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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think we are not the landlord's servants?

86 replies

grumpytenant · 09/04/2011 19:07

We rent a house, including a washing machine.
On my due date (I am now 40+2) the washing machine broke.
DP called the landlord, couldn't get hold of him, called his son, who can contact his father abroad, blah blah, complete palaver, anyway the long & the short of it is 12 hours later the son turned up to have a fiddle with the washing machine. (We can't just call an engineer because then the landlord won't pay for it.)

He arrived in the middle of dinner time and then co-opted DP into spending 4 hours messing about trying to fix it (doing all the normal stuff we had done already, reading the manual etc), fetching buckets, moving things around, etc. I knew he wouldn't fix it but also knew his dad is too tight to call a pro until he had put his son through all this. DP was knackered before all this started.

Eventually he left, too late to do anything or call anyone, saying he would get an engineer the next day. So: beautiful washing day wasted, no resolution, wasted evening that DP had earmarked for other stuff, and spent chasing around after someone else (while I admittedly sat on my extremely large arse and finished my dinner)

AIBU to think that if you are renting a house you are paying the landlord to sort this shit out, and that if he is too tight to just call a pro to fix the washing machine, he should at least get his son to bring his own helper to fiddle pointlessly about with it?

OP posts:
fedupandfifty · 09/04/2011 19:09

YANBU. You should be able to contact an engineer yourself in an emergency, at a maximum rate agreed.

RoseC · 09/04/2011 19:11

YANBU

Does your contract mention what will happen in the case of breakages/breakdowns? Ours mentions that the landlord will fix it 'within a reasonable time' or words to that effect. If yours does it might be worth mentioning that and your MP/local council in the same sentence?

HarrietSchulenberg · 09/04/2011 19:11

YANBU. If he can't sort it out himself he should let you get your own pro in.

RhiRhi123 · 09/04/2011 19:13

YANBU it's the landlords place to get it fixed. We're moving out of our rented flat into a rented house. This is partly because we need the extra space (34+4) and partly because the landlord is a twat. He's been doing viewings at the most inconvenient times one with an hours notice! he's supposed to give 24 hours notice in writing which he never has! Then he comes and comments about tiny scuffs and things on the wall. It's so stressfull! normal wear and tear is to be expected and anything else we will make good. We better get our deposit back!

trixie123 · 09/04/2011 19:13

unfortunate timing and I can see why you are annoyed but as an ex landlord I would say that it is fair enough to check that it ISNT something as simple as a blown fuse / clogged filter etc before calling out an engineer. Having spent 4 hrs on it though, I would expect to call an engineer at this point - also given the circumstances make sure that the landlord's son knows HE Might need to be there rather than you.

TheProvincialLady · 09/04/2011 19:16

YANBU but next time your DP should just refuse to help and say that since you are paying for the use of a washing machine, he is not going to give his time for free to help someone fix it because that is the landlors's job.

SuchProspects · 09/04/2011 19:20

I agree with Trixie that it isn't unreasonable of the landlord to want his son to check it out and try to fix it before calling a plumber. But expecting your DH to help him (especially for 4 flaming hours!) is definitely unreasonable. Next time you should just say "Sorry, have other things to do. Let us know if you'd like a glass of water." and go off and watch TV.

ladyintheradiator · 09/04/2011 19:26

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
grumpytenant · 09/04/2011 19:27

Oh I thought I was being a right grumpy sourpuss and you would be all " get a grip, I had to solder the connections in my dishwasher while having 5 min contractions with dc6" or something. I actually think DP should have said something like that but it started reasonably enough with "have you got a bucket?" and .... you know how it is.

(Actually I am sour enough to think they should even bring their own stuff and not have you fetching and carrying but I might be taking that to extremes)

don't give a stuff about the washing machine now because I have just realised I am getting cx every 30 minutes which is how dc1 started (this is dc2) and I have missed the chance to get my mum on the last train by about 40 minutes argh! Hope I don't have to go to hospital before she can get here to look after dc1 (tomorrow lunchtime now)

(Had dc1 here - in the dining room - wondered if you are "allowed" to have a baby in rented accommodation and then thought, what is he going to do, put it back? Wish I could do that again)

OP posts:
Original poster
grumpytenant · 09/04/2011 19:28

The washing machine was fixed the next day by Indesit man - it was just the waste of DP's time and the use of the machine for 2 days that was bothering me (we don't have a dryer and this is fantastic drying weather)

OP posts:
CocktailQueen · 09/04/2011 19:36

YANBU- it is the landlord's reponsibility to fix things, not your dh's!

ladyintheradiator · 09/04/2011 19:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pinkytheshrinky · 09/04/2011 19:41

I do think you need to chill actually - having a try to fix it is fine and hey...it's two days!

zukiecat · 09/04/2011 19:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Toughasoldboots · 09/04/2011 19:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
grumpytenant · 09/04/2011 20:01

He would have to say no in advance tho - something like "Yes it's fine if you come round this evening but just so you know, we won't be able to help so if you need assistance maybe you should bring someone with you". and DP would never do this in a million years. I would, which is probably why DP does all the talking to them.

When dd was about 4 weeks old there was a wasps' nest in the guttering beneath her bedroom window. (I am allergic to wasp stings, I mean all the anaphylactic, adrenalin-injection sort of carry on). We tried to get the landlord to deal with this a few times, it was all a bit inconclusive. For some reason DP was out when landlord turned up one evening at 10 when I was in my PJs, asked for a chair to stand on, and started spraying a nearly empty can of Asda fly spray into the guttering. I was shitting myself. I was imagining a cartoon style phalanx of wasps emerging furious, forming an arrow, flying in through dd's window and stinging her to death.

Can you tell I am trying to distract myself from the possibility that I might be having a baby soon?

OP posts:
Flisspaps · 09/04/2011 20:12

Ooh, washing machine rant turns into a live birth thread!

Will you be staying at home for this one then? You want to ring the Landlord's son and tell him you're going to need a new machine tonight, so he'd better get off to Comet or somewhere and get it installed PRONTO Grin

Ryoko · 09/04/2011 21:36

Could be worse, my last landlord left us without heating for 3 months over christmas (when it was snowing outside), used my sponge in the bathroom to wipe off the excess new grout he put on the shower wall (and then just chucked the thing in the sink), walked off with our washing up bowl after painting the room (we found it chucked under the communal stairs with filthy rags and brushes in it), used our electric to charge his phone (which we paid for with little cards we had to buy off him for £1 each) insisted incessantly that there was no mice in the building and all those cute little fluffy things running around and diving in the sink where figments of our imagination, and just before we left we had a massive fight over the fact he wanted to kick us out the room so Rentokill could spray it for bed bugs (which we didn't have) when I was about 5 months pregnant at the time. thankfully the Rentokill guy was far more sensible and sneakily whispered to us on the day that he would take a little break when he got to our room and then the tell the landlord he did it.

Landlords can get away with pretty much anything.

vezzie · 09/04/2011 21:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bubblecoral · 09/04/2011 21:50

YABU, he sent someone round to check it wasn't something simple, then it was fixed within two days. Sounds pretty reasonable to me.

The son shouln't expect help from your dh to do it, but your dh was polite and helped the guy out.

How's the contractions going?

SugarPasteFrog · 09/04/2011 21:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

prettymuchapixiegirl · 09/04/2011 22:12

YANBU

Fair enough that the landlord would want to check that it wasn't a very small, easily sorted, fault. But I think he has a damn cheek to expect your husband to help.

Original poster
grumpytenant · 10/04/2011 10:51

Nothing to report on the baby front. Washing machine still working as far as I know.

Ryoko - I know, landlords can do anything, it really winds me up. Ours is quite nice really.

I don't think I will ever have this baby, I think it is a phantom pregnancy.
V. pissed off

OP posts:
firsttimer84 · 10/04/2011 11:08

Hmm i know what you mean about landlords (although we are through an agency) We could smell gas so rang the British Gas and they sent someone from the gas board to check. We then rang the agency and the first thing they said was well why didnt you call us? Hmm maybe because we needed to stop the gas leak asap and not have you faffing around all afternoon? Our washing machine broke and they told us to buy a new one and put the old one in our garage (which we now cant fit the car in). So now i assume that washing machines ours. Also we keep complaining about damp in the walls, if we have furniture against the walls it soaks the furniture and things stored under the bed or on the floor goes mouldy (even though we have the windows on trickle vents and heating on in window) to be just given a leaflet on it and told to keep our windows open all the time. Erm in minus 10 no thanks! etc etc blah blah grrrr!!!!!

coccyx · 10/04/2011 11:15

your hubby could have said no , surely

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