I'm aware she has had some big expenses on the property in the last couple of years - no one's fault, just some expensive repairs needed. As a tenant, a decent landlord is like golddust, so if there are some very minor or small maintenance issues, sometimes I will try and get them sorted myself. Nothing structural or involving major works, and if the cost exceeds £100 or so I'll ask her to sort them. Even £100 I'll often ask her to sort them if I don't fancy spending the money myself.

But if it suits me and I can avoid bothering her, I will do that as an investment in making it more likely that she'll want to keep us as tenants and be less likely to seek large rent increases when the lease is up for renewal.

Once, when I did this, I used the landlord's handyman and he billed the landlord rather than me. It was all sorted but possible that could be what happened here.

@WombatChocolate Op clearly said ahe didn't think she wS responsible for this oarticular job also and only as ling as they have running water, heating and no leaks ( which was contradictory as a leak) guess they meant loose tile
But you would fix a loose tile o as what do they think is waterproofing the wall
There will be many repairs the Op will be responsible for
Just misconmunication and Op informs tenants they come through her and also handyman only does jobs that come direct from her
But silly to think no repairs other than heat or water will be needed

Tell the tenants to contact you directly via email if any maintenance needs doing or text in an emergency. Tell them if they bypass you they will have to pay the bill themselves

Tel your handyman friend you will not pay for any works he does that aren't pre authorised.

I am a LL and you should have written into contract that any issues they must contact you in the first instance. Any maintenance work get receipts and you can get it written off against tax. It is in your interest to keep your property in an excellent state of repair, to attract good tenants and for your property to hold its value.

I woudn't of boarded the loft or changed utility floor unless in a bad state as rented as seen
Guttering was leaking so thats a must do
Utility I would if said no but if you want it done and want to pay fine it can be done, as long as was clean and useable
We used to rent and carpets were 40 years old and landlord gave us permission to change frontroom one , as its was clean and functional but not nice so our preference to change but in his favour ti let us at our cost

@Porridgeaddiction I think you're getting an unnecessarily hard time. I'm a landlord and I would 100% want to know directly from the tent about any issues/leaks etc. It is then for me to liaise with the handyman when those works are completed, and in some cases if they are completed.
Our tenants asked our handy man to change a lightbulb and to align a cupboard door which was a few millimetres out. At £250 for each call out I was pretty pissed off.

I would be surprised if a house with a poorly insulated loft would pass landlord energy efficiency requirements but I admit I missed the part about boarding the loft, I agree that’s more than the minimum.

My tennants removed my 8 month old oven and replaced it with a second hand one while it was under guarantee 🙄. In that kind of situation I told them that the oven became their problem because they had bypassed my guarantee by not talking to me.

However I think most letting agents have a understanding that they do minor works without informing the landlord and just take it off your income.

You need to talk to your tennants and handyman. I have told mine they can decorate for example however they please as long as its not garish colours. But we absolutely jump if there is a issue. Plus a leak makes your investment damp, why would you want that? I'd take my tennants painting the house bright pink over a tiny but persistent leak any day.

Letting out has non stop constant costs attached. Much like owning and doing DIY.

@FruitBatBluey I think the hard time was the comment about as long as have heating and hot water , as a landlord you would know more repairs than that may come up
But def should be in contract who to contact first

I'd pay it, because competent handy men are like gold dust around here. I'd just mention to both parties, to clear it with yourself first.

@ChilliBandit yes its makes you wonder if Op is fully aware of all landlord obligations if renting direct and theirs lots of them

@worriedatthistime - yes lots of regulation but very little enforcement sadly, so the bad landlords go undetected and unpunished.

Tell the handyman you won't honour any work or pay invoices that haven't come direct from you.

Tell the tenants you won't pay any invoices unless they come direct to you first and if they instruct the handyman, then payment is on them.

We are both landlords and my husband is a tradesman. Our tenants are very good and always come to us first with any problems. If we can't fix it then WE would instruct a tradesman. They should not be doing anything on the tenants say so. Even more of a piss take that it's someone you know!

In the same vein, my husband will not carry out any work if a gets a sniff that it's tenants trying to organise it. He's been burned in the past where someone hasn't been clear that they are the tenant and the landlord has been peed off about an unexpected bill.

Tenants should go through anything with the landlord always!

We've had a couple of tenants that are really houseproud, and on occasions where they've wanted to redecorate or re-carpet, we've been happy to go halves, if we think it will improve the property, but doesn't necessarily need doing at that point. I think it can vary tenant tenant to be honest x

I wouldn't like that they've gone straight to him rather than through you at all and I'd be telling them not to do that again however a leaking shower you are responsible for

They sound like good responsible tenants.
Are you getting to the repairs in a timely manner? That's one reason they might got to the handyman first.

If tenants have any work done on their rental, they need to pay for it, and potentially put it back to the original state when the leave if that is what the landlord wants.

If they think the landlord should pay for it, then they need to approach the landlord to ask for it and have it agreed.

Very very cheeky to have things done and expect someone else who was unaware to foot the bill.

I think your tenants see you as a soft touch. You re-tiled a floor because they didn't like it before , you insulated the loft as they wanted to use it.

That's probably why they arranged for the leak to be fixed without asking you , they think they can do what they like .

Take control and tell them nothing will be done without consulting you first .

Can you even hear yourself OP? Who are you? Scrooge?@Porridgeaddiction IMO as long as there's running water, central heating and no leaks, shouldn't that be enough?

is that how you like to live yourself? Genuine question

This x 100. The sooner we remove amateur landlords from the market the better.