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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to expect a prompt reply to my email?

59 replies

lill72 · 04/05/2018 10:13

I've emailed the maintenance company regarding my rental property.

DD got off toilet seat, seat slipped as one side was loose, this in turn cause the lid to slip too and crack.

they are saying we misused the toilet - ah by sitting on it?!!!

I have gone to someone higher to discuss as the maintenance guy has no clue and have no reply about this and other issues.

Some ongoing.

Where do you go from here? They are always in meetings or so they say when you call.

Can you escalate things?

I am just so frustrated about this and an ongoing issue about wood floors.

And then they give me less than 14 hours notice before coming into my property. I called them out on this.

Ugh. I want my own place!!!

any tips appreciated!!!

OP posts:

DuchyDuke · 04/05/2018 10:16

The minute the seat was loose you should have contacted them, as it’s a quick job to fix it. Now they have to replace the whole seat because it broke. You need to remember your responsibilities as a tenant too (and not JUST your rights) ie all incidents to be escalated promptly.

Nightfall1 · 04/05/2018 11:11

LL has a reasonable time in which to repair, if obligated, once they are notified of the problem. They can pass the repair charge to you if they believe the damage was caused by you.
"Reasonable time" is not defined in law.
They should give you at least 24 hours notification of a visit to your property but they have to have your consent to enter unless for an emergency.
The law expects the LL AND the tenant to act "reasonably"

firstbornforbread · 04/05/2018 11:20

Just buy a new one and fit it. You could ask if that's ok (I'm sure it is).

DougFargo · 04/05/2018 11:24

they can't come into the property without your permission. Doesn't matter how much notice they give you.

SilverHairedCat · 04/05/2018 11:25

Eh? I always dealt with my own toilet seats in rented houses! But a new one and fit it. You should have tightened it when it was realised it was loose.

strongerthan · 04/05/2018 11:28

@DougFargo this always makes me laugh. If you want something fixed surely you want the LL to come in the property???

abigailsnan · 04/05/2018 11:30

Once it was loose you should have tightened the fitting at the rear such an easy peasy job,or you can buy a new one yourself for a few £s,
Iknew a tenant who used to ring the LL to replace light bulbs or batteries in door bells -un believable

jaseyraex · 04/05/2018 11:34

I would just buy a new toilet seat and fit it yourself tbh. They're cheap to buy and it's easy. Bigger issues are of course a pain in the arse when no one responds. I've had a hole in my kitchen ceiling since September due to a leak, they fixed the leak but still no sign of anyone fixing the ceiling. I think most landlords just can't be arsed dealing with "minor" issues.

DragonsAndCakes · 04/05/2018 11:38

This one is £7 and gets decent reviews

www.diy.com/departments/himara-white-standard-close-toilet-seat/1412509_BQ.prd

DougFargo · 04/05/2018 11:38

@DougFargo this always makes me laugh. If you want something fixed surely you want the LL to come in the property???

Obviously, but that wasn't actually the point, was it?

katseyes7 · 04/05/2018 11:48

Seriously? You want someone to come out every time the loo seat is loose? l'm in a rented property and l have three toilets. lf l had someone come out every time one of the seats needed tightening up they may as well move in.
lt's an easy enough job. You can do it when you clean the toilet. Then it doesn't get to the point of being too loose.

MarsBarsAreShrinking · 04/05/2018 11:49

As a long term tenant (on our 3rd now in 13 years) my advice would be pick your battles. For something as small as a toilet seat I would just replace it. Why bother getting yourself so stressed and worked up for something that's so easy to remedy?

Our current LL is a bit of an arsehole unfortunately (the last 2 were much better) and has refused to replace any of the white goods that have broken down, even though it states in the contract that they are his responsibility. For the sake of a quiet life we have replaced them ourselves but will take them with us if we have to move again.

Dealing with landlords is like dealing with teenagers in my opinion! Choose your battles or you'll be fighting with them constantly and the person who'll get most stressed and worked up about it all will be you.

Justaboy · 04/05/2018 11:50

Jeezz !! if someone broke a karzi seat in one of my rented places i'd be round there like a shot and with profuse apoligies after all they could have come to harm and be claiming againt me! its not an expensive item at all!.

RavenLG · 04/05/2018 11:51

I agree with PPs jst buy a new toilet seat. We always have as a first thing in new houses anyway. Toilet seats used for years by how many strangers just creeps me out a bit.

kaytee87 · 04/05/2018 11:53

Would most people not just replace the toilet seat? They're about a tenner.

morningconstitutional2017 · 04/05/2018 11:53

I share your annoyance. I belong to a group of craftspeople and regular emails are sent out to all twenty as a group. Yet how many actually bother to reply? Less than half, I'm afraid.
It's an ongoing annoyance, has been for some time, and even after it's been mentioned at a meeting, it doesn't improve. I suspect it never will as some folks just can't be bothered. A small thing when you consider the big problems going on in the world, but still.

mindutopia · 04/05/2018 11:54

This happened to our toilet seat a few months ago. I consider it normal wear and tear. I would never call the landlord and expect him to replace it. We went to B & Q, 14 quid for a new one, took about 3 minutes and a screwdriver to replace. I expect they think you’re being ridiculous, but yes, they should respond within several days to say to replace it yourself.

chickenowner · 04/05/2018 11:59

So you want things fixed quickly but you refuse them access unless they give 24 hours notice?

YABVU

DaveTheDesigner · 04/05/2018 11:59

Do it yourself and present the receipt to the landlord. If he/she is fair they won't quibble. You'll have saved both of you a lot of hassle.

ILikeMyChickenFried · 04/05/2018 12:02

Ah seriously? So much fuss over a loo seat. I don't get why landlords are so tight fisted. My tenants shattered the whole shower cubicle and I just replaced it, it's not worth the agro.

Travis1 · 04/05/2018 12:03

Why wouldn't you just replace the toilet seat? In all the time we rented it never occured to me to ask our landlord to replace toilet seats, if anything happened we replaced them ourselves.

BaddumTsss · 04/05/2018 12:05

I'm a renter. Have been all my adult life. I have experienced so many issues with LL's over maintenance issues....

But I'd never call them out for a toilet seat.

I'd tighten the screws at the back when I noticed it was becoming loose. If those were broken I'd just buy a new seat.

Personally I think you're being a bit silly and getting yourself worked up over something fairly trivial that you cpuld rectify yourself easily and cheaply.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 04/05/2018 12:06

Well, the loo seat is really your responsibility, unless it is an odd one.

You had 2 choices:

tell the agent the moment it became loose, they or the LL might have taken responsibility
to replace the seat and lid, as you used them and they are pretty much 'consumables' within a rental.

As a clerk I always mark damage and staining of loo seats as FWT, a matter for LLs to sort out, at the end of a tenancy . By the same token I would mark it down as something for the tenant to sort during a tenancy. Just like lightbulbs!

pigsDOfly · 04/05/2018 12:12

The screws at the back of the seat become loose after a while. It's just a case of putting your hand behind the toilet and tightening a screw. Why on earth would anyone think the LL should have to get someone in to do something like that?

It might not be a home that you actually own, but it's the home you live in. Surely you have some responsibility for keeping things ticking over.

Do you phone the LL when the fridge needs defrosting?

Buy a new loo seat and make sure you keep the screws at the back tightened like every one else does.

Boulshired · 04/05/2018 12:19

How could a LL ever ensure that toilet seats are tight enough. I completely remove my toilet seat monthly to give them a good clean but I am just paranoid about toilet cleanliness.

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