AIBU to refuse access to knobhead gas engineer

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Hi, long time lurker, new poster.

We rent. Have done our entire working lives. Never had any problems. Rented long term in London, had super relationship with previous landlords, even got card and flowers when we left and told if we ever need to go back to the area to give them a call.
Moved out of London to cheaper, nicer area. Landlady sends round gas engineer who for reasons unbeknown to me behaves like an arrogant fucking cockwomble. Parks on my drive without asking so I couldn't get my car on when I came home. Husband was already home and let him in thinking I was expecting him (I wasn't) I walk in to my living room and he's there and doesn't even acknowledge me when i ask what he's there for. (landlady forgot to tell me) I ask him to please take his shoes off. "I can't" he says then without asking telling me what he's doing he walks upstairs, boots on, starts opening all my cupboards, I call up asking what he's looking for (boiler obvs), I tell him where it is. Doesn't say a word to me, just opens it. I go down stairs, in the kitchen telling husband what a rude twat he is when he barges in the kitchen, in between my husband and I having a chat, not an excuse me, no, "I just need to check the oven" or similar....no, nothing, not a word. He turns my oven off with the kids dinner in it. I say, 'erm excuse me could you wait until I take that out' I get (with back turned to me) "No I haven't finished" He then TAKES MY TEA TOWEL AND CHUCKS IT ON THE FUCKING FLOOR" Now this would be bad anyway but I suffer from chronic OCD and general anxiety disorder. I threw him out there and then. I felt so invaded. My home is my orderly 'safe space' and it was such a horrible experience. My husband told letting agent to tell landlady never let him back. Letting agent was witness as she rolled up halfway profusely apologising that she forgot to tell me. She was standing in kitchen with us when I chucked him out.

Now I must say, we are a landlords dream even if I say it myself. Professionals, rent paid early each month, house immaculate, new quality carpet laid at our expense, long term renters. Our previous landlords have always appreciated this and never made us feel like second class citizens or 'just renters'
Despite knowing I have OCD (I let landlord know before I moved in as it seriously affects my life and home access, always need shoes removed, funny about strangers using my loo etc) she was happy to go ahead. Now the gas certificate is due again. I'm being told it HAS to be the same guy, he's the ONLY person qualified and it leaves all previous guarantees void if anyone else does it. Is this true? I can't find anything online about this. Now I know I need to allow access for maintenance but I also know I am entitled to live without harassment and live in peace. Do I really need let the man who i had to chuck out round my bloody home again? I have never had a single problem in the 20 years I've rented so I don't feel I'm being unreasonable asking the landlady to give a bit more consideration to really good tenants who i am told are a rarity. The letting agent has explained how damn rude he was. If it was her home I'm sure she wouldn't allow someone who had offended her in her own home back, why is it acceptable for her to force this arsehole on us again? AIBU to refuse access?

Where do you live, OP. If you live in a fair sized town or city I can't imagine he's be the only person who is capable of getting you gas safety certificate completed. I do imagine, however, everyone is more expensive or that it will cost more to get someone else to repeat the work he's already done and go on to finish it.

That is awful! I am similar to you and it has made me feel anxious just reading about it.

Could you ask the Landlord to attend at the same time? Then it will either make the engineer act in a more professional way (as he won't want to lose the business) or the Landlord will see how rude he is and find a new engineer.

Sounds like bollocks. Call their bluff.

I've moved to a much smaller coastal town. But it's thriving economically. I seriously doubt he's the only available person. I'm sure he's just cheaper or has some personal relationship with the landlady. Without trying to sound like a pompous entitled twat, I do feel we deserve a little more consideration. For one, there was a month gap between when the previous tenant left and we moved in. The landlady said it would be 'complicated' to put it in her name for the month so could we pay a months council tax £177 in return for access to put up curtains prior to moving day. We paid it. Yet no consideration comes our way. I don't want ti be asked to leave though, it would be too disruptive for children / work etc.

YABU about him parking on your drive.
YABU to blame him for the landlady failing to tell you about the inspection.
YANBU to expect him to at least put shoe covers on.
YANBU to be upset at his terrible manner.

Refuding access is not a good idea. I would suggest you ask the landlady to attend the inspection. It is utterly bullshit that the previous inspections would be invalidated! It's unlikely your landlady would be able to get another engineer at short notice especially this time of year.

Thanks for replies. Letting agent and husband have agreed to 'escort' knobhead round. But I don't want him here at all. I barely slept last night worrying about it. Feeling tearful today.

You shouldn't have to, but check the gas safety register and arrange your own safety check. It's about £60. Give copy to your letting agent and ask for remittance at their earliest convenience.

They probably want to use this guy as they get a special reduced rate

You paid council tax for time you weren't there? I don't know why on earth you would agree to that. Your landlady obviously just likes taking the piss and agreeing to pay the extra council tax she thinks that she can. The gas cert is a legal requirement for her so I'd stand your ground and say no unless through someone else. Otherwise I think she will continue to take the piss. You sound like you have had nice landlords in the past and expected the same which is understandable but some are not as nice and will happily lie to you face to save a few quid.

Yes - she charged you £177 so that you could commit fraud and put some curtains up??!!

If he is the original installer of the boiler then yes it may affect the warrenty if they dont carry out the service. As for taking shoes off i would never work in someones house without safety footwear but do carry a "clean" pair and shoe covers for indoors.

Of course it doesn't have to be the same guy to do the gas inspection. What if he died or quit trading. Anyone certified can do it.

I'm not sure paying someones council tax is fraud baconandeggies!

I offered to pay for the inspection myself. She refused. Yes unconventional warfare that is the argument she is using. I can go out. I can get him escorted round. But I don't want him here. I don't want to be made to feel this isn't our home. I'm all for going up North so we can buy a house but the money is shit for the job my husband does and we have no friends or family there but the thought of having him in my home again makes me want to run away

It doesn't matter who fitted the boiler as long as the fitter was Safe gas qualified and registered and the inspection is carried out by someone with the same qualification.

I think you have a landlady problem.

It simply isn't true that it would invalidate anything by having a different engineer. Besides, this sounds purely like the landlord safety inspection, not a service.

I'm afraid YABU unreasonable about him parking on your drive - this is what workmen do and if they have to park half a street away and carry tools/equipment and can't leave their van unlocked I can understand why they'd prefer to park on the drive.

Re the shoes thing - again it might be for safety reasons that he has to work in safety footwear but am quite surprised he didn't come armed with protective covers - I've known quite a few workmen slip on those blue plastic covers when coming indoors.

As for the safety certificate thing - if it is just that then of course it won't be invalidated by any qualified engineering doing it. However, as someone else suggested if it is do with a boiler warranty he may be the only local engineer working for that particular company.

Either way - it is up to the landlord who they appoint to carry out maintenance/repair work to their property. If he was rude then you don't have to be in next time he calls - insist landlord or letting agent accompanies visits.

I think it is fraud to give incorrect or misleading information in order to pay less council tax so your landlady is probably committing fraud but I don't know about your liability. Either way with something like that the best bet if it sounds a bit dodgy is to just say no

I'm not sure paying someones council tax is fraud baconandeggies!

Putting your name on a council tax account when you are neither the owner or the current tenant is probably fraud.. Or at least highly unwise.

I think your DH needs to put his big boy pants on and actually react when the gas engineer is behaving in such an appauling way.
Why is it that you were the one to react at him going upstairs with shoes on, him turning off the gas when something was cooking, putting your tea towel on the floor etc etc??

I very strongly suspect that said knob-head would never have dare behaving that way if it has been your DH reacting and telling him off rather than you (obviously as a woman, yu are nothing, know nothing and are just a nuisance...).
YY about the estate agent being present but she is still a woman and knowing estate agents, I wouldn't be surprised if she isnt making an acute report on the way he behaved.

As for the landlord, I think that by agreeing to pay something you should never have paid youver given her the signal that you are very nice people a mug and I would be wondering if she isn't going to use that to her advantage.

Have you tried to look for a gas engineer in your town yourself? I'm pretty sure you will find someone just as qualified (or it will be a company and they will have someone else)

I've been a landlord for twenty years. Any gas safe engineer can do the landlords safety check. All previous checks are only valid for one year anyway hence the need for getting it redone now. So that's bullshit about it voiding all previous certificates. Put your foot down on this. The landlord is under pressure here and it is illegal not to have a current certificate so they will have to find another registered engineer.

I agreed to the curtains as I wanted to measure up, but them and fit them so the kids would have privacy from the minute we moved in. £177 didn't seem too much of a high price to pay when considering the alternative would be moving in with no privacy.

The warranty is not engineer-specific. Some installers may chuck in a free annual service as part of the new boiler deal, but it just needs to be done by a Gas Safe registered Engineer who holds the relevant up to date qualification for your boiler.

And this is a landlord safety check which has nothing to do with manufacturer warranties.

Yeah sorry to say OP she is definitely going to see you as a pushover for paying the £177. I can't get my head around agreeing to something like that!

Wow. Come on - you're now saying this was reasonable behaviour from her? Not sure why you're defending her? She could have easily allowed you accompanied access for free given that you're worth at least thousands to her per annum.