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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be pissed off with my tenants changing plugs on my appliances

253 replies

ReallyTired · 15/02/2016 08:05

They aren't electricians. Am I legally responsible for their stupidity if they electrocute themselves? (Gawd forbid!) They did not contact me about any maintained problem.

If there is a problem with an electrical appliance I would rather they told me so I can get someone with half a brain to fix. I have a condensing tumble dryer in the flat. They moved out the dryer and complained it has water in it. Duh! It's a condensing tumble dryer and you are expected to empty the bottle. There are instructions about all appliances. For some stupid reason they decided to change to plug and now they have tripped the electrics.

OP posts:

landrover · 15/02/2016 10:02

I think that a ten year old tumble dryer may be on its last legs, anybody? (Im sure that some mumsnetter will prove otherwise

OurBlanche · 15/02/2016 10:03

LBO - she said that they reported it had stopped working. Which it had because the water collector was full, that stops a condensor dryer from working. The tenants were unaware of the need to empty the collector, so they assumed it was the plug... the changed it and tripped the leccy!

So the actions of teh tenant were the root cause of the issue.

If OP is being OTT about the rent raise is unfair is up to her and, as she has already said, she will probably think differently once she has clamed down a bit.

LBOCS2 · 15/02/2016 10:04

Ah sorry, I thought that was a separate thing to this!

OurBlanche · 15/02/2016 10:05

Oh! Lightbulbs are specifially a tenants responsibility.

Any missing/not working at the end of tenancy that were present/working at the beginning would be charged to the tenant!

cleaty · 15/02/2016 10:09

OP had the appliance been PAT tested annually?

AryaOfWinterfell · 15/02/2016 10:10

If I were your tenant and you raised my rent by £50 a month because of this I would be calling you every single time a tap dripped, a fuse went etc.
If you didn't want them to do something as simple as changing a plug on the appliance you should've hard wired it into the wall.
Think hard before putting the rent up you could end up replacing your daft tenants for malicious ones!

cleaty · 15/02/2016 10:11

And no, it became mandatory to supply a fitted plug, not for it to be moulded on. That has become standard, but it is not a legal requirement.

diddl · 15/02/2016 10:12

"diddl - A 10 year old appliance probably does not have a sealed plug."

No, that's why I put "if".

I really can't remember when it came in.

Here in Germany I don't think that you can buy plugs anymore, so if a non sealed plug needed replacing, you'd have to either get someone in, buy a new appliance or find another old appliance within the house to use the plug from!

cleaty · 15/02/2016 10:13

You can buy plugs here easily enough. And I would never call out an electrician for such a simple job.

With moulded plugs, what do you do if the fuse in the plug goes?

BarbaraofSeville · 15/02/2016 10:17

I think that a ten year old tumble dryer may be on its last legs, anybody? (Im sure that some mumsnetter will prove otherwise

My tumble dryer is over 20 years old and still dries clothes but there is a dead spot on the timer where it stops and you have to wind it past manually. The hose thing has a load of splits in it and we are going to replace it when we've finished refurbishing the old kitchen into a utility room.

Admiteddly it doesn't get used very often as I usually line dry or stick stuff on an airer in the spare room, but it is doing a couple of loads a week at the moment while being watched carefully to check that it doesn't burst into flames.

Fridge is 18 years old, washing machine 10 and I will be disappointed if it breaks anytime soon. Dishwasher lasted to 13 years of daily use.

So I don't regard 10 years old as necessarily being on its last legs, but things breaking much before that is a disappointment.

OurBlanche · 15/02/2016 10:17

You are right cleaty. The moulded plug is now standard at point of manufacture. Second hand (and new) goods can have re-wirable plugs, as long as they come with instructions and are, most usually, ASTA or BSI approved.

But it is still highly likely that the tenants removed a moulded plug, replaced it badly and that this remains the landlords issue, legally.

Marynary · 15/02/2016 10:17

It seems a bit odd that they were unaware of the need to empty the condenser considering they have apparently been tenants for over two years (if they haven't had a rent increase for two years). I wonder if OP heard that directly from them or whether she is just assuming they don't know because they said that water was leaking. It could be that the container wasn't filling up because the tumbler was clogged up and the leak was elsewhere.
Regardless, OP does not know that the actions of the tenants were the root cause. She hasn't actually bothered to check the plug or investigate the root cause. IMO, she is just looking for an excuse to charge the tenants to replace a ten year old boiler for a new one!

JassyRadlett · 15/02/2016 10:20

"diddl - A 10 year old appliance probably does not have a sealed plug."

I've lived in the UK for 11 years and have never encountered a plug that wasn't sealed.

This thread has opened my eyes to some of the background to the British oddness about being able to wire a plug.

I still have no clue what some of you are doing to your appliances that you have to do this reasonably regularly.

OurBlanche · 15/02/2016 10:21

Personally I'd replace any plug that needed it. But when we rented, for about 27 years, we would not have done so on any of the LLs goods. Changed fuses yes, rewiring, replacing no.

We rad our tenancy agreements and sicussed such issues as they arose with the LL or their agent. It was up tot hem to get such stuff fixed.

It is weird that, on a forum that moans so much about LLs having so little responsibility, many posters would choose to override one that they do have!

honeysucklejasmine · 15/02/2016 10:22

Woodley not without discussing it first. Even if that "discussion" is a quick text to say "I think X needs a new plug. Any objections?" just to give them a chance to say "go for it" or "let me call someone out". I don't mean that I would claim the cost of a plug off them, but I see I worded it badly.

OurBlanche · 15/02/2016 10:23

It could be that the container wasn't filling up because the tumbler was clogged up and the leak was elsewhere. which would still mean they should have cleaned the machine and reported any leak to the LL.

But yes, OP doesn't really know, and has already said that, having only just heard about it, she is aware she is probably being unreasonable and won't change anything until she has had time to calm down.

ElderlyKoreanLady · 15/02/2016 10:29

You say the electrics are buggered because of them...You've had an electrician out and established that they are the cause I take it? And you PAT test each of your appliances yearly?

The electrics tripping is neither here nor there. Takes seconds to sort.

If I were you, I'd get the pre-existing electrical problem sorted and all appliances PAT tested before pointing blame anywhere. I'd also have a bloody long think before increasing a tenant's rent by £50 to replace an appliance that's been there 8 years longer than they have.

FWIW, I'm in my 20s and know how to change a plug. It really isn't difficult to do properly.

landrover · 15/02/2016 10:30

But Jassy, there are lots of reasons that require change of a plug, there is no reason not to know how to do it. Plugs can get dropped and crack, if you need to put some equipment in kitchen through a small opening, you may need to take plug off to get it through.

Marynary · 15/02/2016 10:31

It could be that the container wasn't filling up because the tumbler was clogged up and the leak was elsewhere. which would still mean they should have cleaned the machine and reported any leak to the LL.

If they are not allowed to change a plug they certainly shouldn't be taking the machine apart to clean it!
I don't disagree that they should have reported the problem to the landlord rather than trying to fix it themselves. I just don't think OP has any good evidence they caused the problem and I am also amazed at how clueless some (probably younger) people are regarding changing plugs.

OurBlanche · 15/02/2016 10:36

Why would you take a machine apart to clean it? The manufacturer supplies nice manuals with cleaning instructions. You can find copies on line, really easily. Condenser dryers are easy to clean, once you have looked at the pretty pictures

And I supose it is possible that OP has not been back here as she has gone to look at the property, to see what has actually happened. Or is arranging for an electrician to do it on her behalf.

I certainly haven't jumped to the conclusion that she is a shite LL because she wrote a fractious OP.

cleaty · 15/02/2016 10:38

I change plugs quite happily. I would not take apart a tumble dryer to clean it, apart from clearing the fluff from the vent.

JassyRadlett · 15/02/2016 10:39

But Jassy, there are lots of reasons that require change of a plug, there is no reason not to know how to do it.

Unless you're a filthy immigrant like me and from a country where doing this is unheard of.

I've never managed to crack a plug, and I'm as clumsy as they come. Or maybe not?

JassyRadlett · 15/02/2016 10:41

I mean, I've googled it and it looks reasonably straightforward, but definitely not something I've ever needed to do, and definitely not on a regular basis.

Honestly, this country. No light switches in the bathroom but everyone's merrily rewiring light fittings and plugs and what not.

EBearhug · 15/02/2016 10:55

Changing a light bulb isn'the the same as rewiring the light fitting.

JassyRadlett · 15/02/2016 11:01

I know that, EBear.

But to quote one PP:

I do most things myself (drain rodding, changing plugs, light maintenance such as changing broken locks and worn out light fittings) I only contact the LL if it is something that requires a qualified person

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