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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Advice for a new landlord, compensation

45 replies

missoj · 10/09/2017 17:04

Can I ask for advice from landlords and tenants?

The door lock broke in my old flat that I rent out, meaning the tenants had to miss half a day of work waiting for the locksmith to come. The lock was fixed quickly so that's not the problem. The tenant had asked for £200 compensation for the time missed from work, and wrote a threatening email saying 'I know my rights'. I can't find any legal advice or recommendations online for what to do. If they weren't so rude I probably would have just said yes! Worried that I will set a precedent and get walked over. Does anyone have any advice? Many Thanks!

OP posts:

lemonsandlimes123 · 10/09/2017 17:05

Did you offer to go around and wait for the locksmiths?

Original poster

missoj · 10/09/2017 17:05

Sorry extra point - I've got no proof of how much time they missed, nor do I know why they've asked for £200 and not another amount. Should it be set to their salaries and companies confirming they missed work etc?

OP posts:

Original poster

missoj · 10/09/2017 17:06

Thank you for your response! There's a letting agent, and they organised the locksmith to come round after the tenants call. Actually I don't know if they offered to wait

OP posts:

LunarGirl · 10/09/2017 17:06

Did they have the option to not be there when the locksmith came or to arrange it for when they were home from work? I'd love to know what line of work they're in, £200 for half a days work!

MoreProseccoNow · 10/09/2017 17:07

To be honest, it should be you taking time off for repairs not tenants (assuming you self-manage).

If they weren't happy to wait in, they should have communicated that earlier. You're not obligated to pay them for their time, but you both need to review expectations.

Perhaps it's time to get an agency to manage it for you?

giantpurplepeopleeater · 10/09/2017 17:07

No. You don't owe them compensation. These thibgs happen occasionally. It's noy your fault the lock broke and you fixed it as soon as possible.

tilligan · 10/09/2017 17:07

So the tenant is claiming £200 for missing half a day's work!! Think they are trying it on, unless of course they are in a job that pays £96000 per year.....

LittleOwl153 · 10/09/2017 17:07

Assuming you have landlord insurance is there a legal phone line you can call to check?
In anycase any compensation would need to be backed up with proof - they can't just pluck a figure from the air!

FallingOrbit · 10/09/2017 17:08

Did you offer to go round and wait on their behalf? Even if just outside rather than inside? I'm not sure they could enforce that, it's a bit of an unusual one. Even if they could, they'd need to evidence that £200 is an accurate figure and that they DID in fact lose that amount of money.

They can't just pull a figure out of thin air and demand it even if they would be entitled to it, which I'm fairly confident they wouldn't be.

MoreProseccoNow · 10/09/2017 17:08

Cross posts. They are taking the piss. Let your agency deal with it.

Secretusernameofshame · 10/09/2017 17:09

Did you break the lock? Did you know the lock was breaking and ignored it till it broke completely?

I'm guessing not.

I'm no legal expert but I don't see how you can owe them a penny.

I have missed work due to a massive leak (up 1am-5am cleaning then waiting in for plumber) and I didn't dream of asking for compensation. I can't see how you owe them anything. It's just one of those things.

Oysterbabe · 10/09/2017 17:12

When I rented the letting agent would have sorted it out and let the locksmith in.

MatildaTheCat · 10/09/2017 17:16

Absolutely not. If they genuinely were going to lose this amount of money from not working it should have been discussed and agreed prior to the work not demanded afterwards.

In a rental property things can and do go wrong, just as with any property. Tenants are sometimes inconvenienced by this just as home owners.

They would have a real gripe if the lock had not been fixed. Ask the legal board for wording a reply but do not pay up this chancer. I would also treat with caution from now on.

olderandnowiser · 10/09/2017 17:19

I had something similar when I was a Landlord. I am sorry to say and I will probably get shouted at but I would not renew the lease. Make sure that the agents give them the correct length of notice to quit. I have learned the hard way that unreasonable acts/demands are seldom isolated and they may well try things on in the future.

AdalindSchade · 10/09/2017 17:21

The letting agents should have got an emergency locksmith and someone from the agency should have come and waited until it was done. Have you asked your letting agents to account for how they handled it? Did they suggest the tenant takes the time off or wait for a cheaper locksmith?

YouCantArgueWithStupid · 10/09/2017 17:23

We've been renting different properties via different landlords and agents for 10 years and I would never say I wanted money from missed days at work! Unless we were told they'd come Monday and didn't and then we needed another day off! Plus why would both of them need to be there?!

Bringmewineandcake · 10/09/2017 17:24

If the tenant didn't want to wait in they should have told the agent so that they could have arranged a rep/you to be there.
I wouldn't pay them anything, they're taking the mick.

Iknowit · 10/09/2017 17:26

When the lock broke on the door to my rented house I contacted the agency and they rang the locksmith and tbf the landlord came straight round and waited outside till the locksmith came and then paid him directly. I think the tenant has a point if they genuinely had to take time off but £200 sounds excessive.

user1493413286 · 10/09/2017 17:26

Id speak to your letting agent about what's in the tenancy agreement as I think it normally says that the tenant needs to be in or allow access by the letting agent so if it was an issue the letting agent should have gone. I can't see that your tenant has missed out on £200 worth of pay unless they're a very high earner! So on that basis I'd say no because they seem to be taking advantage.

blackbunny · 10/09/2017 17:27

Certainly you can pay for their lost wages....on production of letter from employer confirming how much wages have been lost.
The employer may have gone, fine take half a day off, make up the lost time on another day
No proofee, no payee !

scaryclown · 10/09/2017 17:30

I'd wrote back with a notice to quit signed off with 'i know my rights'..

Balls did they lose, £200

Percephone · 10/09/2017 18:25

What are you paying your letting agent for? Let then deal with this. They didn't have to wait in and you owe them nothing.

Percephone · 10/09/2017 18:28

Also I agree with other posters that this is a sign of a difficult tenant. I'd make sure the inspections are up to date and everything is satisfactory in the house as a starting point. I wouldn't necessarily give them notice but I'd make sure everything is done by the book from now on.

In my experience these sort of entitled tenants will try other stunts e.g. not paying their full month's rent when they leave as they decided to move out a couple of weeks early

DressedCrab · 10/09/2017 18:35

I'd get them out as soon as you legally can, it will only get worse.

Genericusername9 · 10/09/2017 18:35

Section 21 at the earliest possible opportunity.

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