Landlord advice?

[thefirstsummer]

I rent and accidentally ruined the place and am not sure what to do. I have been depressed all day about this. A vase blew off my windowsill, which knocked into the radiator below and actually shattered it. It’s one of those glass panel heaters and the glass has broken off. Series of ridiculous events.

I was hoping to be able replace the glass panel, but it seems like the entire radiator needs to be replaced. I have contacted the manufacturer but it seems like they don’t have replacement glass panels.

I’m stuck on what to do, AIBU to repurchase the radiator and hire someone to install it?

I’m hesitant to tell the landlord because my contract is up for renewal this month and I don’t want her to use this as an excuse to not renew my contract.

genuinely feel overwhelmed, what should I
do?

Firstly, don't say you've been DEPRESSED about it all day. That's just ignorant.
Secondly, just tell the landlord what happened, apologise and say you will pay for the damage if you have to

You report it to your landlord and they will decide what to do. Whether or not you need to pay for it will be covered in your contract. Total non event.

It's not at all ignorant to say you've been depressed about it all day! I would have been too!
I think you are going to have to tell the landlord. If you are upfront about it and offer to pay it might put you in a good light rather than a bad light.

Good luck (and ignore the shitty posters)

Let the landlord know, offer to pay.
if there’s been no other problems with your tenancy the landlord would not lose a good tenant over a small accident.

Accidental damage occurs. Tell your landlord and offer to cover the cost.
It really shouldn't be a problem.

Tell your landlord what happened. Don’t try to fix it yourself. Offer to pay for it.

That’s it really

It could be damage covered by insurance. Is your landlord difficult to deal with? Is that what's causing you to worry?

tell your landlord and say it’s only just happened. Don’t let them know you’ve tried to hide it from them. They might have insurance which will cover it.

It might be covered by accident insurance, your landlord will be able to advise, it wasn’t on purpose. Things happen

YABU

just tell your landlord what happened and that you’re happy to pay for it.

and don’t say you’ve been “depressed” all day, that’s ridiculous wording and very disrespectful to everyone who actually suffers with depression. It just makes you sound like a dick.

Oh give over with the tone policing.

It is completely fine to say you are "depressed " about something without suffering from clinical depression. The name of the illness comes from the common parlance to describe mood, it's not owned by the medical profession.

I'm a landlord. I'd be happy for you to pay to fix it. It wouldn't stop me renewing your contract. Stuff happens

Landlord here- non event would say let your LL know what happened and tell them you're replacing it.

You need to tell your landlord,it's not something they won't notice.
Also could put your deposit and references in trouble.

It's just an accident and you're going to pay so if you're an otherwise good tenant why wouldn't they not renew your lease?

*why would they not

Make sure you’ve got someone reputable to install a replacement so that you will have all the necessary guarantees, then tell the landlord before the work happens. It will come across much better if you tell them at the earliest opportunity, but when you have the solution sorted.

Gosh. I wish you were my tenant.
Our tenant has cracked a window and we wish to replace it ( at our expense as he denies it) and he won’t let us in to do the work.
You sound like a good tenant in comparison.

The landlord is more likely to end the tenancy if you’ve accidentally damaged something and not told them.

Don't replace it without a conversation with your landlord. As a clerk I would notice the change and highlight it as something the landlord needed to investigate, check their maintenance history. If that was the first they had heard of it all sorts of alarm bells would ring.

Let them know, ask how they would like the repair/replacement to happen. You never know they may have a spare, or be intending to replace anyway. Even if not, the choice should be theirs.

Exactly this. I'm finding it depressing how some posters go out of their way to belittle others.

If your landlord uses an estate agent, it will actually cost them one month's rent to find a new tenant plus extra charges for preparing new contracts, credit checks etc. So its very expensive to have a new tenant. If you explain what happneed and you are willing to cover the damage then I'm sure they will be fine with it. Good luck!

And don't listen to the word police:
Merriam Webster's Definition of depression
1 : an act of depressing or a state of being depressed: such as
a : a state of feeling sad : low spirits : melancholy

You "accidentally ruined the place" I thought I was going to read the place had got trashed for some reason. Its one thing.

Why are you so worried? Is your landlord approachable? Has something happened that's made you over worry

Well actually to be classed as depression it has to last at least 2 weeks with significant impairment, so it is in fact ignorant and trivialising depression. It's not an adjective. But re the post, I would just be honest with the landlord - you can't go wrong by being upfront!