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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

LaceyBetty · 03/02/2021 12:54

Outrageous attitude on the agent's part. Who does he/she think they are? Even if it is true that they can't give a more specific time, they have some nerve talking to you like that in respect of your home. I would definitely complain to someone higher up.

orangenasturtium · 03/02/2021 13:34

I would make a complaint about his attitude and insinuations. That is appalling, unprofessional behaviour.

I would also email the agent and explain again that you need an approximate time so your DH can arrange his zoom meetings to fit arrange the appointment. I would also state that if the engineer arrives during a meeting, it will not be possible to turn off the electricity until the meeting ends so he may be delayed by an hour (or however long the meetings usually are). If the engineer cannot give a smaller appointment window or wait, then an alternative day needs to be arranged when that is possible or your DH can arrange to have no meetings for a full day. If you say that, then the agent can't charge you if the engineer turns up and can't undertake the tests because your DH is in a meeting.

Original poster

KungFuPandaWorksOut20 · 03/02/2021 13:46

Fourdecades I was called at 10.30ish this morning.

OP posts:

CSIblonde · 03/02/2021 15:42

Most agents give you the required,egsl 24 hours notice of the day it will be & the engineer/ handyman etc rings when they're half an hour away to check you're in/ give you warning they're on the way. Tell the agent to give your no to the electrician so he can ring you..

DumplingsAndStew · 03/02/2021 15:42

The attitude was a bit shitty, but do home owners get a minute by minute schedule?

CodenameVillanelle · 03/02/2021 15:46

24 hours notice is required to request permission to access the property but you are within your rights to say no, or to request rescheduling to a convenient time. They cannot just insist you allow someone in at some point in a 9 hour window. Rude wankers.
BTW it's letting agents who deal with letting, estate agents deal with sales

2020iscancelled · 03/02/2021 15:47

YANBU to ask if they maybe have an estimate but YABU to be annoyed when they say no.

Unfortunately this is just tradesmen isn’t it. It’s rare they can give you an allocated hour that they will turn up (and even when they do suggest a time it’s always earlier or later anyway - but that’s another thread)!

The estate agents attitude was bizarre though. Accusing you of hiding something? That’s very odd.

2020iscancelled · 03/02/2021 15:48

Forgot to say when they do turn up you could always say sorry can you wait in your van for 10 mins whilst DH finishes up a call.

If the tradie can’t give you a time then it’s not unreasonable to ask them to hold off for 10 mins when they do show up

orangenasturtium · 03/02/2021 16:03

@DumplingsAndStew

The attitude was a bit shitty, but do home owners get a minute by minute schedule?

Home owners can schedule routine appointments (like this) on a day that suits them, not with just 24 hours notice when it is too late to clear a day of meetings. It is unusual for workmen to give an all day slot for an appointment, if it isn't an emergency. It is normally possible to give an am/pm or 3 hour slot.

mrlevelheaded · 03/02/2021 16:20

you are renting, as I have in the past. Far too many agents will then treat you as second class, I have experienced it too. If the electrician appears when a zoom meeting is on, make him a coffee, ask him to wait and for an estimate of downtime. if it clashes, explain it to him and reschedule a convenient time with him. It will piss off the agent but that isnt your issue...

Fairymad · 03/02/2021 16:28

So they called at 1030am to advise that an electrician could arrive at your house at 8 tomorrow, thats not 24hr notice

Original poster

KungFuPandaWorksOut20 · 03/02/2021 16:45

Dumpling if I hired someone to do work on my house, I would normally be I can start work on X date X time (or between 9am or 10am)

They wouldn't gave a vague window of time and expect me to be ok with that.

OP posts:

DumplingsAndStew · 03/02/2021 17:43

@KungFuPandaWorksOut20

Dumpling if I hired someone to do work on my house, I would normally be I can start work on X date X time (or between 9am or 10am)

They wouldn't gave a vague window of time and expect me to be ok with that.

That's surprising to me. I just assumed most tradespeople in that kind of job would make their schedule on the day based on what calls they had to make and when they could fit them in.

I've always been a renter so always had to put up with someone else's time being more important than mine

SeasonFinale · 03/02/2021 17:48

As a homeowner if I hired a tradesman to do a job that was not a full day job I would expect them to turn up a day but not necessarily the time. But I would also be speaking to them to ask whether I was their first call and if not (because sometimes they can't tell how long they will be at a place until they see what needs doing) if they could call me from the job before to give an approximate time.

The new certificates take a little while to do and certainly not 20 minutes. The Estate Agent in your case was being an arse. However, perhaps call them back and ask if they have a contact number for the electrician so you can speak to them direct.

Daphnise · 03/02/2021 18:19

You're expecting an estate agent to firstly know something, and secondly be polite?

To be fair no one ever knows when or even if a workman is going to turn up.

minmooch · 03/02/2021 18:25

When ever I have had gas/electricity/ large delivery appointments I have only been given at best a morning or afternoon appointment. Sometimes the offer of a phone call to narrow it down. That is as a landlady or at my home.

You were expecting too much of a narrow window time. Annoying but that's life.

Your letting agent was very rude though.

FourDecades · 04/02/2021 17:12

@Fairymad

So they called at 1030am to advise that an electrician could arrive at your house at 8 tomorrow, thats not 24hr notice

That was where my thinking was too

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