To Ask A Tenant To Wait Til Morning For An Electrician?

[MeantToStopAtTwo]

It's nearly 10pm. Tenant (a youngish bachelor type who lives on his own) just rang to say he has lighting but the rest of the electrics are out. He'd like to have a power shower before he goes to bed and is worried about the stuff in his freezer. Can he call an emergency electrician out?

I told him no. He'll have to make do with a bath instead tonight and wait til morning. Unless of course he's prepared to pay the excess (over what an electrician's daytime rate would be) himself.

AIBU?

Has he checked the trip switch in the fuse box?

Yes to be honest, what if all his freezer stuff defrosts? Sorry it is your responsibility.

Power shower is unreasonable but you may end up with a freezer bill. As he lives alone though that will still be less than the call out fee!

If he doesn't open the freezer door it won't defrost before morning.

If he has lights then it's probably the fuse box.

YANBU if you are happy to cover the cost of everything in his freezer which will be in the bin by tomorrow morning.

If I was your tenant I would expect you to get it sorted pronto or pay for the contents of the freezer.

I can imagine the thread ... "AIBU to bill my landlord for my Sunday roast"

I'm betting it's a trip switch gone.

YABU, if it's a fault with the electrics in YOUR house, you should foot the bill for any defrosted food if you refuse!

Er yes YABU. It's your responsibility, how on earth is he supposed to manage without electricity? And what's he supposed to do tomorrow, take time off work to sort it out. I would not be impressed if you were my landlord.

I know it's a stupid question, but has he tried the fuse box? Sounds strange that the electricity is working in parts of the property but not others.

Being a tenant myself, I would want it to be sorted ASAP, especially considering the wasted food in the freezer - I think it will survive for a few hours if the door isn't opened.

I guess it depends on the difference in cost between an emergency sparky and one who comes out during normal hours.

Mmm, I think maybe YAB a bit U. It will cost him £££ to replace freezer full of food. Does he have to go to work in the morning? So no possiblity of a hot drink tonight or tomorrow morning?
I think this kind of annoyance is part and parcel of having tenants.
However, I'd make him check the fuse box first.

If I had no electricity apart from lights I'd expect my landlord to behave better than that.

complete x post with everybody! I'm a slow typer obviously.

Has he even looked at the fuse box?

Of course YABU. You are the landlord, he has no electricity apart from lights, it needs sorting. He won't be able to boil a kettle or use a toaster or an electric razor etc.

You need to get over there and check the fuses or get an electrician.

As a tenant I would say YANBU.

I wouldnt ever expect to be able to get hold of my landlord/letting agent at 10pm. I would try the fuse box and then leave till the morning. As I would expect anyone would surely??

I am council tenant now. If that happened now, I would leave it till the morning. Its not an emergency. Therefore as a landlord you shouldnt have to pay an emergency fee. He can wait until morning- he has food and water.

I disagree. If it were my own money I was spending, I'd have a bath and wait til morning before calling out the electrician.

The freezer food will be fine if he keeps the door shut.

And by the way, you're not liable for his food bill if he claims it has all defrosted.

YABU - did remind me though of our tenants who had no hot water for several days and then came and told us on a Sunday afternoon (after i'd had my favourite and most reliable plumber and electrician in all the week before refitting my bathrooms and they live next door). Bangs head off wall :D

Still called them out though through slightly gritted teeth. It goes with the territory.

I forsee this:

You give in and pay £££ for a call-out. He looks under the stairs, laughs, and resets the fuse box, the leaves after about 3 minutes.

If it wasn't for his stuff in the freezer, I would say it's fine to wait until morning actually. I would do if it was my house! Offer to cover the stuff in the freezer and book someone for first thing tomorrow.

The stuff in the freezer will be absolutely fine overnight.

If he has lights, then he needs to check the fuse box as others have said.

dont they say unopened freezers are find for up to 24 hours? in case of power cuts etc?

I work in a care home and the housing association have provided us with a list of what is classed as an emergency and what isn't. A partial loss of electricity would be an emergency.

But if I was your tenant I'd be hunting for the fuse box and checking to see if a switch had blown... and I wouldn't be wanting to stay up half the night waiting for an electrician. I'd go to bed and sort it in the morning... unless he has a chest freezer full of meat.

His freezer stuff won't defrost for hours if he doesn't open the door. It's not a life threatening emergency - he's just going to bed! Make sure someone is round very first thing you can though.