Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

117 replies

LemonInPlay · 22/02/2021 11:45

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.

OP posts:
DeepFakeQueen · 22/02/2021 13:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Potentialscrooge · 22/02/2021 13:25

We rent and are landlords.

Exact situation with our tenant around 3 weeks ago. I sent her a new oven from Curry’s and they fitted it and took the old one away. Without around a week (she was isolating with COVID so no one could go in until a specific date).
I would never leave her without a key appliance for 6 weeks, ever!

Watchitgrow · 22/02/2021 13:26

I had this with a washing machine. The house had been unoccupied for a while before us and the door just fell of the day we moved in. They replaced it with a second hand one that died 6 months later after being repaired twice. They replaced that with another second hand one that gave me a mild electric shock so they replaced that with another second hand one that died a week before we left when our years contract was up. We reported it but they hadn’t replaced /fixed it when we left and to add insult to injury they tried to take money out of deposit for having not taken out the soap draw and cleaned it before we left. It must have cost them so much money in the end compared to buying a new cheap machine!

uKu89 · 22/02/2021 13:29

I’m a landlord. My tenants messaged a couple of weeks before Christmas to say that their oven was on its way out. I ordered a new on then and there and it was delivered and installed two days later. Ovens are cheap to replace and notoriously not worth the hassle to fix. Yanbu.

pigsDOfly · 22/02/2021 13:33

Another LL here.

That's a totally unacceptable length of time to leave you without an oven. Things are supposed to be fixed within a reasonable time scale, that isn't reasonable.

I use a letting agent and can't understand what a letting agent would have to gain by messing a tenant around. You need to speak directly to your LL, if that's possible, if you if think the agent isn't doing their job properly.

Although, having said that the LL will likely be aware of the situation so it's probably more down to your LL wanting people sent to try to repair things rather than the agent.

My letting agent, even during the pandemic, get's someone to go to the property the same day as problems are reported generally. And things are fixed or replaced within a few days whenever possible, which is usually the case.

My tenant recently had a problem with a small leak. My agent sent his plumber, who I've used many times over the years, before he'd even okayed it with me.

He's a good agent, he wouldn't mess a tenant around and I wouldn't tolerate my tenant being messed around like you have; I suspect it's your LL's doing rather than the agent.

Esspee · 22/02/2021 13:37

This may not be up to date but it used to be that repairs could be counted as expenses reducing tax but replacement could not.

Cameleongirl · 22/02/2021 13:40

Similar happened to a friend a couple of years ago. Their oven wasn't working properly, letting agent sent someone to fix it...they got it going but then the tenants smelt gas when using the oven (gas oven obviously). I saw the oven and it was ancient, clearly needed replacing.

Luckily the house was sold to a new LL who's much more proactive and they replaced the oven ASAP. The tenants have far fewer problems now they can contact the LL directly, things get fixed properly in a timely manner.

As a PP said, the letting agent was the real problem, always trying to do things on the cheap. Try contacting your LL directly.

uKu89 · 22/02/2021 13:40

As a landlord you can replace and claim it against just needs to be a comparable purchase. I.e you can’t replace a single over with a double and claim the full value.

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 22/02/2021 13:41

A six week wait is unacceptable. Some letting agents are better than others.

I'd be asking for a rent rebate as well as a new oven!

Stovetopespresso · 22/02/2021 13:41

unfortunately some landlords just spend the minimum and hope the problem goes away. in this instance it hasnt worked. hope LL gets you a new oven really soon, could you "make friends" with the agent and ask them what rental discount they feel is reasonable to compensate for your increased food bills and inconvenience?

funnelfanjo · 22/02/2021 13:42

I’m a landlord, and speaking to my agent he says he has two types of landlord on his books. The first type understand that houses need maintenance and things break, and it is better to keep on top of these things to keep the property value up and have happy tenants, as happy tenants will look after the place, stay long term and pay the rent on time. The second type will niggle and argue about every single pound spent on the property, and my agent pulls his hair out about them.

I’m happy with my agent as he acts on any tenant reports of property issues almost immediately and when the oven broke we had a new one ordered within 24 hours of the electrician confirming it was beyond economic repair.

Peachy66 · 22/02/2021 13:42

IT SHOULD OF BEEN REPLACED AS SOON AS IT STOPPED WORKING.

I rented my property out and paid a Letting Agency to deal with any issues as I was living abroad. One day I received an email from my tenant stating that there was no hot water in the house & six weeks later they were still waiting for it to be fixed. He & his wife were having a strip wash daily. I rang him and advised to ring the Letting Agency only to be told he had done on numerous occasions and they kept sending their Handy Man !!!!!! out to try and fix it. I explained to the tenant that I was paying British Gas each month for their Gold Star HomeCare Plan and they should of attended the property to fix the issue. Letting Agency had all the details for British Gas. After lots of phone calls and emails to the Agency they eventually pulled their finger out but only when I threatened them with my tenants booking into an hotel until the water issue was fixed and if this was the case the Letting Agency will be footing the hotel bill. Needless to say British Gas attended the following day and got the hot water running again. Any problems my tenants had after that they always contacted myself and I contacted the Letting Agency. I have always treated my tenants the way I would expect to be treated.

You should withhold this months rent until you get a new oven installed. I'm sure one will arrive this week if you inform them what you intend to do.

Good Luck.

bigbluebus · 22/02/2021 13:47

This sort of inefficiency drives me bonkers. We used to have a piece of specialist equipment installed in our house for a disabled family member. A cable covering split, exposing bare wires in a place where it was likely to break the wires too during normal use. I telephoned the company who service the equipment and offered to take a photo of the damaged part and send it through to them so they could order a replacement. They refused and insisted they send an engineer - from 100 miles away. When the engineer arrived he took a photo of the damaged part and phoned an order through to the office for a replacement! Total waste of a journey and whilst I wasn't footing the bill for this our Local Authority was!

JE17 · 22/02/2021 13:48

I live in rented accommodation. I’ve been waiting 10 days (and counting) to get the hot water fixed because my landlord will be searching for the cheapest solution. On the flip side I’m also an accidental landlord and I hate the thought of problems not being resolved as quickly I would do it for myself. When the old oven packed in last year I organised a replacement the next day. It’s completely unacceptable to have you go so long without an oven - you should get a rent reduction until it’s fixed.

BillMasen · 22/02/2021 13:50

@Regularsizedrudy

Yanbu. Landlords are tight fisted cunts.
Some
LemonMeringueThreePointOneFour · 22/02/2021 14:00

@LemonInPlay

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!

I agree with you, but you already made that point twice in your OP!
Whatamesssss · 22/02/2021 14:00

@LemonInPlay So have they agreed to send a new oven?

funnelfanjo · 22/02/2021 14:00

@Peachy66 what are you paying your letting agents for if the tenants have to contact you when something goes wrong? You need new agents!

Whatamesssss · 22/02/2021 14:03

I just looked on AO.com and could have a single oven delivered tomorrow for £159.00, they have no excuse. I would send a rocket up their backside.

FredAstairesChair · 22/02/2021 14:04

@Regularsizedrudy

Yanbu. Landlords are tight fisted cunts.
Thanks. Hmm
wishes1111 · 22/02/2021 14:06

YANBU.

Luckily our landlady is lovely and when we told her our oven was broken after 4 years of being here, she had her handyman out to us the next day to confirm then gave us a budget of £450 for a new one. We went and chose, sent receipt, she deducted it out of our months rent payment.

JustLyra · 22/02/2021 14:10

Do you have a contact for your landlord direct?

Agents are fucking useless a lot of the time.

user1471538283 · 22/02/2021 14:11

It is infuriating. Surely the point of renting is that you don't have this grief?

I bet it is the managing agents. I have never experienced such uselessness as managing agents in my life. It is money for old rope.

Toastedsesame · 22/02/2021 14:12

Our old LL were like this. Make sure you ask for a rent reduction so they realise that all this messing about was a false economy.

Higgeldypiggeldy35 · 22/02/2021 14:12

God I'm having flashbacks to my last rental where the boiler packed in every time the temperature dropped below like 5degrees. The landlord would keep getting someone out which would take a few days with no hot water or heating. Repair people kept saying the boiler was fucked but he wouldn't replace it. Then I started smelling gas and repeatedly had to call out emergency gas engineers who kept condeming it until it was fixed, oh and we had a newborn at the time too. Luckily we were able to buy and move out but we still get emails from the agency who seem to forget we have moved out, confirming for the poor current tenants that a gas engineer is due to come and check the boiler. So 3 years down the line the landlord still hasn't replaced it. Knobhead.