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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask a tenant to order his own washing machine?

41 replies

PowerUp · 12/03/2018 11:36

A new tenant moved into my flat 2 months ago. Before she moved in I agreed to provide a new washing machine and oven. John Lewis have attempted to deliver the new oven 4 times all at times dictated by the tenant. She has never been in.

There has been back and forth about the kind of oven she wants/ needs and has now decided on one. WIBU to ask her to pay for it and order it herself (so she deals with the delivery hassle) and just to take the £350 off this month's rent?

The reason is I'm back and forth constantly with John Lewis and the property manager then tenant about new delivery slots and missed slots and I'm sick to death of it!

OP posts:
Original poster
PowerUp · 12/03/2018 11:36

Sorry title should say oven not washing machine!

OP posts:
IShouldntPostBut · 12/03/2018 11:38

Power games! Just tell her what time it will be delivered and installed, and that you'll be there with the installer. Set the time after lunch so you can be sure they're awake.

RLOU88 · 12/03/2018 11:39

You are well within your rights to ask her to do this. I did it to my tenant they ordered and had it fit in and I paid. Completely normal suggestion just make sure you agree on the price of the model beforehand and to let you have a the warrenty for future reference considering the washing will remain once she leaves.

russiandwarf · 12/03/2018 11:40

That's ridiculous! How can you miss 4 deliveries?! I would say yanbu at this point if she is not co-operating - maybe it will prompt her to get her finger out and be in for the deliveries!

Original poster
PowerUp · 12/03/2018 11:42

Thanks all. This is something she asked for so don't know why she is being so slack about just receiving the delivery. I'm sick to death of dealing with it it should be simple and it's gone on for weeks. I'm going to insist upon it now and just make sure the tenant provides me with the receipt and the warranty.

OP posts:
Echobelly · 12/03/2018 11:43

You can offer it, in terms of her convenience I suppose - ie, 'it looks like it would be better for you to arrange this', not as though it's a 'punishment', and that you'll repay. A tenant may be wary of accepting taking it off the rent just in case it could be used, mistakenly or deliberately at some point, to claim that they underpaid their rent or something. Not likely, and I'm sure you wouldn't do that, but I work in property journalism and people do sometimes make crazy claims about things like that if there's a falling out.

When I was renting out my old place, my tenants offered to pay for some things themselves (like carpets, painting, new light fitting) and I agreed on the basis that I'd go round, inspect and pay them back from the fund I kept for maintenance, which was always fine.

specialsubject · 12/03/2018 11:44

as she is a proven pisser-about, the correct answer is for you to be there to meet the delivery. Give her as much notice as you can and make it clear that if she refuses access there will be no washing machine or oven.

Original poster
PowerUp · 12/03/2018 11:45

I don't live anywhere near the property and I pay for it to be fully managed but the property manager doesn't seem to think it's part of his job to be there either.

All of this exchange is via email so the tenant could prove they had the rent agreement so they know I could never claim they had underpaid.

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 12/03/2018 11:46

Who is installing the oven for you? Can it be delivered to the tradesperson/property manager instead?

When we rented we ordered and paid for a washing machine and dishwasher, and the LL refunded us. We kept the warranties and receipts etc in the property file.

But we had a good direct LL-tenant relationship, no drama on either side.

NoSquirrels · 12/03/2018 11:47

Your property manager sounds shit!

Spam88 · 12/03/2018 11:49

Make sure you've got a paper trail to show the appliances belong to you and not her when she moves out.

Original poster
PowerUp · 12/03/2018 11:50

Property manager is from the leading national estate agents- I won't name them but you'll have a good idea.

OP posts:
howabout · 12/03/2018 12:02

I did this when I had a rental property at the other end of the country from me. It was much easier to let the tenant organise the logistics and this was the approach my property manager suggested in the first place - he was a local specialist rather than someone working for a big chain though.

PaperdollCartoon · 12/03/2018 12:05

Yeh that’s ridiculous. I’m a tenant, I’d be there! One missed fair enough, things happen, but four is just silly. Have they given a reason as to why they’ve been missed?

lalalalyra · 12/03/2018 12:05

Your property manager needs to be dealing with this.

If you need him to be there to oversee the delivery and installation then he needs to be there, that's what you pay for.

There's no way I'd let the tenant organise the fitting themselves - you are responsible for the safety of the oven so you need to make sure it's delivered and fitted properly. No chance I'd risk the tenant fitting it themselves.

callamia · 12/03/2018 12:08

I think I'd raise hell with the property 'manager' first, and take your business elsewhere. i'm sure it wouldn't take you long to find another agency who would be a bit more helpful. What are you paying them for?

I've recently bought a washing machine for my rented property (I'm the tenant), after the old one broke. I agreed the price with my landlady, bought it myself, and she paid me back the same day. Easy. It's only a problem if your tenant really can't afford to cover the price of the oven before you are able to pay her back - but it should be easy enough for her to buy it, and for you to transfer money to cover it on the same day, so she wouldn't be out of pocket for more than an hour or so.

TheHodgeoftheHedge · 12/03/2018 12:11

Haven't you posted about this before? I have the strangest sense of de ja vu!

Aprilmightmemynewname · 12/03/2018 12:17

I would send her a Fisher Price kitchen 'by mistake' instead. I read your first thread and you have wasted enough of your time trying to sort it out for her!!

Ginkypig · 12/03/2018 12:18

If your going to do that though insist that it is plumbed in by the company or a professional and not the tenant, the last thing you need is a flood to deal with.

I can and have plumbed in both a dishwasher and a washing machine and it's a relatively simple job but they have proven they can't even stay in for a delivery time

RLOU88 · 12/03/2018 12:19

OP has since said it’s an oven not a washing machine

Kitchenbound · 12/03/2018 12:20

YANBU. When i rented i usually paid for things for the house then had it taken off rent. As long as it is in writing somewhere (which as you have stated it is) that the agreed price is coming off rent then it's no problem.

MacaroniPenguin · 12/03/2018 12:20

When our washing machine broke our landlord asked us to be in for it, but she did pay extra for a Saturday delivery as she knew we worked FT. Is that an option?

AnnieOH1 · 12/03/2018 12:21

I would be extremely cautious to not set a precedent for the tenant to do works in the property and take it off the rent. They are obviously already causing problems, don't let them cause more.

Ghostontoast · 12/03/2018 12:23

Leading management company you say - they need to follow your lead in this matter so if doesn’t lead to more missed appointments - am I leading in the right direction?

LRDtheFeministDragon · 12/03/2018 12:27

I would also be a bit cautious about the precedent of taking it off the rent.

We're tenants, and our LL recently replaced our washing machine. John Lewis will let you ring them up, give them a reference number, and let you arrange delivery, even if you didn't pay. So he bought the model he chose, and then emailed us the number, and it was up to us to arrange delivery whenever worked for us. That might be a good solution? It felt very convenient for us and I think the LL found it perfectly fine too.

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