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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want to pay for my tenant to have a doorbell professionally installed?

84 replies

QuintessentialShadow · 10/09/2008 12:15

I probably am

She wants a professionally installed doorbell.

BUT, she is really high maintenance and a pain in the proverbial behind, and the number of requests she has had, such as repaving the front of our house at our cost, is just making me really annoyed.

I told the agent that she could pick up a wireless doorbell kit in B&Q for less than £20. I will hapilly reimburse that.

BUT I AM NOT going to have an electrician come out and install a doorbell, drill through my front wall, have it wired to the mains, no sire!

AIBU?

OP posts:
PrimroseHall · 10/09/2008 12:58

[preens]

Original poster
QuintessentialShadow · 10/09/2008 13:01

I am off to get the kids from school, and take them to the beach for a bbq, weather is lovely here! THANKS again for all your comments!

OP posts:
OneBoyOneGirl · 10/09/2008 13:04

Beach? Barbeque? Lovely Weather!

annh · 10/09/2008 13:06

I remember this tenant from before! Think asking for a doorbell to be professionally installed is taking the biscuit! Bearing in mind your previous concerns, I would also be concerned about her mother's correspondence reaching you - do you have a neighbour who could check on comings and going for you? Or would you speak directly to her to ask why her mother is using her address? Might calm down some of her repair demands.

Re the grass cutting, does it not say in your lease agreement that the tenant is responsible for that? Ours certainly did - of course, nightmare tenants never did it but that's another story!

expatinscotland · 10/09/2008 13:06

next time, QS, don't play the nice guy when it comes to your tenant .

you could tell this one was going to be more trouble than she was worth a mile off.

YANBU.

expatinscotland · 10/09/2008 13:09

we do expect our landlord to pay for major upkeep in the external part of the property - such as blocked external drains.

the plumbing is old and dodgy in this place, tbh.

ScummyMummy · 10/09/2008 13:09

yanbu. Does she have delusions of grandeur or summat? Who needs a professionally installed doorbell ffs?

silverfrog · 10/09/2008 13:09

Oh, tenants can be so much trouble sometimes, especially if you get the type who can't do a thing for themselves.

If there was no doorbell when she moved in, and she didn't stipulate as a condition of moving in, then I don't think you are obliged to provide one now. I would definitely stand firm on the wireless kit.

We've had tenans previously who called the management agency to change the batteries in the doorbell, tighten up the ringer, change lightbulbs in the kitchen etc.

We've just had a change of tenant, and the outgoing tenants swore blind they had professionally cleaned the curtains, and wanted recompense for doing so. We asked how it was done - "oh, a man came and took them away". Any trouble getting it done? we asked - "oh no, nice and simple, only took him a few minutes to rehang etc. we pointed out they must be mistaken as the curtains are screwed to the wall (don't ask - but not as manky as it sounds) and take 3 people to take down/rehang - it's all gone quiet at the other end for now...

2beornot2be · 10/09/2008 13:10

Where abouts in South London QS I will go and put a door up for her for free

LIZS · 10/09/2008 13:14

Our agent had a local handyman who would do jobs at a low rate once the agent had agreed it was necessary. Actually the agent themselves could go to B and Q and get and deliver the kit, even put it up - ours did a hoover from Argos - then take cost out of the income. Make them earn their commission it's in their interest to keep the tenant too !

snorkle · 10/09/2008 13:54

Hmm, When I was very young I was taken to the Houses of Parliament to have a look (we were showing some visitors around London).

It was very late and the House of Commons was down to about a dozen MPs, most of whom appeared to be asleep, but one old chap was ranting away about the importance of front door bells. We listened for ages and he went on and on. It may have been a filibuster, but I think it was all to do with whether VAT should be charged on doorbells or not.

So, I've no idea if he won his point or not, but if you want to know whether our illustrious leaders consider doorbells to be essential, check if VAT is chargeable on them!

For me, I think a wireless DIY job sounds quite sensible.

SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 10/09/2008 13:58

you paid for her to what to the fron of the house? repave?

where do i find a landlady like you? im still waiting for my central heating to be repaired..............from last winter.

oh and YANBU when she moves out can i move in? i promise i dont require anything other than sound floor boards and heating that works.

BlingLovin · 10/09/2008 14:06

While I have some sympathy with a normal tenant not wanting to do it herself because some landlords become completely psycho if you so much walk in their house with your shoes on, it sounds like she's totally taking the piss. You've been pretty damn good to her and I totally agree with SSSSbTSS in that if you have any other houses in SW London for rent, could DP and I come and have a look!?

Our landlord has taken over a year to agree to let us throw out (take to the charity shop, obviously) all the rubbish he left behind that we don't need/don't want/is broken! We had to pay an extra deposit in order to be allowed to have Sky. When our fridge finally died he went out and bought the cheapest one he could find, slightly smaller than the old one, when we moved in and were assured cupboards would be there, it came in the form of one, admittedly large but only enough for one person, cupboard we had to put up ourselves from Ikea and a couple of freestanding clothes rails ...

The list goes on. The property company are good about general upkeep - like painting the ceiling where some damp had come through after they fixed the damp too - but he is a complete tightwad.

BlingLovin · 10/09/2008 14:09

Oh, and after much debate and thought on his part, he let us pay for and then paint the bathroom ourselves....

Freckle · 10/09/2008 14:11

Didn't she swear that it was just her and her children moving in?? Write back and say that she can have a wireless kit, nothing more. And then drop in the snippet that her mother appears to be living there as she is giving the address as her home address and this is in breach of your contract. See if she makes a fuss then.

SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 10/09/2008 14:12

blinglovin my landlord keeps asking me when im going to redecorate and didnt i say i had new carpet?

i do indeed have new carpet im waiting on a fitter. no mention of any money from him.

BlingLovin · 10/09/2008 15:50

Astonishing.

Am now starting to think I should go ahead with landscaping of garden (she says grandiosly - I really mean rip out concrete and put grass into the 3mx5m space) as clearly landlord expects it.

Honestly though, I'm not sure what's worse - my completely anal landlord who is terrified that having Sky will lead to his house falling down and won't let us so much knock a nail in the wall, or yours who thinks you should be responsible for everything!

fedupandisolated · 10/09/2008 16:02

Bloody hell! I left a property where the central heating didn't work (and was never fixed despite numerous requests), a kitchen that was falling apart with flaky paint (landlord put on normal paint in a dmap kitchen cos he got the paint cheap from a mate of his at Wicks) - list is bloody endless and eventually I moved out (marriage broke down too although obviously not the landlords fault )
My landlord was just happy to count the cash every month and not do a thing.

fedupandisolated · 10/09/2008 16:03

What I meant to say is why couldn't I have a lndlord like you QS?

Upwind · 10/09/2008 16:04

If she has an 18 month lease, surely she can't simply leave?

I don't think you have the slightest obligation to provide a doorbell now. If there had been one there which wore out, then it would need replaced but she decided to take a house without a doorbell!

saltire · 10/09/2008 16:04

The cheque was cashed, and he is sitll denying it was him, so the bank are looking into it, as it is indeed possible that someone forged it.

scaryteacher · 10/09/2008 16:15

I've never had a doorbell on my house, and wouldn't let my tenants have one. There's a huge doorknocker that raises the dead, whereas I wouldn't hear a bell. Nor do I want anyone drilling into my thick stone walls.

YANBU Quint - a wireless one is as far as I'd be prepared to go, and I think you're being nice paying for it. (She says...who always takes the tenants chocolates when she goes back from Belgium).

Upwind · 10/09/2008 16:25

QS - if you want tenants for any of your properties maybe offer them on MN

Original poster
QuintessentialShadow · 10/09/2008 21:17

Thanks guys, it is good to hear I am not being unreasonable!

Upwind, sadly/luckily that is my only property, and I did put the word out on mumsnet, no takers!

No, I did not repave my front. Square and neat grey paving stones have been perfectly fine for us, so why should they not be for the tenant???

OP posts:
clam · 10/09/2008 21:40

I was going to say that, if she's asking your DH to mow the lawn for her, then that's likely to mean that she hasn't got her entire extended family living there, as one of them could surely do it, if so. (I remember the bun-fight about the original tenancy agreement!)
But then I read the post about her mum's blood test results...... alarm bells ringing, sorry! Can you get a neighbour to check? Wasn't it one of them who alerted you to the potential problem of loads of extra people moving in?