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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to wonder if it'd be cheeky to ask our landlords this?

39 replies

EllaDee · 19/10/2011 17:09

Our landlord and landlady are very nice people who've been friendly beyond the call of duty - chatting to us, telling us their plans for renovation work they want to do, etc. etc. We've never asked for work to be done, but they've planned lots of things which should in theory make it much nicer and we are glad (just explaning how good their intentions are).

One thing is they've had the plumber come and take out the old boiler and put in a new one. When he connected it to the shower we found it ran warm for a few seconds, then lukewarm/cold. We got in touch with landlord, and he said we could get the plumber back, and the plumber says he needs to find a special different fitting and put that in. We've been three weeks so far with no hot shower (there's no bath), and it will be at least another ten days before any chance of getting it fixed.

We're not complaining to them, but obviously it is not ideal. Meantime, we are still meant to be paying the lettings agency their fee for renewing the contract. Now, IMO, tenants pay letting agencies expecting they'll sort out jobs without fuss. The landlord however asked us not to go to the letting agency because the lettings agency charges them (the landlords) lots of money for repairs and they can do it cheaper themselves. It feels to us as if we're getting the downsides of both types of arrangement - we're paying the letting agency fees, and we're also putting up with the more casual and slow attitude to sorting out problems from the landlord.

Would it be unreasonable to raise this with the landlord? Or is it cheeky since we know they would want the lettings agents if they had other tenants after us (or, obviously, if turned into bad tenants and they needed the agents to sort it out - we won't, of course!)?

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EllaDee · 19/10/2011 18:42

Well, I think that's the general idea, yes - the agency is being kept on in case we turn evil, because these people are very new to being LL and aren't sure they'd be able to sort any unforeseen problems.

It's just, you know, it's not exactly our problem is it?

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bettieblue · 19/10/2011 20:15

Hi

I think you misunderstood me. You as a tenant can obtain a property through an agency but if the landlord isn't paying the agency extra to manage the property then you can't just call them and ask them to do jobs. Any how since he is paying management fees then i would be contacting them if the landlord is being illusive! The fees you pay are just to be introduced and get contracts drawn up nothing else. Your landlord seems a bit niave, he doesn't have to use any contractor that the agency suggests and if hes signed a contract to that effect then hes a bit daft!

Ive got properties, one that is managed by a letting agency and the other that isn't (the agency though still found the tenant for that property). All my tenants have been in the properties longer than 6 months, they haven't renewed the tenancies they just roll from month to month. One of my tenants has been there 5 years! I don't know what you or the landlord has signed with the agency but the agency can't make you re-sign a tenancy at the end of the 6 months it just rolls on (the tenancy is a legal document) and they can't just boot you out! The only way i think they may have got you if the landlord and yourselves signed contracts with the agency saying if you stay longer than a year you have to pay again to draw up new tenancies and you can't just let them roll. I would dig out your tenancy and whatever contract you signed with the agency.

If your landlord wants the property managed (even if hes not really using the service!) then i doubt you would be able to get out of resign fees if you have both signed contracts with the agency and it states that. I think hes bonkers paying for management, not using it on the basis he might have bad tenants!. All an agency will do is start legal proceedings for you (you still have to pay), you can actually get seperate landlord insurance for bad tenants/ no payers/ damage to property.

Im sorry you are having a bad time, not all landlords are like yours and not all agencies charge tenants ridiculous fees like yours.

AKMD · 19/10/2011 20:21

YAB far too nice. It is freezing outside! How can you not mind having to wait over a month for a hot shower?! Plumbers don't take that long to fix things. Your LL/agency is taking the proverbial and you would be justified in getting it fixed yourself and taking the fee off your next month's rent if you give your LL 48 hours notice to get it done.

Yes, you should fix the loo seat yourself.

EllaDee · 19/10/2011 20:24

Ah, thanks bettie, I understand you now! This is really helpful btw - I've picked up a fair amount from my side, but have no idea how the landlord side of it works, so couldn't quite follow what mine were doing or why. It now sounds possible he has stopped paying management fees (which I didn't quite follow).

I suspect then the lettings agency are just in a muddle, as usual (nothing new for them, they recently told us we'd not paid our rent and panicked us, only to find that, surprise surprise, they'd sent an email intended for one non-paying tenant to their whole address book ... this is par for the course with them). It sounds as if their claim they'll readvertise the property is rubbish. We did know they couldn't do that without the landlord's say-so, but we didn't really know more than that.

I will ask the landlord to clarify what he really wants from us, and what he's expecting the relationship with the lettings agency to be.

I really appreciate you taking the time to advise me. Smile

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Oakmaiden · 19/10/2011 20:26

Hm, this reminds me, it must be at least 4 weeks since I phoned my landlord's agent (this Is a managed property) about having no hot water in my bathroom. They said "Oh, we'll get in touch with the landlord and see what he wants to do" and I have heard nothing since. Really must phone them tomorrow.

It is a pain in the neck, the fact that a managed property just puts an extra middle man in and I think slows everything down. We had water pouring through the roof in the heavy rain last year - it was coming in through the light socket in my son's room. But they wouldn't blooming well just send someone to fix it, they had to discuss it with the landlord first and then schedule their maintenance team to come out... would have been so much quicker without the agent, as I could have spoken directly to the landlord and we could have found someone who would come at once, not a week or so later...

EllaDee · 19/10/2011 20:27

AKMD - well, we're waiting because we don't have a good sense of what is our job and what's not. I think the state of the rust on the loo seat is such I'm not really sure how to do it, don't want to pay a plumber so will muddle through. Previously, when we've rented and had a more professional relationship with landlords who know what they're doing/lettings agents, I'd simply have expected them to fix anything like that - because it's been hammered into us that if we risk doing more damage by DIY, we must not touch it.

FWIW, it's not freezing here yet.

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EllaDee · 19/10/2011 20:31

oak - oh, no, that's rotten! We do at least have hot water (just not in the shower!).

You may well have a point that it's having too many middle men that is slowing it down - I would rather know exactly who to contact (landlord? Letting agent? plumber?). But I suspect the LL needs to think this one through for himself and let us know.

I hope you get it sorted soon.

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Helennn · 19/10/2011 20:45

As a landlord myself I think you should contact your landlord and make it clear that you are not happy with not having a working shower and that you want them to sort it ouot (I take it you do have a bath?). It is not an unreasonable demand at all.

Our tenants informed us that the shower was getting too hot, we had it checked by a plumber who said it was faulty and within 10 days they had a brand new, more powerful shower. It really isn't that difficult.

EllaDee · 19/10/2011 21:00

No, no bath (I said in the OP but sorry, this is a really confused thread!). I'm pretty sure the LL are on holiday atm, and in any case, we are not unhappy. We don't mind waiting to get the shower mended, that is fine. We understand why. What we do mind is that we don't want to be paying the lettings agency for resign fees when we get no benefit from them.

Btw - would you agree with the comment above that fixing a toilet seat is for us to do? Where do you draw the line with your tenants?

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Helennn · 19/10/2011 21:11

You are pretty amazing tenants if you don't mind having no hot bath or shower for 4/5 weeks! Does the landlord know how lucky he is?

I think you need to talk to your landlord about the agency situation and tell them you are unhappy. It is for them to instruct the agents working for them, not for the agency to call the shots. If you refuse to pay the re-sign fee and they advertise and get another tenant I assume your landlord would have to pay them a heap load of money for another tenant find. Why should they do that when you are happy to stay there? I think your landlord needs to give them the boot and find another agent when you eventually leave.

re the toilet seat, if the tenants weren't able to fix it themselves (ie it was rusted on), I would expect to have to arrange and pay to have a new toilet seat fitted. I would expect the tenant to have a go themselves first though.

EllaDee · 19/10/2011 21:20

I mind ... I just understand why, too.

I will talk to them about it. I feel a lot better about doing so now.

The seat - it's not rusted on, it's that the thing it fixes to on the bowl has rusted through. It was once a fitting but now it is just a lump of rust, I can't imagine that another seat would fit onto it at all now, so that will need replacing too. But I will have a google and see if I can work it out, then I can let them know I've tried, with good conscience!

Thanks very much!

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EllaDee · 19/10/2011 21:22

Oh gosh, I just wanted to clear something up ... I am showering! I've not been going without for a month or anything. Grin

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Helennn · 19/10/2011 21:27

I'm sure it wouldn't cost the landlord much for the plumber to fit a new loo seat whilst he was there. If they're going to be spending big money on windows and boilers I'm sure they can manage a new loo seat, I really wouldn't worry about asking them if you've had a go yourself.

Glad to hear you've been showering elsewhere though Smile

EllaDee · 19/10/2011 21:31

Grin Yes.

And yes, that's a good point, I will ask again to see if the plumber can do both. Smile

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