Lodger wants my details for internet provider

[Greatwhitegats]

I’m spending a few days away and the internet started playing up.

He’s told me the other day and I couldn’t call as they weren’t open (I did do as much online as I could). It was all working ok and today it stopped working.

He’s wFH at the moment and sent thus message ‘Hi I'm still having issues, is it possible to share X details so I can talk to X direct’.

I ignored and called them. They did some checks and stated it was the line at fault (didn’t do back end stuff over holiday and recently changed to broadband). Lodger stated “it’s the modem” and obviously doesn’t have faith in me.

What can I do if the internet provider is stating they’ve done the checks?

Also he uses a Mac and he has trouble with that early evening, my dell doesn’t. My friend said it’s because they are swapping frequencies (or something) and he needs to sort out his Mac. Again doesn’t listen.

Aibu for

1. not giving him my account details
2. thinking my provider can’t do much more

“Yeah you are right. I should basically give him details of ALL accounts I hold just incase there may be an issue and he thinks he’s the best person to deal with it.
He can also open up the bills I pay and have access to my person details - including bills that can also be used to open up credit in my name.

You are so reasonable!”

Don’t be childish and ridiculous.
Giving him details for ONE account, on which you’ve changed the password, as o suggested, is not the same as giving him all your account details for everything.
I can see why he’s asked to take over, if you come across as that obstructive to him!
Fair enough if you don’t want to give ONE account detail to him… but you just looking silly with that nonsense about all your accounts 🙄

I feel sorry for him. I don't see why it would hurt to give him the details. They might speak to him if you explain the situation.

So, you are away.

Internet has started to play up

You have contacted the supplier and they have identified the problem and issued a work ticket.

Lodger wants to get control so he can sort it out

Nope!

He's overstepping big time. You have done all that can be done and now, like everyone else, have to wait on the provider to get the work done. Nothing he oul do will speed that up.

He is your lodger. It is a residential property. You have no obligation to provide him with anything other than the usual home wifi. Which it seems you have. That there is an issue with it is not your fault and you have done what is reasonable - got the provider to sort it out, work in progress.

Tell him, one more time, in writing, what you have done and that no, you will not be giving him the details or any access to your private bills. Then keep him updated with anything your povider tells you.

He can choose to move out if he needs better comms whilst wfh. His choice.

You don’t need to give him your account details, but you do need to deal with the issue. The provider has stated their is a line fault, but you haven’t followed up in any way, gotten a timeline, or pushed to get it fixed. You should be treating this as seriously as any other utility outage.

Perhaps change the modem and see if it improves for the time being.

@chesirecat99

He doesn't need your details. You can contact the internet provider and give him one off authority to speak to them directly.

If the issue is with the wifi changing frequencies, as your friend suggests, the technical team at your provider can talk him through it. They can also troubleshoot with him live to check whether it is the broadband, router or the set up is incorrect with his Mac. You can't really sort this out from afar, it needs to be done in person with the device that is having the issues. He needs to speak to the technical support team in person.

He is paying you for wifi so you really need to help.

^ THIS.

Really not sure what all the angst is about

Yabu not to continue to help his solve this issue.
Yabu to ignore his request and phone them direct, you should have responded to him.

He made an attempt to sort the problem without hassling you and you're treating him like he is the problem. It might be your house but you don't sound very kind.

The loss of power and electricity is different. I would call the boiler repair who attend within 24 hours and provide blow heaters if possible.

If you'd provide heaters if the heating went down, why not just provide a mobile internet connection while the internet is down?

Can't he contact the Internet provider to report the fault himself? He doesn't usually need your account details then.

It sounds like you resent your lodger for some reason.

I would be doing my utmost to get it sorted with specific details from the ISP & apologise to lodger but explain you aren't comfortable sharing account details.

I'd rather have no heating than no internet!

@Beautiful3

Perhaps change the modem and see if it improves for the time being.

Why? When the provider has confirmed that they ommitted part of the installation? It won't make any difference.

@buckeejit

It sounds like you resent your lodger for some reason.

I would be doing my utmost to get it sorted with specific details from the ISP & apologise to lodger but explain you aren't comfortable sharing account details.

I'd rather have no heating than no internet!

Agreed. Very odd approach from OP. He’s the one who is having his ability to wfh affected and OP’s attitude is not my problem.

Doesn’t matter if he’s just a lodger - he’s paying you to be there, so stop being so difficult and work WITH him to help resolve it.

Presumably he needs wifi to wfh. I don't blame him for being frustrated.

Look on the bright side. If this is a frequent issue, he'll probably give notice soon and then you won't have him annoying you. Since he needs to work to earn the money to pay his rent.

I couldn't live somewhere where the internet doesn't work - I would find it easier to be somewhere with broken heating. I think you're being extremely unreasonable not to provide it if you said you would when the room was initially advertised. If you said there would be internet, it's your job to make sure there is internet.

What is odd? She has contacted the provider, they have identified the problem and have issued a work ticket. OP is aware, lodger is aware. What else is to be done?

The rest is just the confusion over the intermittent nature of the issue.

@LittleGwyneth

I couldn't live somewhere where the internet doesn't work - I would find it easier to be somewhere with broken heating. I think you're being extremely unreasonable not to provide it if you said you would when the room was initially advertised. If you said there would be internet, it's your job to make sure there is internet.

And that is why so many landlords have such a bad name. Tenant, lodgers and Uncle Tom Cobbley all expect them to have magic wands.

IF they've said the line is at fault, have they said when it will be fixed and what happens next? because it does feel a bit vague and if I was your lodger that would really irritate me.

if there's an issue with his device, he probably does need to speak to them directly so that they can troubleshoot with him. If you were at home, you could call, go through authentication then hand over the phone. As you're not, I'd call and ask them if you can do the authentication and then bring him into the call or ask them to then call him or something. There must be a way to make this work.

You do seem to have a very relaxed attitude. You clearly think he shouldn't be working from him but that's not really your decision.

You don't sound like the most accommodating landlord. It is not reasonable for him to tether or go into work if he was told internet is available. Like all of us though he will have to put up with some delay if the internet provider needs to sort something out.

Stop acting like an overgrown child, he’s paying for this so you need to sort it immediately while keeping him fully informed or give him access to speak to them. Your reasons on here would not assume me you have any idea what’s up or the ability of motivations to sort it. If you resent doing the bare minimum don’t take lodgers.

Do not give him your details.
You are providing residential accommodation with residential internet service, not a business broadband service, so if it takes time to resolve the issue, it takes time.

Have your IP recently upgraded to 5G in your area?

His problem not yours.. Maybe he'll need to invest in his own wifi.

@curiousaboutsamphire I don't expect them to have a magic wand. I expect them to provide the service they advertised, and for which their client is paying.

Having a lodger is a business arrangement. I doubt the OP would like it if the lodger started knocking a few quid off payments every month. It's a business transaction like any other.

Honestly your response worries me with regards to what kind of LL you are/ would be.

As a minimum, your lodger needs to know

• what the problem is
• how it is going to be resolved
• when it is going to be resolved
• how you are providing him with internet access (at your expense) in the interim.

You are currently away, he is offering to take over the arrangements in your absence to save you the bother. You don't have to pass this issue over to him to solve and give him your internet details (I wouldn't), but since you are choosing not to do that, then you will have to, as a matter of urgency, interrupt your time away in order to get this resolved for him, including sorting him out with interim arrangements for internet access until the fault is rectified.

What you cannot reasonably do is expect him to just suck up having no internet access, no agreed timescale for when it will be restored, and no interim arrangements in place.

If it's a line issue then it probably has nothing to do with his Mac. When are they fixing the line issue?

[quote LittleGwyneth]@curiousaboutsamphire I don't expect them to have a magic wand. I expect them to provide the service they advertised, and for which their client is paying.

Having a lodger is a business arrangement. I doubt the OP would like it if the lodger started knocking a few quid off payments every month. It's a business transaction like any other.

Honestly your response worries me with regards to what kind of LL you are/ would be.[/quote]
Not a LL. I do work with lettings and see unreasonable behaviour from tenants and landlords alike. I often have to be the referee between 2 sets of unreasonable people.

And in this case, with maybe the exception of clarity of communciations with her lodger, OP has done what she can. The service expected is less than perfect for reasons beyond her control, reasons she has enquired into and found a solution, It will, like most things, take time. Tine she has no control over.

If it were just her living there alone this issue would still exist and woudlld take the same amount of time to put right. And that is ALL that can be expected of a landlord when it comes to such services. - parity of time and quality.

Your expectations seem to require absolute immediacy - which is unreasonable.