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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

another landlord / tenant one

28 replies

Mmzz · 27/06/2017 17:50

My LL wants some work done. He wants 3 quotes and he wants me to be available to let the people who will do the quotes in and show them around.
The first quote was done and the man said to me that the change won't improve my experience of using the house at all (its to solve a problem that i do need solved but then man says this is not a solution).

I feed this back to the letting agent who says your landlord insists on the gettign the other two quotes, sorry if that's inconvenient for you etc.

So quote nbr 2 was due this morning. i waited in all morning and he simply didn't turn up. Eventually, i called his office, they called him and then they called me back to say he was busy and would like to make a new appointment with me for tomorrow morning. They said the reason that he hadn't tried to cancel the apppointment or let me know that he wasn't coming was because he couldn't get a mobile signal (except of course he could get one when they called him). I didn get a sort of haughty apology, but the tone it came in coudl best be described as "sorry, not sorry".
So, i said I am unavailble because I am busy (which i am) and that I am not minded to wait in again for them.
So they called the letting agent (doubtless to complain) and I've got an email from her saying: sorry that happened, no phone signal so couldn't cancel, and then your landlord ants this so ring the company again and ask for a new appoointment.

My question: AIBU to be feeling used and taken for granted?

and how would you respond to the letting agent?

OP posts:
JediStoleMyBike · 27/06/2017 17:54

What is the work that needs doing?

chickenowner · 27/06/2017 17:55

The letting agent can arrange to be at the property to let the tradesman in. It is not your problem.

I am speaking as a landlord.

DailyMailReadersAreThick · 27/06/2017 17:56

YANBU. The appointments should be made at your convenience. The landlord and letting agent are taking the piss.

PineappleScrunchie · 27/06/2017 17:58

then your landlord ants this so ring the company again and ask for a new appoointment.

i bet you'll be getting right on that Wink

araiwa · 27/06/2017 17:58

Tradesman not turning up shocker

Arrange a suitable time or get agent to let them in

HipsterHunter · 27/06/2017 17:59

My LL wants some work done. He wants 3 quotes and he wants me to be available to let the people who will do the quotes in and show them around.

Nope.

His job.

PineappleScrunchie · 27/06/2017 17:59

Maybe you could go into the office and so some filing for them too!

HipsterHunter · 27/06/2017 18:00

As long as you are happy for the agent or tradespeople to be in the house when you are out, you do absolutely not have to wait in for them. Not your job to provide access.

Original poster
Mmzz · 27/06/2017 18:02

If I owned the property (and I do own property), i would not give a 2nd chance to someone who basically stands me up. If he had called to cancel, then that would have been different. Even if he'd called to say he was running late, then I'd have been understanding. However, he just didn't show up and didn't make any attempt to get in touch with me.

I just don't see why i shoudl put myself out again to give him another chance. I wouldn't do it for my own property - and by coincedence i was arranging some building work today - so i don't see why I should do it for the landlord.

If the man today was to be given the job, it would not be surprising if he didn't turn up when he said he would then either.

I don't like the letting agent's tone either. She speaks down to me (I think) because I am a lowly tenant.

OP posts:
Pemba · 27/06/2017 18:04

Would you want strangers letting themselves in your home when you're out? No, me neither. Plus it can invalidate some insurance policies if you allow this.

Frazzle76 · 27/06/2017 18:04

From both a landlords and tenants point of view.
If the work needs doing you need to allow access. The landlord can't control the tradesmens attitude and does need the quotes.
But if you are happy to let the agents organise and get them to let them in to do it - then that is what the landlord is paying them for after all.
I wouldn't pay too much attention to what the first chap said. Tradesmen often say conflicting things to up the quote - espieically in let properties when it's harder for the landlord to know and control what's going on.

araiwa · 27/06/2017 18:07

Why put yourself out? If youre gonna be home anyway, fine. Never arrange it so youre waiting to go out to do something as it will piss you off if they noshow or are late

Original poster
Mmzz · 27/06/2017 18:10

I don't allow the letting agent to coem in without me being present. Its a rule i have since the last place I rented where the landlord and letting the agent took liberties when i allowed them.

So, i started this tenancy with this rule in place and so far its been fine. obviously its comign off the rails a bit now. However, it doesn't work to ask letting agenst to be raesonable as they call and hassle you to get you to do what suits them unless there is a blanket rule in place (or at least that was my experience).

I said i'd wait in 3 times to allow tradesmen in to give quotes and i will. But I didn't say i'd do 4, so i guess the ony way this can happen now is if nbr 2 wants to come at the same time as nbr 3 (who hasn't been in touch yet to make an appointment).

OP posts:
sparechange · 27/06/2017 18:13

pemba
There is not an insurance policy in the land that would be invalidated by a letting agent letting in a tradesman to quote for a job!

TakeThatFuckingDressOffNow · 27/06/2017 18:15

Your landlord is lazy!!!

No way is this your bloody job - I'm a landlord and would NEVER dream of asking this.

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 27/06/2017 18:20

Yes it is the letting agent's or LL who should be getting stressed with this NOT you.

Original poster
Mmzz · 27/06/2017 18:23

sparechange - I came close to testing this at my last place. THe LL was a difficult character. The neighbours detested him and his wife (because he'd lived there). He was always comign to the house, usually with no notice. He always said he had somethign that he just had to check up on.

I'd ask him to respect my privacy, but although hed agree, he would just pop in the next time it suited him. He also kept getting mail sent to the house.

One night DH and I went out, taking the car off the drive. We left my young neice babysitting. She was sitting at the back of the house with only one lamp on reading a book when she heard someone moving about. She caught a glimpse of the man in the doorway before she quietly called me. I called the police and a neighbour to go over. When the neighour banged on the front door, the burglar ran out of the back door (and he knew exactly where to grab the key from). The thing is the description of the burglar matched the landlord.
So after taht, we gave notice.

And now I never give permission for other people to come into my home unattended. Taht way there can be no misunderstanding, and no reason why they shoudl be found in the house or garden.

OP posts:
LakieLady · 27/06/2017 18:48

DP's old landlord let himself into DPs flat while I was in the shower once.

He used to let himself in all the time, and snoop about and look at people's post.

Unreasonable to expect you to use up your annual leave to let tradesmen in though, imo.

Pemba · 27/06/2017 19:12

Re: people letting themselves in. In my experience it's not even usually the landlord or letting agent - letting agents I've had seem to expect you to be happy for them to hand out the key to tradespeople - they won't put themselves out to come round and attend.

AndTakeYourHorseWithYou · 27/06/2017 19:14

The letting agent can arrange to be at the property to let the tradesman in. It is not your problem

OP doesn't have to let anyone into the property, especially when she's not there. She'd be mad to, in fact.

Allthebestnamesareused · 27/06/2017 19:21

"Its to solve a problem that I do need to be solved"

If this is the case you will either need to be available to let tradesmen quote or let the agent show the men in because unfortunately it won't get solved unless one of these happen.

What work is it?

Original poster
Mmzz · 27/06/2017 20:33

i'm willing to let other tradesmen in to quote. i'm even willign to let this one in. But he'll have to make do with an appointment time at my convenience and its not convenient to give him a three hour window.

The letting agent's attitude has annoyed me. "Your landlord wants this, so arrange it"

OP posts:
BarbarianMum · 27/06/2017 20:44

Almost every letting agent I've ever had to do with (as a tennant or landlord) has been an arse so YANBU about that.

But when you get tradespeople in to quote you do have to mutually agree a time, so there is an element of give and take. I find asking for first thing eliminates the 3 hour window crap but YANBU to want to narrow that to an hour.

Ultimately though, it is the landlord who decides who is allowed to quote. If you don't want anyone in the property without you then you need to accomodate.

Original poster
Mmzz · 27/06/2017 20:54

I agree about mutually give and take but onyl up to a point.

They asked for the appointment today, they named the time and the date. i didn't put any restrictions on them at all.Then, even thoguh it turned otu to be inconvenient (not their fault), i kept my side of the bargain and waited in. But he didn't turn up, and didn't do the polite thing of letting me know he wasn't coming. it was palin rude apart from anything else.

He's done all the taking and I've done all the giving. If he wants another appointment then he can come at a time that i offer, and i'll do that when i know I'm definately going to be at home and not busy with ohter stuff.

OP posts:
BarbarianMum · 27/06/2017 21:03

Yes you're right. I suggest you offer them the choice of one of two dates and times convenient for you or say something like any Monday after 6. You certainly don't need to be offering to wait in for whole days.