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?

How on earth can the rent not be covering the mortgage in this interest rate environment? Rents are higher than they have ever been as people cannot afford to buy property and interest rates are the lowest they have ever been.

When the boiler kept breaking at my old rented flat and the landlord kept doing a botch up repair job and it kept breaking again, I eventually lost my patience and had a rant at my letting agents to get it replaced, no more cowboy botch up jobs. But when it first went wrong, I just reported it and asked for it to be fixed. I totally get your tenants frustration but I don't really see what else you could do ATM. That said, no hot running water, therefore can't have showers...id consider offering a reduction on this month's rent as a goodwill gesture.
Tricky situation all around, hope it gets solved soon! X

If there’s no hot water, I’d be offering a rent reduction. But given that you’ve fixed the blocked toilet at your own expense, probably not. I do agree that you should have a maintenance contract for the boiler/heating - or appropriate cover through LL insurance.

'If there was an electric shower but no heating and no water Id be fine with your solution OP.

If there was no way to get clean for work I’d have moved into a hotel - there’s NO WAY I’d go to work without a shower for a week.

And I would be asking for air b n b costs, or gym membership for a week so I could shower.'

This ^^. How the hell do you expect people to wash with no hot water. They have to pay to shower elsewhere (and no, a lot of people don't have a 'friend' or 'family' nearby where they can shower daily).

YANBU you are doing your best maintaining the place but you do sound a bit like you are doing them a favour by sorting it quickly, rather than that is what you would expect someone to do.
I think you should lend them a small electric heater and take a bit off next rent for electricity costs, that would be a good service.

How the hell do you expect people to wash with no hot water.
By heating up water on the cooker. A big pan of heated up water can wash your hair and body, a nuisance but perfectly doable.

Our previous landlord left us without heating or hot water for nearly three months which covered the snow of December 2010. His suggestion was to wash in a bucket FFS.

Hot water and heating is not an optional extra and your financial situation is not your tenants problem.

I would have invoiced them for the plumber fixing the blocked loo though!

Thanks for all responses. I offered heaters but they said it wasn’t cold enough and they didn’t want them. The flat is top floor so warm anyway.
I didn’t bill them for the toilet but hinted that if it happened again I would. I gave them 25 percent off their first month rent because I know how much moving costs.
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. If the problem was in my house I would have to wait the same amount of time I’m not a magician.

They presumably would like you to reduce the rent to reflect the inconvenience you've caused. I'd consider doing that. I'd also consider charging them for the cost of getting the bog fixed too, but only if you had proof it was working fine when they moved in.

I’m a ll. My properties have immersion heaters so don’t have that issue. The plumbers I use lend heaters if ever necessary. WRT to selling your flat, sorry, you made a choice not to put it on at a price, which secured a sale. Now you are lumbered with a flat, which has needed a lot of repair work. And no, they don’t have to be understanding, you are offering a service. Your tenants are bound to be upset with no hot water.

mygrandchildrenrock Tue 24-Oct-17 19:44:37
How the hell do you expect people to wash with no hot water.
By heating up water on the cooker. A big pan of heated up water can wash your hair and body, a nuisance but perfectly doable.
^^

Actually, no not doable for most. Firstly not everyone has big tubs or buckets lying around (I've only got a floor bucket) but if you've got a decent head of hair (mines butt length and thick) and/or a medical condition (I can't lift heavy items and need to wash daily due to medical condition), a return to cloth washing isn't practical even for a few days

By heating up water on the cooker. A big pan of heated up water can wash your hair and body, a nuisance but perfectly doable.

Seriously? That's your solution?!

You're going to get an absolute pasting, OP. Landlords are really unpopular on MN

Bad, entitled landlords get an absolute pasting. In this case,l I think the lessor is doing the right thing (though she seems a bit contrite that they're upset - "them's the breaks" with letting a property). But saying tenants have too many rights in the UK is frankly utterly pathetic, and shows zero awareness of what it's like to be a tenant with an insecure tenancy

Landlords dont have magic powers, you've done well to get fixers as quick as you did. These two probably don't understand that, as you see many on here don't either. Blocking the toilet with wipes does indicate Thickety thick from thicktania.

It isn't worth it. When they leave drop the price and sell it. Or issue a sec 21 when the contract ends if you are insured for a possible battle.

I'm both tenant and landlord. I wouldn't have expected a rebate in my rent for such a short time nor would I have given a rebate. I've had boilers give up in 2 feet of snow and separately during winter with 2 young children. What was important was that something was being done about it. I might view it differently if I thought the LL was faffing about.

We’re tenants, we were without hot water and heating for a week - the LL did their best, it wasn’t cold and we put up with it. The boiler and immersion were both cocked up by a major power cut. I certainly wouldn’t expect to be accommodated or have a rent rebate, it’s life and sometimes it goes wrong.

If you’d done nothing about it and previous issues then maybe I’d be cross but it looks like you’re doing what you can as quickly as you can.

It isn't exactly cold at the moment. You have done your best. As long as they have hot water - shower or immersion heater perhaps - they can't really complain for sake f 2 more days.

My boiler went recently. I didnt have heating or hot water all week as we don't have that magical immersion most LLs assume we all have.

It not being cold at the moment doesn't matter. I have 2 DCs and their attitude towards us was shocking. DD has asthma.

Renting out properties means you should take into account the upkeep of the properties too. Things like boilers going shouldn't be unexpected from the seasoned LL. Using the wipes blocking the toilet expenses just makes it look tit for tat and whilst I completely understand the gripe, it doesn't come across very professional.

I’m sorry but carrying a pan of hot water to a bathroom is really dangerous and just not doable for me.

I might manage half a dozen electric kettles boiled next to the bathroom and poured in the bath - I’d be expecting you to buy me kettles though. No one has the time to boil one kettle 50 times before work

I don’t think a sink wash for a week is acceptable at all, it’s just not clean enough for me. I knew this thread would bring out the people who only shower twice a week !

And I know no one in this area to go and have a bath/use their bathroom.

It's not just an inconvenience. It is unreasonable to ask them to put up with a situation where they have no heat or hot water and not offer some solution or rent reduction.

It is not their problem that the rent doesn't cover the mortgage. A LL is supposed to keep a fund for emergencies. Tenants are sitting ducks and they can't very well take their business elsewhere.

You should offer them a rent reduction, provide an electric heater (we don't know where in the UK this flat is and it might be quite cold in Enniskillen or Cardiff or Durham right now.)

Have you tried to source the part yourself? I did this as a homeowner when the pilot light went out in my oven and the repairman took it off my bill.

It is possible the wipes were the sort advertised as 'flushable'. A lot of people who have experience of old plumbing know there is no such thing as a flushable wipe but many are taken in by claims on packets.

In any case, if you didn't warn the tenants about what they can and can't flush when it comes to items that can often be flushed, you can't fault or charge them for blocking the loo.

It is understandable that the tenants are frustrated after so many vital elements of the flat have needed repairs in quick succession. Roof leaking, oven not working and no heat/hot water are all very stressful things to happen.

Maybe the state of the flat was putting off potential buyers when you had it on the market?

I'm amazed at everyone on here saying you should give a rent rebate I bet if you'd posted saying you were the tenant and wanted a rebate they'd all be saying that was unreasonable.

I've lived in flats and houses where the boiler broke and we've been without heating or hot water for a few days, including when I've had a baby and/or young children, and it never even entered my head to ask for rent back..!!! The landlord is supposed to fix it; not wave a magic wand. Or move you to an airbnb

MN is really weird sometimes....

For those who have mentioned maintenance, the boiler is not old and serviced annually

Doesn't matter. My boiler isn't even two years old and was serviced last month. It just conked out completely this month with no warning.

Speak to them. Tell them you understand.

No hot water is a complete bummer - and boiling kettles/using fuel for huge saucepans just so you can get clean may cost them more than they can afford, esp if on metered electricity. I'd offer them a rebate or money upfront for the meter. Less the plumbing for the blocked loo providing you had a notice about it (Soo many people don't know about wipes blocking the universe and costing us all millions).

As for PPs suggesting hotels/bnb or Airbnb/sports centres - that's fine if there's one nearby that suits the tenants and they have the means to get there/get to work. In some rural towns you'd be hard pushed.

And as for everything pristine - LLs can get things checked, cleaned and sorted to the nth degree but if something breaks down it does. Letting agents are often appalling and not there over weekends so the LL is paying 20pc of income for a service that doesnt help LL or tenants.

Boilers are notorious. So yes OP get proper insurance cover.

It isn’t that I think you’re doing anything wrong OP, you’re doing everything you can to actually fix the boiler

But I want the offer of kettles or gym membership for a week or something that helps me cope with the problem

I had a tenant once who deliberately broke the boiler to avoid paying rent. Broke it beyond repair then said they wouldn't be paying any rent until it was replaced, boiler was only 18 months old. The plumber strongly advised me NOT to replace boiler until they moved out as he didn't trust them not to fiddle about with any new one and this would invalidate the guarantee. They had an electric shower and I offered them portable heaters but they refused. They left owning me five months rent, hundreds of pounds worth of damage to the house and 2.5k for a new boiler.

Sorry, not helpful or relevant. Most of my tenants are lovely and have lived there for decades. If I were you I'd give your tenants a 50% reduction in rent for the days without heat and hot water. I'd also take them some portable heating.

The landlord is supposed to fix it; not wave a magic wand. Or move you to an airbnb

They're not asking for a magic wand. They're asking for maintenance problem to be fixed. Depends on the LL and the tenancy agreements but ours states that no boiler & no hot water is an emergency and must be fixed within 72hours.