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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To insist my tenant pays

109 replies

SaraBellumHertz · 02/08/2012 11:01

Bit of history so genuinely not sure if IABU or not.

Tenant had today announced that she has had a plumber round to bleed the radiators and that I now owe her the money for this?

Surely this is something she should have done herself?

OP posts:

slacklucy · 02/08/2012 16:49

NO dont pay it, she chose to call a plumber.
You sure she's not just trying to scam you for £200. maybe she ahs a thing for teh plumber.

Why would you need the radiators sorted in the middle of the summer

NadiaWadia · 02/08/2012 17:00

Outraged - I really, really hope you are not a Landlord. You seem to have a very aggreived attitude towards tenants.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 02/08/2012 17:05

You are going to be dissapointed then, but if it helps,my properties are managed entirely by agents.

I don't have an aggrieved attitude towards tennants at all. I have an aggrieved attitude to the law that allows tennants to steal and damage other peoples property without having to pay for it.

OlymPicture · 02/08/2012 17:13

YANBU - £200 to bleed some radiators? They are having a laugh

NadiaWadia · 02/08/2012 17:14

Well if this has happened to you, Outraged, then maybe your agents didn't do a very good job of referencing your tenants. Perhaps you should use a different agent?

Most Letting Agencies I have used (as a tenant) have been awful Of course they are unregulated, but in general they are fairly ignorant of the law, and just want to make spurious charges to tenant and landlord alike. Now my daughter is being ripped off by a student letting agency as well.

In fact the only one I didn't have a problem with was where they just found the tenants (me) and then the very nice landlord managed the house himself.

HarrietSchulenberg · 02/08/2012 17:16

When I rented years ago I called a plumber for exactly the same thing. I didn't realise what the problem was - the heating wasn't working, it was cold, and it was a weekend so I couldn't get hold of the landlord (through agency).

Landlord politely refused to pay, saying I should have tried bleeding radiators before calling in plumber without his say-so. I did understand that he had a point, and I took it on the chin, but I also asked the agency for an out of hours emergency number in case of future problems.

Even as a former tenant I'd say don't pay the bill as:

a) it's basic house maintenance that she could have done herself,
b) had she called you, you could have done it,
c) you could well have had your own tradesmen who would have done a cheaper job.

littlebluechair · 02/08/2012 17:22

I really don't agree with your thinking about the dog. If she has done that she is potentially the tenant from hell. Unless you really think you can't find anyone better I would end the tenancy.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 02/08/2012 17:23

It hasn't happened to me, but it worries me that it might because I don't have the money to cover costs that someone else should be liable for.

boredandrestless · 02/08/2012 17:26

I'm a tenant and wouldn't dream of doing this! Or getting a puppy wen contract states no pets.

In your shoes I wouldn't be paying. She won't try it a second time will she!

Zalen · 02/08/2012 17:30

I think you mentioned that your tenant has done this before, got in tradesmen and then expected you to pay the bill. If this is the case then she's done this have you explained that this is not how it is supposed to work and made it clear that she needs to speak to you first if any maintenance work is required on the property. If you haven't then I fear you may have made a rod for your own back. If she genuinely doesn't know this is wrong and you've gone along with it in the past then how is she to know any better.

Of course if you have explained it to her before then you are definitely not being unreasonable. Let her know that you will not be paying this bill and the reason why including quoting the relevant clause of the tenancy agreement. Personally I'd put it in writing so everything is there in black and white and fully provable. If she tries something silly like deducting it from her rent then give notice.

And let her know the puppy has to go, you haven't mentioned what sort it is but eventually it's going to be a dog and who knows how big it could get / how much damage it could do then.

Spuddybean · 02/08/2012 17:30

As a landlord we would bleed the radiators, but not pay retrospectively for it being done by someone called in without our authorisation. If our tenants called us we would do it ourselves. I wouldn't pay.

skandi1 · 02/08/2012 17:43

Get tenant to give you the plumbers receipt. And check its genuine. Bleeding rads in August sounds odd.

Tenant had work done without your permission. But in the interests of good relations perhaps pay on this occassion??

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 02/08/2012 17:59

if I had a property, I'd want someone that I booked and I trusted to do the work, not someone your tenant has called in without discussing it with you first.

Has she paid the plumber already and now expects you to pay her?
If the bill is outstanding did they question wether or not the bill would be covered? (If so I'd phone them up to see who gave authorisation)

As for the puppy- I'd give her 7 days to get it out and if she didn't then she'd be out with the dog.

LetsKateWin · 02/08/2012 18:06

Whatever she wanted done, she should discuss it with you first. Calling a plumber to bleed a radiator would is like calling a cleaning company to clear up a spill on a tiled floor.

Want2bSupermum · 02/08/2012 18:06

bread&Butterfly My agreement says either side is required to give one months notice is required to terminate the agreement after reaching the six month mark. I thought that was standard.

alistron1 · 02/08/2012 18:22

If I bypassed my landlord and employed a contractor to do a job I'd expect to pay. If my contract stipulated no pets, I wouldn't have any or I'd negotiate with the LL and make arrangements re cleaning etc...

I've spent the past 2 days decorating my rented home - would anyone like me as a tenant

Noqontrol · 02/08/2012 18:46

maisymoo are your tenants actually claiming hb? I only ask because when my tenants from hell were renting from me, they strung me along for a while saying they were waiting for their claim to be sorted out. I contacted hb in the end and it turned out that they hadn't even claimed. I couldn't figure out why they hadn't to start with, but the short of it was they were subletting a housing association property in london, and then moving into properties and only paying the first months rent and the bond. It took 5 months to get them out, and that was quite quick in the whole scheme of things. Potentially they could of got a lot longer out of me rent free. No doubt they are out there doing this to someone else. From what i can gather, this is how they live their lives.

Im impressed that you've stuck at it long enough to be hit a third time. The stress was too much for me, but being pregnant and giving birth during that time didn't help with that much.

YesIamYourSisterInLaw · 02/08/2012 20:16

Well she's got you down as a mug hasn't she? Definitely don't pay and send her a letter stating that due to her breech of contract she in fact owes you £200 for potential damage caused by the dog.

Has she paid a deposit?

anyadvice01 · 03/08/2012 15:52

If she had not let you know there was a problem then no you probably do not have to pay. But if it was something a plumber did need to come out for a court would probably rule that you had to pay reasonable costs for the plumber. However, I cannot see why a lumber would be needed to bleed a radiator.

Outraged,
the deposit belongs to the tennant, so of course the landlord has to prove they are owed the money. Why on earth should the landlord just be able to take what they want without proof. If the landlord really is owed money then they can prove it.

LeandarBear · 03/08/2012 16:55

YANBU.

Tenant not being able to bleed rads herself =

Paying £200 for bleeding rads =

Not asking beforehand =

Getting a puppy = [Angry]

lurkerspeaks · 03/08/2012 17:12

I think if you have a clause in your lease saying tradesmen shouldn't be engaged unless in an emergency situation without discussion then the tenant should pay. I would also evict for an animal contrary to the lease.

I am currently on both sides of the fence - I have a letting agency trying to withhold part of my deposit for a burn on the carpet that was present when I moved in (I have a photograph, fortunately) and for a pane of glass that was broken by their handyman (nn 'the bodger').

On the other hand my tenant has walked off with £90 quids worth of kitchen equipment, my television remote control, the digi-box, all the TV cables (scary, aerial etc), broken a tilt and turn window mechanism and trashed an £800 armchair. He did however leave me with a stick on zebra print toilet seat warmer!

DontmindifIdo · 03/08/2012 17:19

YANBU - if your tenancy says she needs to clear it with you first and she didn't then the bill is all her own problem, nothing to do with you. If (and it's a big if) the plumber contacts you, you can rightly point out you at no time asked him to do any work so won't be paying - he can try the small claims court if he likes.

Quite frankly, the tenant is taking the piss and if the plumber knew it was a tenant asking him to do the work he was incredibly stupid to do it without checking the landlord would pay.

But my word, £200 for bleeding the radiators? Are you sure it was actually done? Would'nt be surprised to hear she knows this plumber....

ithastobeNAICEham · 03/08/2012 17:49

Having been aa private LL tenant, I'm shocked that she has even attempted to pull this one!

In the 4 properties I have lived in, in the last 9 yrs, 3 have been private and in each one there has been a clause in my tenancy agreement that all maintenance works is to be carried out by a LL approved handyman! I'm guessing your contract probably says the same.

Therefore, your tenant has broken 2 clauses of her agreement, I'd issue her with a "written warning" regarding these issues and hand deliver it. Make it clear that if the puppy stays then she must pay for any damage to your property and carpets, sofas etc.

Im in a HA home now after my last LL arranged for some work to be done (on the front door of the house) without letting me know and the workmen cleared my home out!! Everything was gone!! I can safely say I won't be private renting for a while now!!

WithoutCaution · 03/08/2012 18:08

If you don't want to end her tenancy even though it would seem that she has no intention of sticking to the contract. I'd be asking for an extra deposit (2-3 months rent) to cover damages caused by the puppy. I'd then give her £50-100 back to cover part of the plumbing work since she couldn't be bothered to contact you about it. I also wouldn't renew her tenancy when the time comes. However I've never been a LL or a tenant so what I would do probable isn't what LL's actually do in that situation

WithoutCaution · 03/08/2012 18:09

Or is 2-3 months rent a normal deposit?

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