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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU Estate agents?

42 replies

KungFuPandaWorksOut20 · 03/02/2021 11:15

Temporarily renting for the short term.

Estate agents called, and said they will be sending an engineer out tomorrow to check the electrics, and the electric could be switched off for up to 15-20 minutes.

Me : that's fine. Do you know a time, its just my husband is working from home and will have to reschedule his zooms.

EA : We don't have to give you a time Miss Kung-fu. We only have to give you 24 hours notice. The engineer will arrive when they arrive.

Me : I'm not asking for an exact time, maybe an estimate like between 10 and 11am.

EA : We gave you an estimate, between 8am to 5pm. Sounds like you're trying to hide something by wanting too know an exact time.

Me: Nothing to hide. I'd like to know a time because you're saying the electric will be off, which will clash with my husband trying to work, he can just arrange the zooms. Won't look good a meeting cutting out midway.

EA: We are going round in circles now. The engineer will be at your property tomorrow, thats all I Have to say.

AIBU in thinking this is ridiculous, and we should be given a time? Although I'm prepared to admit I could be wrong, it has been a long time since I rented, and I don't remember the estate agents being this difficult.

OP posts:
milienhaus · 03/02/2021 11:17

I’m not surprised they can’t give you an accurate time really but they didn’t need to be rude! I’m also not surprised about that though given all my experience of estate agents ...

YerAWizardHarry · 03/02/2021 11:19

Could you make sure his laptop is charged up and tether it to his phone Internet? Not ideal but could work for 20 mins

Eeeeeeeeeeeek · 03/02/2021 11:20

Can you just refuse them entry if they turn up and it's inconvenient or suggest a day where he has no meetings planned?

Daisysflowers · 03/02/2021 11:21

Very rude of them. Have you got something wrong with your electrics?

literategiraffe · 03/02/2021 11:22

Our estate agents used to give us notice and then the engineer would call and give us a more detailed estimate of when he'd be there. Could they not give you the name of the company and you could try calling them?
I agree your EA sounded super rude, it's hardly a surprise or unusual that someone would be working from home in the current climate!

unmarkedbythat · 03/02/2021 11:24

Weird and rude. Our lettings agent just gave our number to the spark they use who phoned me this morning and said I need to come and check the electrics, is Saturday OK, sorry I can't give an exact time right now but probably around dinner time and I'll text you when I'm on my way. It must be get-the-checks-done season cos we had the gas check weekend before last.

luxxlisbon · 03/02/2021 11:29

Generally the estate agent isn't going to be given a time so they can't pass a time on to you.
This week I have someone coming to install internet and someone coming to do a gas check, both pretty much all day windows.
I think you were being a bit unreasonable to keep pushing when he told you he didn't have a shorter window to give you and then obviously he was rude back to you as well. The whole exchange seems unnecessary.

Watchitgrow · 03/02/2021 11:45

You are actually within your rights to refuse entry on the basis of quiet enjoyment no matter what their contract says. I wouldn’t since it’s in your interest to have the electrics checked but I would be tempted to remind them of this. There was no need for them to be so rude about it!

LondonStone · 03/02/2021 11:53

I agree they were a bit rude first. Instead of the whole ‘we don't have to give you a time. We only have to give you 24 hours notice’ comment, they could have just given you the number of the engineer coming tomorrow and I’m sure he would be able to give you a more specific time.

When our rental had a leaky roof we were in contact with the contractors more than the agency. They’d let us know an approximate time and would text if they were running late.

Whyistheteacold · 03/02/2021 11:54

I think it is quite usual that they would not be able to provide you with an exact time, however her attitude seems appalling and would definitely get my back up! Are your DP's work quite flexible? Maybe if he speaks to his manager beforehand and explains that at some point he may just need to go but will make up the time afterwards or something?

CuriousaboutSamphire · 03/02/2021 12:03

There are quite a few Letting Agents having a minor panic at the moment. All new tenancies after June 2020 should have had electric certicates, like gas ones. Covid hit that. Unofficially there is leeway, they are aiming to get all rentals certified by June this year - when it will be law that every single residential let has an electrical certificate, not PAT tests but a full Wiring Safety Standards certificate.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities/guide-for-landlords-electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector

Your agent may feel a little under pressure at the moment. They are quoting regs and not heeding the human side of things. Bear in mind many are also working from home and have their own daily deadlines set by management who are desperate as the sector is really, really slow!

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 03/02/2021 12:04

Not being able to give a time is acceptable. It may depend on other commitments the engineer has. Rudeness and unhelpful ness is unacceptable. The agent was rude.

LaurieFairyCake · 03/02/2021 12:06

I would only let them in IF it was convenient to ME

Otherwise don't, it's your home

Agent was very rude

girlofnow · 03/02/2021 12:08

Well, if they turn up in the middle of the zoom meeting they will just have to wait until it's finished won't they. And if they complain say you told the estate agents this was an issue but they ignored it. To be frank your husband's work is more valuable to you than getting the electrics checked in a house somebody else owns. Unless it's unsafe.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 03/02/2021 12:13

What's that @girlofnow? Did OP report an issue? Did the agents ignore anything?

I do love the caveat - unless it's unsafe. That's more than likely the reason the electrician is going there, to check that it is!

It's irritating, inconvenient. But it's really not the beginning of Landlord Wars!

upthekyber · 03/02/2021 12:19

They have to give you 48 hours notice and you don't have to accept it I had a shower of fuckers who acted like this and as if I should be grateful I got to rent off them. After a few months the sent a eviction notice. I have always had the last laugh in this because I am a land lady and own a very desirable house in a desirable area, I know the rental law inside out, every time this estate agents contacts me to see if I would like to use them to manage my properties or I get a flyer asking if I want to sell. I contact them and say me again, no thank you I will not be using unprofessional companies who do not understand the law regarding rental property.

I understand you may not get this pay back but I would contact them say no, give alternative dates if the electrician arrives anyway send them away.

Oh and complain to their head office if they have one

upthekyber · 03/02/2021 12:20

Sorry I mean 24

CuriousaboutSamphire · 03/02/2021 12:24

It's 24 hours notice, in England and Wales.

In Scotland it is at least 24 hours, 48 hours if a private residential let.

It helps to ascertain where OP lives before letting rip with such a broadside.

Thriwit · 03/02/2021 12:27

Is this for the full Electrical Standards test? It’s a fairly new requirement. We had it done last week, the electric was off for about 2 hours, not 20 minutes. I think the electrician was here for about 3 hours in all.

My lettings agent passed it all to the electrician though - it was him who called me and sorted out times, and honestly he was very accommodating & appreciated a lot of people are wfh.

In conclusion - YANBU & your lettings agent sounds awful

radioband · 03/02/2021 12:31

Ask them for the electricians number or ask them to pass yours on so he can either give you an estimate time or some notice, he will have a plan for his day and should be able to estimate a rough time. Estate Agent sounds rude!

justanotherneighinparadise · 03/02/2021 12:37

Bloody hell. If that was genuinely how that conversation went I’d put in a complaint. How dare they infer you had something to hide!!! What because you rent? I would be taking from that that they had a lesser opinion of you because you were a renter and I’d have a HUGE problem with that.

justanotherneighinparadise · 03/02/2021 12:39

To add - if anything like that happens again ask for the persons name and position in the company. That usually rattles the puffed up little twats as they’ll assume a complaint will be forthcoming. Often that’s enough to change the conversation significantly.

Original poster
KungFuPandaWorksOut20 · 03/02/2021 12:50

You are correct Curious, that is why the electrician is coming round. Which isn't the issue!

I wasn't aware that the estate agents wouldn't know the time, if they had said that the electrician would be in touch and ask them,that wouldn't have been an issue.

I just don't think its acceptable to be told 8am - 5pn, whilst another poster has pointed out a lot of the country if working from and school learning. But as its been a while since renting, I didn't know if this is the norm with how appointments for engineers etc are made.

OP posts:
FourDecades · 03/02/2021 12:54

What time did the EA actually phone to tell you?