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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Rental Property Repair - AIBU?

20 replies

nl1991 · 10/02/2020 10:01

Hi all,

Long time lurker - first time post. Just need some advice.

DP and I rent a flat within a building and lastnight when I returned home I couldn't turn my key in the lock. Luckily DP was in and could let me in (its a thumb turn lock on the inside and was still very stiff for him to get open). It appears that the seal around the doorframe (they are old hollow wood fire door style not UPVC) has come loose and the door isn't sitting flush in the frame which is causing it to be difficult to lock and unlock.

We both had to leave for work at 6.15am and had no choice but to lock the door behind us which has meant that now neither of us have access to our own home as our keys wont work to unlock the door.

I've called the letting agent this morning and explained and they've said they have to get landlord approval for the repair and that they will try their best to get it sorted today.

AIBU in thinking that this qualifies as urgent and should definitely be sorted today? Or am I just being entitled?

OP posts:
drinkygin · 10/02/2020 10:02

Absolutely should be done urgently, but landlords will do their best to get out of paying for anything so good luck with that!

zelbazinnamon · 10/02/2020 10:04

I think so... If you can't get access through the mechanical failure of the door/lock then yes it is urgent & the landlord's responsibility. I'm a landlord and in this case I would expect my agents to proceed even if they can't get hold of me.

zelbazinnamon · 10/02/2020 10:05

I was annoyed though when I was charged for a locksmith call out because my tenants had lost their keys & needed the locks changed.

lostinadream · 10/02/2020 10:06

@drinkygin I think that’s unfair. I am a landlord and I’d see to it that the door was fixed ASAP and treated with the urgency it deserves. Not all landlords are shits.

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 10/02/2020 10:10

YANBU... you need to be able to access your own home!

blamethecat · 10/02/2020 10:10

Should be an 'emergency' and dealt with by agent if LL is unavailable, I'd assume that's part of the management fee. Last property we were in we got locked in, Saturday evening so ended up calling locksmith ourselves and paying but LL took it of following months rent, but this was let only no managing agent. Good luck hope it sorted today ! (Ours needs to replace a fence panel as it's now in nextdoor !)

Original poster
nl1991 · 10/02/2020 10:12

Our landlord is notoriously difficult with things. We had a leak under our bath that was so bad that the ceiling in the flat below wound up with a hole in it. When they came to repair they did something wrong that then meant we had a leak in our toilet - we then had to wait another 3 months for this to be fixed which meant that all the wood that was casing the pipes in became rotten, mouldy and damaged. They fixed the leak but never replaced the boards - so its pretty unsightly.

I just feel like this is gonna be the same and we're gonna be waiting forever for access to our own home.

I work in a hotel so luckily will have access to somewhere to stay if needs be, but DP has a 5 year old DS and he stays with us Tuesday - Friday. Not ideal for him to be living out of a hotel room.

OP posts:
Emmelina · 10/02/2020 11:01

If you can’t get in then of course it’s an emergency. This needs to be resolved today.

OlaEliza · 10/02/2020 11:04

We both had to leave for work at 6.15am and had no choice but to lock the door behind us which has meant that now neither of us have access to our own home as our keys wont work to unlock the door

Why didn't one of you take the day off?

Louiselouie0890 · 10/02/2020 11:15

This happened with us, they said it's not an emergency. As it was a friday and they have saturday Sunday off we were left till monday afternoon with a door we couldn't lock. We had sleepless nights and one of us had to give up work for 5 days to stay in the house. To finish it off they then said they wouldnt pay for it as it was our fault. We must be locking the door wrong..... I no longer spend money doing the house up and couldn't care less about the house when I'm actually a very caring tenant. Pays to look after your tenants.

Chihaha · 10/02/2020 11:20

Why didn't one of you take the day off?

Yes, because life is that simple.

SarahAndQuack · 10/02/2020 11:22

Of course it's an emergency. And no, obviously you couldn't take the day off.

This is part of what you are paying the landlord for - to keep the property in decent order.

3rdNamechange · 10/02/2020 11:25

@drinkygin not all landlords. I'm one and I always get things done asap. I would do this urgently.
I know LL are slated on here but I didn't BTL , I moved in with a partner.

LakieLady · 10/02/2020 11:36

@Louiselouie0890, something very similar happened to a client of mine, the only way they could secure the front door was by bolting it from the inside and it was a terraced house, so no rear access to the outside world.

Luckily, her kids were teens/20s and the mum was unable to work for health reasons, so they could take it in turns to stay in.

The landlord insisted on authorising all repairs himself, and didn't give permission for nearly a week. He was a complete shit though, and wouldn't get the roof fixed until the post office refused to deliver there after the postie nearly got hit by flying roof tiles! Two cars were damaged by flying tiles too.

Original poster
nl1991 · 10/02/2020 11:42

Unfortunately it wasn't possible for one of us to take the day off, we both work in the same business. I manage the hotel and DP manages the hotel kitchen - one of us not being here would cause quite an issue in terms of complaints (barring a waitress there are no other staff here until 9am). Plus, we naively assumed that this would be treated as urgent and we'd be okay for later..

I've still heard nothing back from the letting agent. Giving them until 12 and then will call and get an update..

OP posts:
mencken · 10/02/2020 11:49

yes, it is urgent. No, in the real world you can't always get a locksmith that quick.

you may need to go to the agent's office and sit there until something is done. Not good enough, I know, but there are lot of professional nail-filers in letting agents and extra work is an inconvenience.

MyOwnSummer · 10/02/2020 11:56

I'm a LL, and I think your LL / agent are awful. We are not all like this. But when I was a tenant and had a LL like this, I found that being pushy is the only way to go. Even to the extent of calling the Environmental Health when we had a plumbing issue that knocked out the bathroom and half the electrics in the house, and they refused to send someone for over a fortnight. You have to get really assertive with them, there is no other way.

Don't give it until 12 - keep calling every half an hour until you get a confirmed time and the name of the firm that will be attending to the issue. You can then chase the company / workman direct. It IS urgent and you need to push the issue, because the alternative is that you cannot access your own home. That's not acceptable. You should also make it clear that if they do not have someone confirmed to attend today by 1pm, you will have no choice but to arrange your own workman to attend and that you will expect reimbursement. Call and email as backup, you may need the paper trail later.

goingoverground · 10/02/2020 12:26

MyOwnSummer's advice is excellent. I would also remind the letting agent that if it is not fixed by this evening, you will have to call an emergency locksmith, which will cost a lot more.

Original poster
nl1991 · 10/02/2020 13:55

@MyOwnSummer thank you for the advice! It worked a treat and they're coming at 3pm to fix the issue.

OP posts:
mencken · 10/02/2020 13:56

yay! Squeaky wheel stops nail filing and gets action! Well done, OP.

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