What a pointless waste of money.... (Landlord opinions welcome)

[LemonInPlay]

So our oven is included as part of the house we rent.
It's important to note here we could have brought our own freestanding one as it was ours, but the kitchen here has an inbuilt one included in the contract (and no space for a freestanding oven anyway), so we sold our own when we moved in.

About a month and a half ago the oven packed up completely.
We had a look (my Dad is an retired electrician) and the heating element and the thermostat were fucked (wiring actually burnt out in some places).

When I notified the letting agent I was very thorough in the report, including what was wrong, the serial number, make and model of the oven.

So they finally sent someone out last week (their general handyman btw, not an expert) who reckoned it was unlikely to be fixable and he would recommend it being replaced. He took measurements and photos etc.

Different guy turns up this morning, not with a new oven as I had hoped, but with a heating element that I told him from the off wouldn't fit, I could see as soon as he came in the door the wiring for it was in the wrong place.
(Remember I had already given them the make and model, and the previous guy had taken photos/details of it all as well)

Surprise surprise, it doesn't fit, plus new handyman suddenly realises, as we'd already pointed out, that other things are completely buggered on it as well, and it's probably not worth saving.

The amount they have already spent on calling out two different handymen, and the pointless parts that don't fit, must be really close to the cost of a basic new oven (if not over it already)

It's been over 6 weeks since we've had no oven/grill, luckily we have a hob and a toaster, but no microwave as the ridiculous kitchen means there is no space for one and I am fed up with it all.

I know it's not the worse problem on the scale of things, but we pay a fucking fortune in rent for this place, keep it nice, neat and clean, and they can't be arsed to even just fucking replace the oven.

To my AIBU...

AIBU to think that they should just replace the fucking oven and have done with it, seeing as they have already spent that much on pointless call outs for an oven we categorically told them was broken?

YANBU- what a ridiculous waste of time and money

YABU- be grateful you have a hob and wait.

Oh and AIBU to think this is just the most farcical example of a false economy?

By trying so hard not to splash out on a new oven they've literally probably spent as much on this situation as a new oven would have simply cost in the first place, AND they are going to have to pay out for a new one anyway....so spending twice as much!!

Just to preempt the question, this oven was DEFINITELY not new when we moved in 3 years ago, and it was a HMO before then, so god knows how much use it's had, it's so old you can't buy this model anymore ffs!

This has really fucked me off tbh....

I just want a fucking working oven!

I'm a landlord and YANBU - I'd have just replaced it. I manage my own property though, I wonder if some unscrupulous letting agents like pushing lots of work to handyman chums

Your landlord is an idiot. Based on the information you'd supplied I'd have just ordered you a new oven.

Yeah I am suspicious about the handymen situation anyway......

some of our windows are fucked (either won't open or close properly- luckily all upstairs but still not safe!) and they sent the same guy to diagnose the window problem (NOT a glazier btw!) as they had sent previously to fix a broken loo!!

So I suspect they are chucking all work to a mates firm first.
Added to that all work is passed by the LL first, and they don't want to spend money on ANYTHING at all.

Nice to hear from landlords
Also the same guy they sent to "fix" the oven.

What can I do about it though??

I like this house, we can't afford to move anywhere else anyway.
We ended up here in a random situation basically and I hate feeling like I don't want to kick up too much fuss in case they decide to kick us out.

I hate the precariousness of this all.

AND I WANT AN OVEN!!

Phew..

I think a landlord is entitled to try a fix before replacing based on purely what the tenant has said. You might know your way around an oven but some wouldn’t.

It’s taken too long I agree, but trying a fix first is fine

@BaronessBomburst

Your landlord is an idiot. Based on the information you'd supplied I'd have just ordered you a new oven.

Well yeah!

Tbh right now "idiot" is mild compared to the expletives I have for them right now.

@BillMasen

I think a landlord is entitled to try a fix before replacing based on purely what the tenant has said. You might know your way around an oven but some wouldn’t.

It’s taken too long I agree, but trying a fix first is fine

But they do this with everything!! And every single time fucking time, it has turned out that everything we said was wrong, was wrong.

Also, if your tenant sent you a DETAILED list of make, model and serial number, and after the first visit the first handyman did the same, you'd think by the second visit they'd have the right fucking parts at least??

I mean, it took me approx 3 minutes on Google to find the correct part (which is nearly £100! A new oven is only about £200 ffs!)

We both rent and are landlords.
As a landlord is want a workman to determine exactly what needs doing rather than relying on what a tenant says. But in your case, the second seems unnecessary.

As a tenant I've been frustrated by the 'make do and mend' attitude of our landlord (in our case, MOD housing which has separate maintenance budgets and improvement budgets... And as our current house is marked for demolition in the next few years, they can only repair not improve... Even if the repairs are more expensive!)

So when you said opinions welcome, did you just mean ones totally agreeing?

I’ve said they took too long to sort it, it’s not on, but sending a workman to try a fix / confirm it actually needs replacement is fine.

They can also use whoever they want. Mates or not. Yes things should be mended promptly though

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

We both rent and are landlords. As a landlord is want a workman to determine exactly what needs doing rather than relying on what a tenant says. But in your case, the second seems unnecessary.

As a tenant I've been frustrated by the 'make do and mend' attitude of our landlord (in our case, MOD housing which has separate maintenance budgets and improvement budgets... And as our current house is marked for demolition in the next few years, they can only repair not improve... Even if the repairs are more expensive!)

I do get the first visit, I wasn't just expecting them to get us a new oven on trust tbf, but the second visit with the completely wrong spare parts just seems insane to me, the logic just.........baffles me.

"make do and mend" is definitely the way our LLs think, but when it ends up costing them twice as much anyway, it just seems so pointless.

I cannot believe you tolerated a 6 week wait for someone to come and repair/replace your oven as a paying tenant! I’d have expected it done within 48 hours absolute maximum.

I'm a landlord.
I'd have just asked when you were in for delivery and ordered you a new oven

What a lot of faffing about, and ovens arent even expensive assuming you werent insisting on or expecting a fancy one?

I'm all for make do and mend, but if something's fucked, It's fucked.

My landlord can be like this. One of the taps stopped working multiple times. Each time he would send out the same handyman who would do his best to fix it - but reported each time it wasn't worth fixing as the same issue would happen again. On about fix number five the handyman phoned the landlord and said he refused to fix it as he would be back out in a few weeks. Finally he got the go-ahead to replace.

The handyman kept pointing out the false economy, that the landlord in trying to save a few quid spent out far more in labour costs then replacing the taps.

He's also been advised by multiple tradesmen that he needs a soak-away installed in a specific area outside the property or it will start to cause damage. I believe he was quoted £200 which in the grand scheme of things isn't that much.

Now a few years later a weird mould has started to appear on the inside corner of the house and so it's likely there may be damage in the wall too.

@BillMasen

So when you said opinions welcome, did you just mean ones totally agreeing?

I’ve said they took too long to sort it, it’s not on, but sending a workman to try a fix / confirm it actually needs replacement is fine.

They can also use whoever they want. Mates or not. Yes things should be mended promptly though

No I didn't mean that.

I meant I wanted to see what LLs though about this.

I do understand the first visit, I didn't expect them to install a new oven on trust ffs, but the whole farce afterwards when it's clearly fucked anyway is surely the LL shooting themselves in the foot as well as massively inconveniencing tenants.

And I think using mates firms for everything is incredibly dodgy, sorry.

Where is the accountability and transparency there?
If things fuck up they will cover for each other, I've seen it happen loads.

If you are a LL be professional about it.
No mates doing the legal inspections, no mates completely unqualified to inspect double glazing, fine a quick fix, but not for the important stuff surely??

And making you wait that long is unacceptable! A couple of days to allow for deliveries/have someone have an initial look? Just one of those things. Anything over that is what gives us all a bad rep

@JackieWeaverIsTheAuthority

I cannot believe you tolerated a 6 week wait for someone to come and repair/replace your oven as a paying tenant! I’d have expected it done within 48 hours absolute maximum.

I'm trying to be fair, you know, covid, blah blah, so I didn't want to make too much of a fuss but yeah it's waayy too long now.

I always think unless something simple goes on any white goods then replacement is the cheapest option.

@FredAstairesChair

I'm a landlord. I'd have just asked when you were in for delivery and ordered you a new oven

What a lot of faffing about, and ovens arent even expensive assuming you werent insisting on or expecting a fancy one?

I'm all for make do and mend, but if something's fucked, It's fucked.

No I didn't want a fancy one To replace this one as close as possible would be about £220 for the basic model.

Can you be my LL please??

In my experience landlords will try every cheap option to fix something before replacing it. I kind of see their point with some things, but yeah this is a waste of time and I wouldn't be happy.

I'm trying to be fair, you know, covid, blah blah, so I didn't want to make too much of a fuss but yeah it's waayy too long now.

You’ve been more than fair. I’d be furious in your shoes after being so patient to be left still without an oven.

Landlord here.
Tenants messaged me the other month to say the oven was broken. I trusted their word, transferred them the appropriate amount and they ordered one for next day delivery,

@FredAstairesChair

And making you wait that long is unacceptable! A couple of days to allow for deliveries/have someone have an initial look? Just one of those things. Anything over that is what gives us all a bad rep

I wish more were like you!

Every single LL I have had has taken ages to fix anything at all, even dangerous stuff sometimes.

It's really pissing me off now, and I know, it's first world problems but it's not like the rent is fucking cheap or anything!!

I'm a landlord and had a similar problem in my property recently. It took me 10 days to get it sorted out, mainly because it happened on boxing day and I couldn't find anyone who was working! But I tried as hard as possible to get it sorted asap. 6 weeks is unreasonable!