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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Landlord asking why we don’t have emergency funds

198 replies

JustDrained48 · 10/04/2019 23:52

We’ve rented the same property for 2 years.
We’ve always paid bang on date.
I’ve recently changed jobs which meant a change to my pay dates for the first month.
I immediately emailed our landlord to tell him this monthly rent would be a day late but would follow the original date here after.
Obviously I said I was sorry & hoped this was ok.
He sent a v long email by return stating that we needed to explain to him why we didn’t have emergency funds to cover these one off occurrences.
Should I even grace him with an answer?

OP posts:

PCohle · 12/04/2019 19:09

Is that not a risk you take as a landlord? Surely that’s what landlord insurance is for?

Just because a risk is insurable doesn't mean it's ok to do it. I have car insurance - I'd still be fucked off you if you nicked my car.

And why are you acting like the landlord has threatened to make the OP homeless? All he has done is make inquiries into her financial situation, which frankly seems perfectly sensible in the circumstances.

Inliverpool1 · 12/04/2019 19:12

It’s tricky because you want to believe the best of people and we’ve all been in the shit financially I don’t know anyone who hasn’t but making problems for other people just isn’t on.

Mary54 · 12/04/2019 19:20

As a landlord, I would expect the rent to be paid on the due date simply because that is what they have agreed to do. I have had experience with a tenant who simply stated that the agreed payment date was inconvenient in relation to when they were paid and therefore they would be paying on a different date in future. As others have suggested, this was actually the start of the slippery slope and eventually it became inconvenient to pay at all. I can therefore understand your landlord being concerned. While I agree that the landlord should also have an emergency fund, this is actually a complete red herring. A landlord like everyone else, has to pay their bills on the agreed date and I am unaware of tenants having special rights which allow them to choose when to pay theirs.
Although I wouldn’t expect information about my tenants’ financial affairs, at the very least, I would have expected them to ask in advance and give a reason why. Just to say you were going to pay late, was unreasonable

pinkpantherpink · 12/04/2019 19:24

Spurred on by another poster referring to other threads, I think OP that there are bigger issues at hand.

You need to take a serious look at what's going on at home. DP sounds spiteful, uncaring and I wonder why you are not looking at that rather than some silly remark by your LL.

I guess your LL's comments have added to your current worries. You need to look after you and your future. Good luck X

justoneday · 12/04/2019 19:37

He may have bills and stuff to pay on the date you pay. he should have an emergency fund to cover eventualities such as this 🤣

ShoshanaBlue · 12/04/2019 19:41

Tell him you're in private rented, so no, you don't have any emergency funds....

justasking111 · 12/04/2019 19:43

As a landlord I had a tenant who needed to change the date just a few days later. They had been with me for two years, I said no problem. OH was not happy. Three years later they have not missed a payment. They do not have an emergency fund with a disabled child, they just get by. However, I can understand the worry a landlord has.

MaryBoBary · 12/04/2019 20:06

@PCohle the reply about being made homeless was in response to PP you said “Don’t pay, get out”. Not the OP.

Yes it’s not ideal but for a good tenant I would expect a landlord to be forgiving of one day.

Viggooooh · 12/04/2019 20:07

Wow, I was an accidental landlord for a while (ie we needed to move and had to rent/rent our home out for a while so not professional landlord) and if someone who pays the rent on time generally asked to pay 1 day late for 1 month I most definitely would not have an issue with it. In fact thinking about it, my tennants did ask to change the date of their payment to later in the month. I had no issue. They still paid the same amount. What’s the problem?! If you hadn’t said anything the landlord probably wouldn’t have even noticed.

Catsinthecupboard · 12/04/2019 20:15

I did this once; i invited him and his wife to dinner after payday. Knowing he would collect rent that day. My husband thought i was crazy, sneaky, smart. It was a very nice dinner.

Skyejuly · 12/04/2019 21:14

Once our boiler broke and my LL was miffed that we didnt have money to just go and buy a whole car load of electric heaters....

ToeSocks · 12/04/2019 21:18

This happened to me once ... at least you emailed I didn't bother and it was 4 days late , they never noticed !

DJB33 · 13/04/2019 06:19

I wouldn’t have emailed in advance over a day late payment, I’d have just contacted him on the day and give him a white lie excuse and apologise that you were having problems with your bank. That way he couldn’t get sharp with you and also he wouldn’t worry about late payments due to job change.

PeachyPrincess · 13/04/2019 06:24

Ah here we go, a typical Mumsnet hating on landlords thread because aren’t all landlords super rich?

feathermucker · 13/04/2019 06:26

You don't tell him, you ask him.

Teacher22 · 13/04/2019 07:39

“Wanting you to have an emergency fund is symptomatic of the landlord enjoying a level of privilege where owning more than one property is possible and the insecurity of having no savings inconceivable.”

A bit of a Marxist comment and an attitude many hold now. It is not a ‘privilege’ to hold more than one property, it is a right that a free citizen holds in law if they have bought that property with tax paid money.

It might be that the owner sank every penny into a letting business which is perfectly legitimate and helps renters who need a choice of housing. It may be that savings rates decimated a pension or savings and housing was the only return on their investment. It may be that working extremely hard or many hours overtime gave the capital to buy a place or that someone took advantage of selling in a an expensive place and buying in a cheaper one.

I find it strange that some others are not judged for splurging cash on holidays, subscription lifestyle, designer shopping, flash cars or other depreciating assets and ephemera but that people who exercise prudence are berated and judged harshly by the jealous and resentful.

smartcarnotsosmartdriver · 13/04/2019 07:51

Some interesting replies on this thread. OP I do think he's been a bit cheeky to ask but if you like where you live and want to stay then I would reply and apologise. Having lived in a flat in a city where rents were sky high I can completely sympathise. My landlord was always fine with the rent being a day or two late if there was good reason and we let them know. Not everyone can afford to save.

laura6032 · 13/04/2019 08:35

We had a landlord like few years ago, who turned into a nightmare over the same situation. Ended in threats.

For future reference for the sake of one or couple days, glitch at the bank 😉

runsmidgeOMG · 13/04/2019 08:56

I agree with @onionchucker further up thread. The LL probably didn't come across in the best light BUT thats probably as so not to set a precedent of it being ok in the future.

After his response I'm sure rent will be the thing you prioritise in the future should any other financial issues come up. I know that in this situation it wasn't a question of priorities more a moved paydate but yes, he's made his position clear- have you requested to move the date to your preferred for subsequent months or will you have this issue each month ?

Good luck with the new job !

TigerTooth · 13/04/2019 09:55

But if an over-reaction in his part maybe but then you are not honouring your part of the deal -if it were a credit card then you’d have to pay interest if you were a day late. Maybe he had direct debits leaving his account from the rental income - which got messed up. You must have known you were changing jobs - both of you- so you should have asked in advance. He did over-react but ultimately you were the ones who didn’t pay as agreed so yes YABU

Nanny0gg · 13/04/2019 10:06

I have no idea of the OP's circumstances, but I make the point that unless they are in very poorly paid jobs, most people can save something and rents outside of the SE and London are not sky high- in fact landlords often struggle to find tenants.

hahahaha

justasking111 · 13/04/2019 13:07

If the landlord is in such dire straits that a delay in paying sends him into panic mode. What the hell would he do with a void between tenants?

supermommyof4 · 13/04/2019 13:44

I must be lucky as our landlord is very understanding. We missed a weeks rent due to me being ill in hospital, emailed him to say this had happened and we would catch up asap. We have been renting from him for 9 years. He responded saying he hoped i was better and not to worry, he said he knows we will catch up. He even sent me flowers.

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