To expect my tenants to understand?

[Littleelffriend]

I own a flat which I rent out. I wanted to sell it but no takers so I’m stuck . The rent doesn’t cover the mortgage but better than nothing. I got new tenants 5 months ago, lovely couple no issues.
Since they moved in there have been numerous problems. The roof started leaking, I got it fixed within 3 days. The cooker broke, I ordered them a new one straight away. They blocked the toilet with wipes, I paid for an emergency plumber the same day.
They called Friday and said they had no heating or hot water. I had an engineer out within 2 hours. He said he had to order a part which would be here today. It’s the wrong part, and it won’t be fixed until Friday now so a week of no heating or hot water. Totally shit, no argument from me. But my tenants are now being crap about it, going on about how frustrating it is. I know it’s frustrating, but these things happen and I’ve done my best. Aibu to wish they would be a bit more understanding?

There. Huff.

I was wondering what snafus meant!

Yes. And the point is the obligations are different here ("reasonable time") So when said letting agent replies "I'm afraid there is nothing more I can do ms koala" what would you do then?

@JonSnowsWife I was quoting someone else! I agree with you!

Bubblebubblepop you’re like a dog with a bone! Maybe Koala hasn’t thought about what she’d do because when she phoned they said ‘of course, we’ll sort it right now as per the commitment we made’.

@nakedavenger. I apologise. This thread moves so fast.

So she probably shouldn't go around advising others that they can sort it out sooner because she did.

Snafu: situation normal, all f### up. It means it's bad, but normal. A snafu as opposed to a calamity, major problem.

Flat tyre on the way to an appointment, snafu- annoying but manageable.
Car written off, major problem.

Other people might have an agent/landlord who is willing to put them up in a hotel too! Mine did. If their rental agreement states that they will do so, why would you not phone and remind them of it?! That would be lunacy. There might not be anything you can do to enforce it, but why wouldn’t you phone?

Ah thanks for that pickle. The DCs tell me I'm old. They had to tell me what megz meant the other day. (I'm probably that uncool I haven't even spelt it right ).

I'm a landlord too.
I gave them 25 percent off their first month rent because I know how much moving costs. Don't do this again. You need this money for when things break. That kindness won't be reciprocated or appreciated long-term by the tenants.
The tenants can suck it up; life's not perfect.

Don't do this again. You need this money for when things break

Isn't that what the bond money is supposed to be for?

I meant when things like boilers break, not for when tenants break things.

But you're meant to keep the bond until the end of the tenancy (as it's meant to be returned presuming the tenants haven't wrecked the place). Herein, you should ajways have some put away for these instances, as a LL.

By all means dock the money off the bond at the end of the tenancy for the toilet breakage. Besides, didnt the OP say the rent barely covers the mortgage? So in essence even if she hasn't knocked 25% off she still wouldn't have found the £ for any unexpected repairs.

The tenant was responsible for paying the bill for the toilet. It doesn't come out of the bond. The tenant has to pay it at the time it's repaired.
There's no need to give away 25% of the first months rent, regardless.

The bond money has to be legally lodged with the tenancy deposit scheme. If you don't do that, you are breaking the law and can be fined.

When I was young, rents used to be less than mortgage payments. That was before buy to let.

That's right. Landlords shouldn't hang on to the bonds. I let my tenants pay the bonds off weekly or fortnightly, if they don't have it.

The tenant was responsible for paying the bill for the toilet. It doesn't come out of the bond. The tenant has to pay it at the time it's repaired.

You might want to read my post again. No where have I stated it wasn't the tenants responsibility to pay the toilet bill

It is however, the LLs legal responsibility to repair / replace a boiler.

If simple things like keeping money aside for unexpected repairs such as boilers or any other thing that LLs are also legally responsible for. Then perhaps they shouldn't be in the profession in the first place.

Landlords shouldn't hang on to the bonds.

Really? and how do you plan on returning that money to a tenant at the end of their tenancy then if you haven't kept kept of it/kept it replenished?

*kept hold of it.

It's illegal to keep them, as Brasty just pointed out. You have to lodge them.

The bond money has to be legally lodged with the tenancy deposit scheme. If you don't do that, you are breaking the law and can be fined

I'd bet you a bottom dollar @brasty that those LLs who come out with spurious claims at the end of the tenancy as to why they're not getting the bond back are exactly the ones who don't do this.

Yes I'm quite aware of that. Something being illegal doesn't stop people from doing it.

But my point remains the same. If you cant allow for these sort of repairs financially that you are legally responsible for. Perhaps being a LL isn't for everyone.