AIBU- leaving someone in the house?

[early30smum]

We are having something replaced in our flat, and the guy who came to measure up and quote arrived just as I was about to go on the school run. He was from a national company, uniform, I had his contact details and obviously head office of said company would know who they'd sent on the job etc. I said did he mind if I popped out to get the kids for 10 mins while he measured up? All fine. Mentioned this to a friend at pick up (in response to her asking if I wanted to take the kids to the park after school) and she was horrified I'd left him at my house without me?!

Maybe it too trusting, but seriously, what was going to happen? Maybe different if it was someone completely unknown with no traceable contacts e.g. Someone from a buying and selling site e.g. gumtree...

So AIBU to think it was totally fine to leave him?!

I would rather be out! We have just renovated and down to the snagging. I tell the plethora of contractors when I am away and they let themselves in using the keycode.

I have left workmen in my flat to get on with stuff if I've had to go out (central heating fitter,electrician). I've not been happy about it but I didn't have much choice. They were council employed and as is our council's way,they drop things on you at a moments notice and expect it to be convenient. In the instances I'd had to go out,it was to a hospital appointment that I'd had booked for ages and really did not want to cancel,and the other time was when I had to go to work,but could not book the day off having only been given 2 days notice by the council. Another thing that annoys me is the thing about checking anyone's ID before letting them in your house. When the electricians came round,they called at my flat on the Friday morning,saying they wanted to do my flat on the following Monday (so plenty of notice given there. Not.) They then asked to come in and 'have a quick look around' to see what needed to be done. I didn't know these 2 guys from Adam,I was alone in the flat,so I asked them for ID,which my local council is always adamant that anyone employed by them will carry. Did they heck. They got really narky with me about it,even said I was being unreasonable and stopping them doing their job! I stood my ground,and said that if they were council employees,then they should always have ID with them,the fact that they didn't made me suspicious. I said when they came back on Monday to bring ID. After they'd gone I phoned the council and spoke to my area's housing officer and he said that yes,there were electricians going door to door,and that they should all have ID on them. When I said that they hadn't,he said they would be 'spoken to'. It just really annoyed me the way they acted like I was the one being unreasonable,when we have it drummed into us by the council and the police to always ask for ID. That it will not be a problem and they won't mind if they are genuine. Sorry but I beg to differ!

I have left workmen alone in the past for the same reason as you OP .

Nothing bad has ever come of it .

Interestingly, the last times a workman has been at my house and I asked if I could pop out he said he wasn't allowed to be there without me. Company policy apparently, when there is only one of them.

'And then I found out that he gets my retired dad to sit in the house while any are there. 10 working days once while he had a bathroom fitted. I would not want to work under those circumstances!'

Then how are you supposed to provide all those endless cups of tea and coffee, sandwiches and meals that everyone on MN claims to supply to anyone who stops in their home to work?

Single working parent here, would never get any odd jobs done if I couldn't leave them alone and trust them to get on with the job.

Never had any problems, I just leave them the key and the post it back through the door when they leave.

This happened to me recently, he turned up at five to three. When I told him I'd nip out for a few minutes (school literally at the bottom of our street) he refused and went to sit in his van. Told me to chap his window on the way back in!

I was shocked, I'd have been happy to leave him in the house.

Yeah, but the real question is, do you let them use your toilet??

Interesting responses. I never even thought about not leaving him TBH! Like I said, I think if it had been someone not 'traceable' I might have thought differently.

drinkingtea sorry, but that autocorrect was hilarious!