WTF is my Tenant for real?

[Rollercoasteride]

Just for background, I am an accidental Landlord. I rent my old flat out, I could charge more, but as long as my mortgage is covered I don't care. Getting the right tenant is more important to me.

Anyway my recent tenant has been living there for 18 months, no problems so far always pays on time.

Yesterday the gas safety certificate was due. I messaged the tenant late afternoon to check if the gas man had been. He replied saying the gas man just arrived.

Then shortly later he messaged me to say the boiler has been condemned because of a leak. So I replied what leak etc..I got no reply.

I was furious with the gas man for not calling me, worried the tenant had no hot water etc. I tried to call the gas company, but they had closed as its after 5pm.

Tried ringing the tenant, goes straight to voice mail. Try messenger, no answer. Left messages no answer.

Checked my emails about 6pm....I only get an email from the gas man with a copy of the safety certificate! No leaks mentioned, just an advisory about a wire.

Nothing about the boiler being condemned.

To date I have heard nothing more from the tenant!

Why would the tenant do this?!

@EmeraldShamrock

Yes they should have replied that part is annoying but overall it is not a huge deal and depending on how OP has reacted in the past they might have took the say nothing without facts stance judging by the reaction now My only concern if is there is a genuine leak somewhere in the property.

You can't just tell people there is potentially thousands pounds with of repairs (also potentially dangerous since it's a boiler), then dissapear. Everyone would be going bit crazy in this situation.

I wouldn't ring, I'd email everything. Then you've got it in writing that you're on top of trying to sort it (whatever it turns out to be)

@MotionActivatedDog

Right. I last posted on this thread 2 hours ago, I stated my point and then I left the thread and had no intention of returning to post anymore. I had said all I needed to say. Yet somehow, I have been accused of derailing the thread and called a dog with a bone, and a nasty piece of work, when there have been, at the time of me writing this post, at least 11 posts in my absence continuing the conversation, or rather just having a go, about the issue with “accidental” landlord. If this thread has been derailed, it certainly wasn’t by me.

Now, again, I have no intention of posting again on this thread, I have said anything I needed to say long ago. anyone else who does wish to derail it is welcome to do whatever gives them a tickle. But please don’t kid yourselves that you aren’t the ones derailing it.

Fair enough @MotionActivatedDog. I apologise for making the dog with a bone reference when you’d clearly dropped it some time ago. I hadn’t read the full thread.

I did feel very sorry for the OP, who had already told us she suffers from anxiety. I felt she was being picked upon - ostensibly for her use of a phrase which is commonly understood, even if it is technically inaccurate - but in reality for her decision to rent out a home she can neither live in nor sell. Apologies again if that was not your intention, and your interest was purely a matter of semantics.

• "Yes they should have replied that part is annoying but overall it is not a huge deal and depending on how OP has reacted in the past they might have took the say nothing without facts stance judging by the reaction now My only concern if is there is a genuine leak somewhere in the property. You can't just tell people there is potentially thousands pounds with of repairs (also potentially dangerous since it's a boiler), then dissapear. Everyone would be going bit crazy in this situation." *

But it's a cost of doing business. An annoying one admittedly, but property maintenance and repairs shouldn't come as a shock?

Cor you're a right drama queen you are

But it's a cost of doing business. An annoying one admittedly, but property maintenance and repairs shouldn't come as a shock?

It's the drop bomb and disappear. Of course there is a maintenance which has to be accounted for.

Imagine you are away, your dh texts that boiler is condemned while your boiler guy sends you cert that it's ok and then none communicates. Who wouldn't think"wtf is he doing?!"

@Gwegowygwiggs

Cor you're a right drama queen you are

I must say I don't understand what the fuss is. Op has had an email from the gas company saying just a wire needs to placing and its sage to use. So just leave it at that. There does not need to be am issue .

@SchrodingersImmigrant
Might think 'WTF you muppet!" but probably wouldn't think it dramatic enough to start a post on MN about. Anyway if it was my DH it would be 50% his problem too. If it were my tenent it would be 100% my problem and the only thing I would need/expect prompt communication about is arranging access for any repairs. If the tenent couldn't be bothered to that then that would be their issue that they were without hot water or whatever. I'd not expect the gas engineer to leave the property unsafe.

Anyway point being, it would be wise not to risk losing a good tenant/souring relations over a none event. So whatever the OP may be thinking it's probably best not to tell the tenant that.

@ParkingFeud

Please explain how you are an accidental landlord? Frankly, if you have a business renting out property you should accept that you will have to deal with hassle and communications. It's what you get paid for.

“Accidental landlord” is an actual term, used for somebody that did not set out buying a property in order to be a landlord. The OP did not say that they were a landlord by accident.

I was also an “accidental landlord” as we moved overseas for work and I could not sell the house. I paid a management agent to deal with hassle and communication.

@MotionActivatedDog

Yes- accidental landlord is a term that is widely used and accepted. But it is an inaccurate term. Shout all you like. I don’t care who is annoyed by the people pointing it out. I’m not going to stop doing it.

@MotionActivatedDog - what phrase/term would you suggest is used, that will differentiate people who have not set out to become landlords, but have ended up renting out a property in the way that the term accidental landlord is used, for people who have chosen to buy property to let it out?

If there is a better term, and people start using it instead of accidental landlord, maybe the term you dislike so much will fall into disuse.

Better to take positive action than just moan, surely.

To be fair MotionActivatedDog, did suggest an alternative phrase in his/her first (I think) post - reluctant landlord. This probably is a more accurate description, though I don’t personally have an issue with the use of the phrase ‘accidental landlord’ as I think everyone knows what is meant by it.

Just clarify with the gas engineer OP on Monday and explain what your tenant said and ask them to email you their list of checks and the safety certificate. .

Then email your tenant saying the gas people have said the boiler is safe and do they have any other problems? I presume you have CO2 and smoke alarms in situ and tested?

--

Apologies, @FlouncingBabooshka and @MotionActivatedDog - I missed that.

"MotionActivatedDog

Yes- accidental landlord is a term that is widely used and accepted. But it is an inaccurate term. Shout all you like. I don’t care who is annoyed by the people pointing it out. I’m not going to stop doing it."

Feel free to start your own thread instead of going round being a price on other's.

Why are people being such complete arses to the OP about her use of the phrase 'accidental landlord'??? Even without her explanation about negative equity and a health condition surely most people could put two and two together and realise not everyone with a single property have done it by choice or as a business venture??

Urgh. Hopefully all is resolved quickly. Suspect the tenant was trying to be funny !!

The income after costs such as the mortgage payment, is taxable, you make it sound like she’d be paying tax on the rent even if she’s not making a penny because of the mortgage and other costs.

This isn’t true any more. The rules changes in 2017 and you could only ever deduct the interest portion before then. Now you get a 20% a tax relief on the interest portion. It’s really stuffed higher rate tax payers so a lot of BTLers have sold up.

@lockdownalli

How can a property you bought in 2007 be worth less now, when prices are rising so much each year?

I was wondering exactly that! I'm curious as to what part of the country it is where prices haven't recovered to more than pre-global crash levels.

I am kind of embarrassed as I must live in a very privileged bubble. I had no idea anyone still had negative equity aside from as a result of very specific problems such as buying way above price, neighbourhood deteriorating rapidly etc etc.

Where I live houses are worth huge amounts more than they did in 2007.

Sorry I misunderstood on that point OP and anyone else affected by that - I had my share of it in 1990

Your tenant will have a copy no need to send one to them at all.

If he texts again saying boiler condemned tell them to check their copy of gas check as it’s ok to use.

I was wondering exactly that! I'm curious as to what part of the country it is where prices haven't recovered to more than pre-global crash levels.

And not just this, but if you've been paying a repayment mortgage for 14 years, this - in conjunction with at least some rise in prices - should surely mean you aren't in negative equity any more.

@Dullardmullard

Your tenant will have a copy no need to send one to them at all.

If he texts again saying boiler condemned tell them to check their copy of gas check as it’s ok to use.

That’s a bit of an assumption

I was wondering exactly that! I'm curious as to what part of the country it is where prices haven't recovered to more than pre-global crash levels

OP said it was a flat? Many have been unsaleable for years due to cladding after Grenfell.

@lockdownalli I bought a new build 2 bed 2 bath apartment in 2007. Paid 123k. It dropped at one point to where the 4 bed house a couple of doors along sold for the same price, and mine was valued at 80k
It's now back up to a surveyor value of 105k but still...
And no, no cladding, it's a 4 apartment block and mine is ground floor with a garden

@TheUnlucky1

But it is safe to use or the gas man would of phoned himself to say so and stuck tape all over it so no not an assumption at all