Tenant seeking one off rent reduction

[Pennina]

I have a one bed flat in London.

3 months ago I got a new tenant. She moved in straight after the previous one with just a break of one month for cleaning/minor repairs.

New tenant advised she'd got a problem with getting the heaters to work. My husband came out he was unable to sort the problem so we said we would get an electrician in. We could not get the electrician to attend that we normally use as he was busy. We tried several other local electricians and couldn't find anyone who was available to attend. So frustrating for us all. Tenant spoke to a neighbour who was able to recommend an electrician who attended and advised that the heaters were broken, not repairable and need replacing.

This seems strange to me as my previous tenants who were there until February must've been using the heaters! They would have said if there was a problem.

Tenant is rather fed up which I understand (as getting on for three months has gone by now with all this faffing about with electricians) and is wanting the heaters replaced ASAP. For 2 comparable wall mounted electric heaters the cost will be about £750

We would like to get a different electrician to come and have a quick look just to make sure it isn't an internal fuse in the heaters that is broken. That is something that could be fixed for a fraction of the price of new ones.

Tenant completely fed up with waiting and wants new radiators put in and a rent reduction for this month.

I totally understand why she's fed up but can't help but feel that this is life and things do sometimes go wrong and do sometimes take longer to fix.

My thought is to see if I can get my Electrician to come and doublecheck that they really need replacing. If they can be repaired that's saving me £750 and I might consider reduction of £100 in rent this month. However if I have to pay £750 for new heaters then I can't manage a rent reduction as well very easily.

I want to do the right thing here so would appreciate views.

Well you got pretty much unanimous answer, resting on your laurels isn't going to sort heating out for your tenant.

You need to get over the "she said it wasn't a big issue" nonsense. It is a pleasantry. Nothing more. She can hardly say "Fuck you and your excuses" can she?

Thatwould oh so I'm resting on my laurels am I by thanking everyone here for their advice and saying that I have taken it?

People have taken the time to be helpful some have been polite some have been aggressive.

Wind your neck in

I doubt it i very much doubt you even have an agent because if you did your tenant would be contacting them about these issues instead of you!

Xmas. Well I do! Don't talk rubbish

I think your tenant is being cheeky tbh.

They’ve not been without heat.

This is just part and parcel of property. You can’t foresee this kind of thing you can only get it sorted, which OP is doing.

The flat is entirely habitable, tenant has had an alternative. Maybe offer £50 towards the cost of using storage heaters if you’re feeling generous.

Rarely in life do you get compensated for something not working, imo this is not an occasion that should give rise to compensation.

Managing agents are a waste of time and money anyway. I’m sure OP is equally capable of picking up the phone to a workman as a trolly dolly admin that you find in lettings agents.

Monkey - that is my feeling too. It was a stupid saga and it is crazy it has taken so long. But I will give my tenant something and make sure everything is right with her which is the correct thing to do.

I wouldn’t term it as a “rent reduction” you don’t want to leave yourself open to reducing the rent every time the tenant feels inconvenienced.

Wind your neck in

Tis a public forum🤷‍♀️, I hope you don't talk to your tenant like that.

Thatwould, no just you!

You can’t foresee this kind of thing you can only get it sorted, which OP is doing.

At glacial speed, while grumbling that the heaters weren't broken before the tenant got there, and then not getting them replaced when an electrician said they need replacing because it 'seems strange' they're that broken(?)

But at least it's all getting sorted now, presumably.

Electric storage heaters are crap. Theres two in our house that were installed 4 years ago, one of them has broken. Four electrictians have said that they're basically unfixable, and most of the time need replacing. However, all the quotes for replacing just one was around £1500 so £750 is a bargain!!!

Gosh, I'm honoured. Good luck with the heating.

Its perfectly acceptable to get a second opinion.

When my boiler broke recently I had three workmen with three separate opinions and three separate quotes as to how to resolve it.

53rd. I don't know what's the matter with them! They were working before she moved in. They were checked. But then they weren't working then they were repaired then they weren't working. Then they might be fixable then they might not be fixable so new ones are coming

@MonkeyTrap “I’m sure OP is equally capable of picking up the phone to a workman as a trolly dolly admin”

Err except she literally wasn’t capable was she? It has taken her three months and she has still been unable to find a workman acceptable to herself to take half an hour to look at the issue. That’s one quarter of a whole year to achieve nothing whatsoever - it’s pretty hilarious to think anyone would deem this as acceptable progress. The OP makes the Brexit team negotiators look positively high achieving

Hiroo. Not as simple as that, it has taken an awful lot of phone calls and tenant also away for a chunk of the time and told me it could wait for her return. Issue has not been whether the time frame is reasonable or not, my question concerned whether a rent reduction was reasonable or not and that has been discussed extensively below.

THREE MONTHS?

Fucking hell how shit a landlord are you?

Electricians mucking you about is bullshit. If you’d cared, you could have got Pimlico plumbers (who also do electricians) in next day but they cost.

Blueskies read the thread before you fucking kick off!

Pimlico Plumbers is actually a very good point- I’ve used them and they’re super quick and very good. You would have been able to get them out in a day or 2.

Good idea re Pimlico Plumbers though. Will remember for future.

Sort the heaters asap, and give her a rent reduction.

Just because she has been nice and polite about it isn't an excuse for you to take advantage.

Abby no intention of. Why would I?

Thought you were off OP?