Landlord responsibilities- am I doing it right?

[Trabenji]

I guess it's more am I being naive rather than AIBU.
I've not been a landlord for long, less than 2 years, so not really experienced. I had bought and done up the house just for me originally, then met my partner, we bought a place together and he encouraged me to rent my house.
I rent through an estates agents, but the tenants have my contact details from when I went over to show them how to drain a radiator.
A few days ago, they complained of a 'damp/sewage' smell that came from a specific drawer in the kitchen. I went over with my partner but we couldn't smell anything strongly. They thought there was a pipe leaking behind the wall but there are no pipes there.
My partner looked under the kitchen units and saw what might be mice droppings, so I asked if maybe the smell was from that. They said they had left the garden door open when it was hot and saw some mice come in but think they have gone now.
The tenants found some debris by the side of the kitchen extension (looks like their neighbours threw it into their garden) and think it might have blocked the damp proofing of the wall and could cause the smell. I think it might be dead mice, but to be safe I've arranged for someone to pick up the rubbish in the garden and for pest control to come and take a look.
So, I mentioned all this in passing to a friend and they are convinced I shouldn't have to pay for or even arrange for those things as 1. The mice came in through the tenants neglect and not through any holes in the property 2. The rubbish isn't mine to clear (or even the tenant's).
I'm arranging and paying for it all as I think it's just easier in the long run but she keeps saying I'm setting a bad precedent. Obviously if the neighbours throw more rubbish into the garden I'll tell the tenants to speak to them, but I don't see any harm in arranging for it to be cleared this time.
YABU - I shouldn't have sorted as it's the tenants responsibility
YANBU - I was right to sort it as a landlord

If the property is managed by an estate agent ie you pay a monthly fee (usually a percentage of rent charged) then YABU the agent should sort out these problems and will also determine if it’s a landlord or tenant responsibility. In my experience it is always better to get these things sorted as landward because a) it builds mutual trust and respect. Meaning they tell you/agent early (rather than letting things get worse) because they know they will be treated reasonably and things will get done b) it’s in your interest to keep your property in good condition - if the property is well maintained tenants tend to take a pride in them/look after them c) your tenants are paying for a service and deserve to get value for money.

unless you have not paid for your agent to manage the property, I would not be going round or giving my tenants my number for emergencies etc. if they have contacted you because the agent has not responded/is slow to respond then consider if you have chosen the best one for your needs.

I don't think there is any neglect, just quoting my friend. I haven't asked them to speak to the neighbours, but will do if it happens again. It just feels easier to get someone in to clear it for now without fuss

Leaving the door open in summer is not neglect. Mice can get in through the tiniest holes - I doubt the door being closed would stop them.

Generally it sounds like you are taking steps to keep your property in working order, which is sensible whoever lives there!

I do pay (a lot!) for the estate agents. The tenants contact me directly as they complain the estate agents are slow.
Also, I've arranged before for estate agents to sort things but they charge a ridiculous extra extortionate price. This happened when we had to get in a locksmith as someone tried to burglar their house and damaged the lock - luckily didn't get in.
I thought about getting rid of the estate agents but my other half suggested just keeping them on for legal reasons e.g holding the deposit and if I change I'll have to pay another 'introductory fee'

I'd dump the estate agents if you aren't happy with them and don't trust them to sort stuff. It's too much money to pay for a service that isn't working.
I manage my own tenancy through openrent which is very good value. Sorting the holding deposit is pretty simple as long as you understand what you need to do and inform the tenants.

Sounds like you proactive good landlord and that's great. Leaving a door open in the summer is great for ventilation for the property... Find another agent but yes if you want the mouse situation resolved it's good you dealing with it asap.

This! I would dump the EA, you can always reemploy another just to the point of lease the next time you go to market.

You can have the estate agent for lettings but not for management. This will cost you less.

Thanks, I'll look into openrent as I do feel like I'm paying for a service I'm not really getting from the agents

Drop the estate agent! I made the same mistake last year, paid a ridiculous amount each month but ended up sorting everything by myself because the agents charged a silly fee for every small problem. My tenants left and I just found new ones via OpenRent within 4 days for the same price the agents achieved.

You could have gone to speak.to neighbours about throwing their rubbish over.

Feels a bit odd for me to confront my tenant's neighbours. I don't live there, I don't know the neighbours and I have no proof they did do it - I'm making an assumption as I don't believe my tenants would have thrown things in the garden like that.

Surely you should have asked them if they put the rubbish there or someone else and when it happened.

Ask the tenants? To be honest, I didn't, but I probably should have. I just saw it as something that was causing them a problem and I wanted to just fix it quickly. My tenants are nice people which is why I don't think it was them

Your friend is in the wrong, unless the tenants are encouraging the mice by leaving our food then it is your responsibility as the landlord because the property must be fit to live in at all times during the tenancy.

You say they're nice people in which case it benefits you to keep them as tenants, being a good landlord will help that to happen

Ignore your 'friend'.
Ditch the agents.
Deal with the mice, and any other issues. A good landlord/ agent would inspect the entire property at least 1-2 times a year, and check things like the gutters - do they need cleared out? is the smoke alarm still functioning? does the boiler need serviced/ checked?
You said you bought the house intending to live in it, but you don't know the neighbours? Have they just moved in recently? Do you know if they bought, or rent?
Have a closer look at the rubbish - is there any way it could have been dumped by anyone else, or could it only have been dumped by someone with access to your/ the neighbouring garden? If it seems most likely to have come from next door, then yes, you should tell whoever owns that house that this is unacceptable, and if it happens again you will be forwarding them the bill for its removal.

In my experience, the most important thing is to protect your property, OP. Sometimes it's not worth getting into the details, you are acting in your own interest by getting this sorted and you are also maintaining a good relationship with your tenants. Let them know the whole situation and ask them to let you know about any future potential problems they spot.

I'm with everyone here ditch the estate agent you are paying for a service that you are not getting, I'm a landlord the tenants contact me when something needs doing , the mice thing is just something that needs taking care of straight away . The rubbish could make a nice hiding place for them, as others have said leaving the door open is not neglect mice can fit in holes as small as pencil width.

I agree that if you have nice tenants, consider ditching the agent and speaking to them direct on everything. I've never found it much hassle compared to the financial gain.