Question from an inexperienced landlord

[Earlybird]

Bit of advice needed please: I have a direct agreement with a longstanding and reliable tenant, so there is no agent. Tenant has written to say he wishes to call an electrician to replace a few of the recessed lighting spot lamps in the flat. He has waited until half a dozen were out in various rooms in order to justify the cost of the visit.

I have tried to change those lights in the past, and they are definitely tricky. My question: is it the landlord's responsibility to pay for this sort of upkeep?

I know those lights. Sometimes the transformer does need replacing as well as the bulb. They're a nightmare to footer about with too.
They do have a tendency to all go out together, or within a few weeks. My DH has pulled plaster from the ceiling doing it, and he's "handy".

I wouldn't pay for a new light fitting in the other bedroom, and the associated tracking and rewiring involved.

The other bit about needing to be regulation standard needs looked at. Are these spot lights in the kitchen? Are there spot lights installed without transformers? That rings a bell as being a "new" ish thing.

Your "good" tenant has been renting from you for almost 7 years and has only now asked that something be done re electrics costing about six hundred pounds!

You are the kind of landlord that pisses me off so much. You are running a business, you need to provide a service. Your customer who you say is "good" sounds very very patient to me. I actually hope your tenant finds somewhere else where a landlord will really appreciate having a good tenant and not complain about friggin 600 quid over a period of 7 years. A hundred pounds a year...do you realise that is what you are on about ??

...and you say " I'm a bit unhappy this has come up only two months after I've just paid for a necessary repair that cost over £3k" - wow. All I'll say is that I don't think you should be a landlord for much longer.

I am a tenant with recessed light fittings in the kitchen and bathroom. Have been here nearly 4 years and have asked the letting agent to get someone to deal with thr bathroom lights once when the transformers had gone. I am not capable of dealing with that. I wouldn't ask for normal light bulb changing.

Thanks to all who have provided constructive and useful advice.

skinnyflatwhite - goodness. calm down. You are entirely wrong, and have made all sorts of incorrect assumptions. When something needs to be done at the flat, I have done it without quibbling. For instance: the washing machine was replaced 18 months ago, and there was a £3200 major repair in early December that was not strictly necessary but the equipment in question, while functioning properly, was old and could have failed at any time. Not that I need to justify my actions as a landlord to you.....

Your poor friggin tenant has WAITED until 12 lamps have popped so that he feels he can ask you to deal with this. You admit that it's a "tricky" thing to fix.

You CANNOT complain about major repairs that you've had to deal with (your post at 00 05 hours). You are the landlord.

I think you need to re-think your position. I'd suggest you get rid of your responsibilities and sell.

Thanks coli. Would your electrician go to a flat in sw1?