To think my tenants are taking the mickey?

[2sugars]

No problems with new oven, tumble dryer, washing machine, fence (this one is still outstanding) etc, but they are having a visit from the managing agents today, and 'phoned me last night with their list of stuff they were going to pass on to them.

They are:

Light for fridge
Light under cooker hood.

AIBU, or isn't this just akin to changing a blardy light bulb? I'd be truly hacked off if they 'phoned me to replace one of those!

Any thoughts?

I think they might be special lightbulbs and the tenants not know how to replace them - they often are with such appliances, and quite difficult to get at without having the instructions etc.
I have no idea how to change my own oven light and I'm usually good at these things...they probably don't want to go sotrming in levering off covers with a screwdriver until they have asked you first!

...Ps tenants like these who pay attention to detail are usually the tidy ones, ime...be glad!

Message withdrawn

I agree with Pruners.

Point taken - thank you!!! They are such lovely people, that's probably what it was.

Im a proivate tenant and wouldnt dream of ringing my landlord / letting agent for fixing lightbulb! If they send someone out to "fix these your bill will be ridiculous. I had to ring fo maitenance as the tap broke (worn through apparently) and wouldnt switch off - constantly fast runung which knocked the heating out and they came - replaced the tap.....and charge £95 for it. (Plumber was here 3 minutes)

It might be that they don't want to change the lights on your appliances in case they break them. I think they are being on the safe side - sound like good tenants so don't worry.

I know, NS, that's, I think, why they were kind enough - although it's managed - to ask me first if I'd like to fix them. Their mark-up is extortionate.

As a tenant I would be reluctant to change the bulbs in these things because it would be easy to cause accidental damage and lose my deposit!

I would change my cooker light but would have no idea how to change my fridge light.
I agree though that it is a bit different to changing a lightbulb because there is some dismantling involved in both so they sound very nice tennants indeed.

Also the lightbulbs cost about £5 or something ridiculous.

The fridge went wrong in one of my tenants last week, the agent rang and said they could get a new one for £225 and disposal of the old one would be £33!

I hoofed it up to HiSPek bought the same fridge for £149 and got the men delivering my new Miele dishwasher to take it away for £10.

Last month the tenants said the washing machine was not washing properly, so I took my 4 year old Siemens ( with a 10 year warranty) out of my house, gave it to them and ordered a new Miele for myself.

The old washing machine just needed degunking of conditioner and powder and one of those cleaner thingies in it. The poeple who I gave it to through freecycle were delighted.

I told my tenants anything else new and I'll put their rent up!

I think as they are new tenants they want everything new too!

Ours are managed but as 2sugars says, the mark up is ridiculous.

I have been round to put toilet roll holders back on the wall, fir new toilet seats, none of these things ever happen in my home!

This thread is worrying me!

We've just bought a btl property which is being decorated throughout at the moment.

I was going to do the management myself and just get the letting agents to find the tenant. Now thinking am I being too ambitious as it's our first venture into this? Any thoughts/tips/advice?

I'm a tenant and as my landlady manages the proeprty it's much better(we've had the letting agency manage before and its so much faff), we've had problems with the boiler which we obviously had to call them out for but they just sent along a plumber and got it sorted.
A fridge light or cooker light I'd probably change myself if they were easy enough, but if it looked breakable I'd call the landlady.

When we got a bird down our fireplace I called my landlady to let her know and ask if she minded me taking the fire surround off to get it out but she didnt answer her phone and I was a bit reluctant to do it incase it caused problems, so I think if you're willing to accept things may get broken if tenants do maintenance then fine, btu if you're going to charge them for it you cant expect them to risk it.

Raffaella - as a long time tenant I have always had a great relationship with landlords I dealt with directly but a poor one with those through agents who are out to make as much money as they can from both sides. But, if I was ever letting a property, I would be careful to vet the tenants properly, even if it meant not achieving the highest possible rent or having to wait a bit. The biggest downside to managing it yourself is that if the pipes burst in the middle of the night they will call you. In over ten years of renting I have never had cause to contact a landlord out of hours!

Alibubbles - you are being very unreasonable, the tenants had just moved in and probably did not realise that the machine was not working because it had been "gunked up". When I moved into my current flat we had a huge number of complaints because the previous tenants had managed to disguise the damage they had done. The fridge failing was unlikely to be their fault. I think telling them that their rent will go up if anything else goes wrong - even if through no fault of their own - is a shocking abuse of power and a bullying tactic. Imagine living in fear like that?

Those who rent are not usually wealthy and it is because of people like you that the whole rental sector needs to be more carefully regulated.

Um, I don't think Alibubbles was being serious...
I wouldn't attempt to change those light bulbs in my own house let alone a rented one.

think the tenants should do this - yanbu

YABU I'm sorry to say. I have tenants with a m/agent. This comes under maintenance and is your responsibility.

blimey, I'm

I've changed them myself, out of my pocket. I wouldn't expect the landlord to change bulbs!

I've also replaced dimmer switches and have to refelt the shed. These were paid for by the ll. Our landlady lives in FIfe, we pay a fairly low rent and I don't mind doing these odd jobs.

Upwind, sorry I didn't realise that it would be a insensitive remark.

I value good tenants, and the fact I replaced the fridge in LESS than 1 hour on a friday evening at 5.30 when I have spent the week minding 3 x 14 month olds, I think proves.

yes, Ive changed the fridge ones myself. And the under cupboard strip lighting things. Not the hob one yet thank god.

when i was a tenant, i would have expected to chaneg lightbulbs in ceiling fittings, but not int eh cooker or fridge. they usaully require a bit of extra work and i would say come under the landlords responsibilty, now if they ahd asked you to come and chaneg the lightbulb on the landing which was a bog standard lightbulb for about 50p then yes they would eb taking the mickey.

I think whoever said about upping the rent if their tenants call again should read through the legalities of a tenancy agreement and rent increase.