To feel confused about our responsibilities as tenants?

[CallMeExhausted]

DH and I rent a lovely house and pay rent that (to us) is very reasonable. We have been here for over 4 years and intend to make this our home long term. Our LL has said that this is our home for as long as we would like.

Because of this, we treat the home as our own. Basic maintenance (plumbing, appliances, finishes etc) is managed by us , and we don't ask for reimbursement - although major repairs are supposed to be the responsibility of the LL. haven't dealt with any yet aside from a new roof, which was already planned when we moved in

A friend recently commented about how often she is calling upon her LL for issues, requesting things as simple as filters for the furnace or a plumber for a slow running drain - things that (for my family) are our responsibility.

Are we out of our minds to be managing these things ourselves when we are paying rent?

I don't know why you'd bother to pay for repairs that are the landlord's responsibility, seems a bit mad. I've had some AWFUL landlords and some good ones, our last one is good as if anything needed fixing we would just sort it and send her the receipt and minus it off the rent, easy peasy. Our current one is really good and sorts stuff quickly too but tbh I think we've only had to contact her twice in the 3 years we've been here.
But one landlord made us pay for unblocking the loo because he said we were "using too much toilet roll", still pisses me off that we actually paid, young and naive!

OP - there's a lot of landlord-hate on mumsnet, to a degree that would get instant banning if aimed at any other group. I do wonder if the MN-powers-that-be also believe what the papers and government think, that renting out property is a goldmine.

to answer your question, things that belong to the landlord should be fixed by the landlord, and that doesn't affect your right to 'quiet enjoyment'. So yes, unless there is some special deal (e.g. a very low rent for a property that is NOT a wreck) I think you are paying over the odds.

if the appliances are yours, you do fix them -but if they were provided, the landlord fixes them.

"OP - there's a lot of landlord-hate on mumsnet, to a degree that would get instant banning if aimed at any other group. "

boo hoo hoo, woe is me.

No, we are not in the UK - we're in Canada, and on our province we are fortunate that laws protecting both tenants and landlords are relatively strict. As we have lived here for 4 years, our LL could theoretically ask us to vacate with 90 days' notice, and we are obligated to give 60 days' notice ourselves, while we are here, rent increases are very limited.

A maximum of 2.9% annual increase without justifying under the Tenant Protection Act the reason for the increase is law - we are fortunate that in the 4 years we have been here, there has been no increase.

DoughDoe I am sorry you have had such awful experiences as a renter - not sure whether it is bad luck, misfortune or attitude - but if you approach all your landlords with the same hostile, petulant child attitude you are using here, I can't say your lack of positive experiences surprises me.

"DoughDoe I am sorry you have had such awful experiences as a renter - not sure whether it is bad luck, misfortune or attitude - but if you approach all your landlords with the same hostile, petulant child attitude you are using here, I can't say your lack of positive experiences surprises me."

Well said Op.

I rest my case with another whinging child-like response.

jealousy is a playground emotion, and I expect is at the root of a lot of landlord hate. Certainly none of the haters can come up with any rational argument as to why profiting from property is so bad.

The reason he says you can make it your home as long as you like is exactly because you are doing so well with repairs. We reap what we sow in life, something UK tenants might like to take on board.

But one landlord made us pay for unblocking the loo because he said we were "using too much toilet roll", still pisses me off that we actually paid, young and naive!

Eh? Of course you should have paid for that - unless the drains were blocked under the house, or outside. Normal blocked loo is something that is caused by the people using it and should be sorted out by the people using it.

I honestly don't know. I would reassess if rent goes up.

The one in Yorkshire with the new bathroom, presumably the tenants are saving their mortgage deposit ...