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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect my tenants to understand?

354 replies

Littleelffriend · 24/10/2017 18:45

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?

OP posts:
PenelopeFlintstone · 25/10/2017 10:54

The bond is next to useless if you get a bad tenant anyway. A drop in the ocean of the costs to the landlord.

brasty · 25/10/2017 10:57

If you are running a business, you need to have money to do so. Maintaining a house that your are letting out is a business expense. If you can't meet that expense, then don't let it out.

Honestly this is basic 101 of being a landlord and I have no sympathy for anyone who does not do this.

And any landlord who does not lodge the deposit as legally required to do so, I hope you get prosecuted for breaking the law.

Sonnet · 25/10/2017 10:58

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.

Have you read the thread Grin

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

How does this equate to the OP not keeping money aside to pay for unexpected repairs???

You have just rewritten history to perpetuate the Mumsnet Myth that all LL are BAD

Do you want any ketchup with your chip?

PenelopeFlintstone · 25/10/2017 11:00

You might want to read my post again. Nowhere have I stated it wasn't the tenant's responsibility to pay the toilet bill
That's right. But you said it would come out of the bond at the end and that's not how it works. It gets paid by the tenant during the tenancy at the time of repair- nothing to do with the landlord.
It is however, the LLs legal responsibility to repair / replace a boiler.
Yes. Which is why I suggested the OP stops giving kind and thoughtful 25% discounts when she might need the money for boiler repairs later on.

Sonnet · 25/10/2017 11:02

If you are running a business, you need to have money to do so. Maintaining a house that your are letting out is a business expense. If you can't meet that expense, then don't let it out.

From the OP at 19:46: For those who have mentioned maintenance, the boiler is not old and serviced annually, and I have all the relevant certificates regarding gas and electric

Money is not the problem (see mt previous post)

Read the thread maybe ?

Cutesbabasmummy · 25/10/2017 11:03

being a landlord is shit imo! We were forced into it when we couldn't sell our flat in Surrey and had to rent in our new location. So we were both landlords and tenants. In the end we had to legally evict our tenants who contrary to what we had specified were heavy smokers, left food in the fridge that was mouldy, had not aired the flat to the extent that the ceilings were black with mould and the bathroom defied description. They had also put a hole in the water pump just before they left on the morning of the eviction which lifted the laminate flooring. Oh and they owed us £2k in rent. Never again will we be landlords!

Sonnet · 25/10/2017 11:04

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.

Money’s not the issue JonSnowsWife - engineer’s office ordering the wrong part is?!

JonSnowsWife · 25/10/2017 11:10

sonnet I have read the thread thankyou. I'm quite aware it was the part for the boiler needed, otherwise why would I have commented that that is exactly what happened to us? Then also gone further and said because they couldn't get the part they needed, they eventually replaced with a new boiler instead.

The age and service of the boiler is irrelevant. Mine wasn't even two years old, serviced last month and it still went out of the blue.

JonSnowsWife · 25/10/2017 11:13

being a landlord is shit imo! We were forced into it when we couldn't sell our flat in Surrey and had to rent in our new location.

I have complete empathy with accidental LLs like you and the OP cutes.

I have little to zero for people who treat it as a business and then act shocked that sometimes shit needs repairing. (not the toilet issue which is obviously the tenants fault).

Sonnet · 25/10/2017 11:20

If its irrelevant then why suggest it is lack of money that has caused the issue meaning the tennent is without hot water ?

The OP has done everything she can and is at the mercy of the engineers office.

specialsubject · 25/10/2017 11:24

sorry, but no-one is forced into being a landlord. All properties sell at the right price. If the right price is too low, then you either accept that or do the sums and see if rental less all expenses will make a profit.

if it won't, then you are looking at a loss whatever you do. Wrong tenants and it could be a bigger loss (no rent, trashed, dealers) Sell the place rather than flogging a dead horse.

JonSnowsWife · 25/10/2017 11:28

If its irrelevant then why suggest it is lack of money that has caused the issue meaning the tennent is without hot water?

Only I didnt say that Hmm

The excuses/reasons proffered by some posters and LLs themselves was that the money isn't always there to fix things, and that the boiler was relatively new so not reasonably expected to break imminently.

I merely pointed out that a LL should be prepared for this eventuality, and that the age of the boiler is irrelevant.

Sorry if that confuses you.

JonSnowsWife · 25/10/2017 11:34

I agree specialsubject but there are instances where accidental LLs have little choice. A friend of mine had no choice but to rent out her house because her ex refused to give up his right to the house. She still had to have an income coming in whilst it went through a very complicated legal wrangle in court. All sorted now and shes sold up but it took years.

reflexfaith · 25/10/2017 11:41

sorry, but no-one is forced into being a landlord. All properties sell at the right price. If the right price is too low, then you either accept that or do the sums and see if rental less all expenses will make a profit
I agree with this when you're in a difficult situation you weigh up your options and you make a choice

Cutesbabasmummy · 25/10/2017 11:56

sorry, but no-one is forced into being a landlord. All properties sell at the right price. If the right price is too low, then you either accept that or do the sums and see if rental less all expenses will make a profit

I'm sorry but that is utter bollocks! We had to move due to jobs relocating and the flat went on the market 3 weeks before the bottom fell out of the market 12 years ago. Suddenly no one could get a mortgage. All our money to buy a flat where we are now was stuck in that flat in Surrey. We had to rent. We finally sold our flat in Surrey 3 years later at a £20k loss when mortgages started to become more freely available again. So don't you tell me it will sell at the right price!

reflexfaith · 25/10/2017 12:03

No doubt your flat would have sold more quickly had you reduced it further
no one wants to take a hit

permatiredmum · 25/10/2017 12:19

Have you told your mortgage lender that you are renting the property out? I just ask because they usually insist that the rent covers the mortgage by 1.3 x

Viviennemary · 25/10/2017 12:23

Your tenants are paying rent and expect to live somewhere with basic facilities. No hot water and heating for a week is pretty grim. You should refund them some rent. You are right to be annoyed about the toilet though. Idiots.

permatiredmum · 25/10/2017 12:23

the OP may well be doing her upmost to repair the fault.But the fact remains that there is something major wrong with the property, but nothing wrong with the tenants money! You should give compensation OP!

permatiredmum · 25/10/2017 12:24

You are right to be annoyed about the toilet though. Idiots.

True but they had already pot up with a leaking roof and broken cooker

CatchIt · 25/10/2017 13:29

But that’s not the OP’sfault, it’s the way things are!

Putting baby wipes down the loo is sheer fuckwittedness!! 🙄😕

Want2bSupermum · 25/10/2017 14:03

permatired Most banks would prefer to waive a clause like that rather than take on the loss of selling the place won't result in the mortgage being completely paid off.

I find the vitriol towards the OP and LLs in general to be quite distasteful. People complain about rent being so high and then want a LL to provide a service above and beyond what a homeowner would have. You can't have your cake and eat it. You also can't magic up a plumber going to fix the boiler when they are already booked up with other work.

I really don't understand the whole compensation. There has been no money lost by the tenants and the LL is not getting a discount on their expenses. Paying less just makes the whole situation potentially worse if the LL isn't left with enough money from the rent for ongoing maintenance.

As a homeowner and LL what you pay in rent as a tenant is part of the cost of owning a home. There are lots of other costs which you are unaware of.

MargaretCavendish · 25/10/2017 14:18

Want2be If you rented a holiday cottage for the week and there was no hot water was broken would you expect money off?

expatinscotland · 25/10/2017 14:25

'People complain about rent being so high and then want a LL to provide a service above and beyond what a homeowner would have. '

If they were the bloody homeowner they'd have to pay for the repair. Renters are paying for a service beyond what a homeowner has in many ways, one of these is not having to pay for repairs.

'As a homeowner and LL what you pay in rent as a tenant is part of the cost of owning a home. There are lots of other costs which you are unaware of.'

NONE of which is the concern of the tenant or in any way their problem. Their problem is only paying the rent and adhering to the terms on the tenancy agreement.

Renting is the not the same as homeowning. Duh.

expatinscotland · 25/10/2017 14:29

'Want2be If you rented a holiday cottage for the week and there was no hot water was broken would you expect money off?'

This, because after all, the cottage owner has costs you may be unaware of and by your own logic, you should expect the same service the cottage owner would get if he/she were resident in the cottage.

As for it's not being cold right now, it's getting a bit blustery here in the north. Single digits tonight. Not having heat for a week would suck and would cause even more condensation, not having hot water on top of that would make washing with these pans of hot water miserable at the best and minging at the worst (especially if you're especially sweaty or pongy).

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