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

The only solution for a company to speak to a third party is the account holder giving authority for said third party to deal.

OP, could you call the company, give them authorisation to deal with your lodger, giving a password for lodger to provide to them (you should be able to stipulate it is a one off authorisation). Your lodger should then only have to provide your name and address, which they will know anyway, give their own name and password.

I think he's frustrated with your attitude of 'oh well, not my problem, go and tether', I doubt you'd feel the same way if he asked for a reduction in rent because of this.

Since it works worse on a MAC, you should be talking to the BB provider to find out why that is and how they can fix it. Or let him talk to them directly without giving him the details- just pass the phone or tell the chat advisor what's going on.

- how you are providing him with internet access (at your expense) in the interim. That, whilst nice, wouldn't be enforceable by any contract. It's wifi, not a roof! OP can offer a small deduction, for the inconvenience not any value of work lost he may try to place in it.

But, along with clear updates, is all she need do. He isn;t in a 5 star hotel, he cannot demand more than a 'reasonable' time and quality of fix than any person who owns the home would expect. The service he can expect is weighed agains 'normal' not 'perfect'.

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.

But the op is paying the ISP for a service that they are currently unable to provide - why is she being held to a higher standard of Internet provision that the Internet service provider themselves?

Based on the attitude in your posts here, I'd say crappy wifi is the last of the lodger's problems.

Hi OP

Re: your friends suggestion. It is probably correct. My Macbook (albeit old) played up badly with my new broadband connection and wifi router. The reason being it defaulted to broadcasting over 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands using the same name - previous wifi emitted 2 networks, one which was named the same but with 5GHZ suffix added. Anyways technically a lot of Macs struggle with both frequencies having the same wifi name, I guess there is some confusion when it certain areas of the home it finds the correct network (the wifi name) but is trying to connect via 5GHZ when the 5GHZ signal is weak in that area of the house and doesn't think to try 2.4GHZ.

Solution is often splitting up the network broadcast in the settings (some routers don't allow this) or you can manually fool the mac into only connecting to 2.4GHZ by forgetting the saved wifi on it, changing your wifi to broadcast only 2.4GHZ, connecting the mac and then changing your wifi to broadcast in dual 2.4GHZ/5GHZ again

Some details here:
community.bt.com/t5/Archive-Staging/Wi-fi-constantly-disconnects-from-my-Macbook/td-p/1444261

Hope it helps.

Otherwise more generally communicate what the broadband provider has checked and what they are saying the problem is and when they are going to fix it.

Your lodger can go into the office or use alternative (e.g. tethering) for a few days surely? It would be no different if they had their own property and the internet played up and there was a delay in getting an engineer out.

OP if he is working from home tell him to buy something like this.

Huawei B311 2020, CAT 4, 4G/ LTE 150 Mbps Mobile Wi-Fi Router, Unlocked to All Networks- Genuine UK Warranty STOCK (Non Network Logo) with FREE SMARTY SIM Card- White B311-221 amazon.co.uk/dp/B08B1VFHKB/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_WZJVE7DKZCKTSC2W68X2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1]]

Or use his mobile phone as a WiFi hotspot. I use one incase my home WiFi goes down and can keep working.

See I can’t see why you won’t give the details - I would be delighted if he offered to do the leg work but I am quite lazy.

The internet provider should refuse to talk to anyone apart from the account holder anyway, for data protection and security reasons.

It doesn't sound like you know what it is like to rely on the internet, OP. As a couple of other people have said, I could live with faulty heating sooner than a lack of internet provision.

I presume though that your lodger does not have to give you a lot of notice if he decides to move out.

YABU and mean. What do you think he will do with your account details anyway, other than try to get the internet fixed so he can work?

@CuriousaboutSamphire I feel rather sad for the people you work for, honestly. Having survived the London rental market for almost a decade before buying, I know how it feels to be told 'it's just one of those things' when you're paying an enormous amount of money for a service.

There is plenty the OP could do. They should be on the phone to the internet provider until they find out what the problem is, offer to buy a dongle, offer to pay for any increase in their phone bill incurred by tethering to 4G, but most of all they should be offering a clear plan of action for how this is going to be resolved. It's simply not good enough for a LL to shrug their shoulders and ignore the problem.

I wouldn't expect Zara to shrug their shoulders and tell me to get over it if a bag I bought there fell apart, I would want a refund or an exchange. This is the same. If you can't handle renting to a tenant in a professional way, don't do it.

Op you sound like a nob.. yanbu to not give your details but YABU about everything else

@2bazookas

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

Do you know what being a lodger/renting a room means?

Zara handbags?? WTF!?!?

@LittleGwyneth - OP has a lodger. Not a tenant.

"It's just one of thiose things" is often the only answer - whether you are an owner or a renter. Have you fond that gas safe engineers, for example, come to you far more quickly now you are an owner? Or do you still have the "I can look at it tomorrow, the part will take a week"?

If your expectations were that a landlord could act as quickly as a shop that sells handbags then I am not surprised you were disappointed!

You need to find out timelines re when they plan to fix the line, if you won't push on that, as others have said you can add him as someone who can be talked to about the account so he can ring and get more details.

If you don't want to give him your details that's fair enough but in return, you should be doing everything possible to resolve the issue and keeping him fully up to date on progress. He is paying for something you aren't providing and being kept informed and a token discount may help.

@kirinm

Based on the attitude in your posts here, I'd say crappy wifi is the last of the lodger's problems.

This.

The poor chap WFH and you won't give him the account details ( of which you can change the password once it is sorted) and let the tech people talk him through it on the phone.

You are being HORRENDOUSLY unreasonable.

@Dottybackorcid

OP if he is working from home tell him to buy something like this.

Huawei B311 2020, CAT 4, 4G/ LTE 150 Mbps Mobile Wi-Fi Router, Unlocked to All Networks- Genuine UK Warranty STOCK (Non Network Logo) with FREE SMARTY SIM Card- White B311-221 smile.]]

Or use his mobile phone as a WiFi hotspot. I use one incase my home WiFi goes down and can keep working.

Actually, the OP should buy this herself so that her lodger gets the internet service they're paying for as part of their rent.

Just phone the Internet provider and say you are giving him permission to talk to them then he can ring and deal with ant problems

You don't want to hear that you are unreasonable do you..

If he's working from home he'll have to evidence to his employer. Or everyone would be having 'internet issues.' I'd have to take holiday or owe the time if it wasn't a work issue and a network one. I don't think it's unreasonable at all to want it resolving asap as it could affect his pay/time off.

Are you certain it's a back end problem with the line? I had BT tell me the same last year and then randomly had one of their engineers say they were on their way to have a look as that issue was news to him. I even asked him to check which he did. New kitten had managed to stand on the socket where the cables go in and the connections were loose inside. We hadn't realised at the time and were a bit red-faced. Obviously I'm not saying this is the problem but your lodger could be right about it being an equipment issue.

Ime, having dealt with my mother's provider previously as well, they will always say it's a line fault and drag it out days of "investigative works" to meet their SLAs.

I wouldn't dismiss your lodger so quickly, how is he supposed to pay rent without working if he's meant to WFH? Can they provide a mini hub or dongle for him to use?

A decent 4g signal should be fine for him to WFH. The speed is comparible to standard fibre. Doesn't everyone just use the WiFi hotspot on their phone when the Internet goes down?

@user1497207191 I complely disagree, I rent some times as part of my job and the internet, just like all other utilities and services are out of the landlord/lady's control if there is a drop in service. So the tennant needs to take some responsibility for himself also. Most Internet providers will not offer a refund until 24hrs lack of service has passed. So the OP is not withholding or benefiting so there is nothing to deduct or pass on.

Using his own mobile phone or G4 route for such scenarios is his responsibility if service is down and out of the landlords/lady's control.

I'm pretty 100% his contract does not state uninterrupted Internet access 24/7.