Washing machine broken down - what would you do?

[lboogy]

I'm a landlord and my tenant says the washing machine I supplied 18m who is leaking. She's been in the flat for 5 years and this is the second washing machine I've replaced.

The earliest appointment I can get is in 17 days. But she says her kids clothes need washing and it's too long to wait.

My heart says pay out of warranty for a plumber to look at it but my head says I've replaced the machine twice and she pays a reduced rent because I recognise she's on her own with two kids.

What should I do? Pay £100-150 ?

@Viviennemary

I bet she is taking in washing as a means to supplement her income. She will just have to manage until you get a plumber out.

What an utterly stupid comment, based on nothing.

@Viviennemary

I bet she is taking in washing as a means to supplement her income. She will just have to manage until you get a plumber out.

I rent and I am a single parent and I can assure you that as a rule us skint renters don't take in laundry. Where the hell did you get that judgy idea from? I have an Indesit and its pretty crap tbh.

Tbh if it was me I'd use a laundrette or ask family if I can use their machine. But like I said I'll ask an plumber I know to see if he can go round.

@Viviennemary

I bet she is taking in washing as a means to supplement her income. She will just have to manage until you get a plumber out.

Nonsense. What a bizarre comment!

OP, I have to agree with those suggesting clearing out the filter and pump housing. Just had to do my own here as some hair had got down in and twisted too far round it, stopping it from pumping out.

Clearing filters can solve many issues, I have found out over the years.

@Viviennemary

I bet she is taking in washing as a means to supplement her income. She will just have to manage until you get a plumber out.

For goodness sake! Jumping to conclusions or what?

Ridiculous

Not worth trying the filter option I mentioned first?

@Viviennemary

I bet she is taking in washing as a means to supplement her income. She will just have to manage until you get a plumber out.

It’s like the 1920s all over again. Do folks even still do that 😂

Op, do you or anyone you know know anything about machines? I’d pop round and have a look. It is possibly something like the filter.

Sorry if these have already been mentioned; Overloading a machine does not generally cause leaks, one of the most common is a blocked filter or pump, both of these are DIY jobs, if you still have the manual ask her to try checking these, also, perhaps ask her to try to see where it is leaking from, this should help decide if the plumber option is viable, good luck.

Wonder if it is the machine , filters or pipework. Worth asking someone to assess and isolate the the inlets of needs be. That is a lot of replacement items in a short space of time though, might suggest she is not being that careful or doing basic maintenance.

Definitely taking in washing, like Mrs Tiggiewinkle
I'd get the tenant to run through the trouble shooting process and it's likely a blocked filter or visible loose connection both of which are easy fixes.

Failing that I'd wait for the official repair person as warranty is likely to be invalidated if you get someone in.

since she's moved in I've spent money on a brand new bathroom suit, new cooker, washing machine, new fridge, windows,new carpets And a boiler. It's basically wiped out all my profit over the years.

 My god, what a terrible lot of disruption and inconvenience your poor tenant has had to endure.  

Greedy landlords have been having a rough time lately on MN. They must really appreciate you setting the record straight.

If I was the OPs tenant I’d be considering myself very lucky to be living in a property that had so much new stuff in it and for which I was paying less than the going rate - it may be that relatives of mine living in rental properties have been unlucky but their experiences seem to indicate that getting anything repaired or replaced is not as simple as just reporting a fault - it takes patience and persistence to get the landlord to do anything.
As someone whose much used washing machine ( a cheap and cheerful one) is now over 10 years old, 2 washing machines in 5 years seems excessive. So does a 17 day wait for a call-out, but that’s life and not OPs fault. A decent tenant whether or not they have children would accept the wait and do what any homeowner would do. - check the filter etc to make sure something like a child’s sock wasn’t causing the problem and then use a launderette if the leak couldn’t be safely contained. .

Hi all, so I did go round and couldn't see what the issue was so the engineer came and told me there was a sock stuck in the soap dispenser.

The tenant has 2 kids and I'm wondering if it's possible for a sock to get stuck in the dispenser without someone shoving one down there?

No, due to gravity! Socks can get stuck in the filter and that is a very common thing to check for if the machine isn’t working... It’s also very common for colour catcher sheets to end up in filter so those & any v small items (baby /kid socks, trainer liner socks etc) should go on mesh bags

I think most people who had to pay this bill themselves would pull out soap dispenser, filter etc before calling an engineer

In your case, I would tell your tenant that you need her to pay the cost of this engineer visit as the reason for the call was her action/that of someone in her household