Jacko Posted October 30, 2019 Report Share Posted October 30, 2019 Terraced house, front door has been kicked in causing damage to the locking mechanism. Tenant believes it is someone known to them but can't accuse as no proof. Who is responsible for the repair, tenant or landlord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted October 30, 2019 Report Share Posted October 30, 2019 I would expect my tenant to call the police and then their landlord in that order. They would then have a crime number which you could use on your buildings insurance claims form. This is clearly a police matter.......who is suspected of the crime is not relative to any claim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacko Posted October 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2019 Thanks for the reply of course I understand the suspect I saw not relevant So essentially what you are saying it is the landlords responsibility and not the tenants to effect the repair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacko Posted October 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2019 Sorry typo - The suspect is not relevant is what I meant to type Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted October 30, 2019 Report Share Posted October 30, 2019 If I apply common sense......and I appreciate it doesn't always apply....... * I don't see how the tenant is at fault. * The tenant cannot arrange buildings insurance in their name. * The landlord has a responsibility to ensure the doors are secure. * It would be a foolish landlord that did not ensure buildings insurance was in place. It's one of the joys of landlording. Be carefull when selecting tenants and when buying property to ensure both are the best available to you within your budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grampa Posted October 30, 2019 Report Share Posted October 30, 2019 It is not unknown for tenants to blame unknown party's for breaking windows and damaging doors to try and get out of being liable. If it was a good tenant without previous issues I would say the same as RL and put it down to experience and the joys (and costs) of being a landlord. However if there had been previous problems with the tenants such as wild party's, complaints, unexplained damage, problems on inspections, domestic bust-ups etc. I have been known to try and recoup the cost from the tenant or tenants deposit. Taking the stance they are responsible for returning the property in the same condition as they originally rented it in. A little grey I know but it's a judgement call on how far you push it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mortitia Posted October 30, 2019 Report Share Posted October 30, 2019 You the landlord have to sort this out and repair the damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grampa Posted October 30, 2019 Report Share Posted October 30, 2019 31 minutes ago, Mortitia said: You the landlord have to sort this out and repair the damage. I agree, but it still doesnt stop me trying to recover the cost in certain situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melboy Posted October 31, 2019 Report Share Posted October 31, 2019 If it cannot be proven beyond all reasonable doubt that your tenant was responsible for damaging the door then it is the landlord that has to repair this door and put the cost down to a tax allowable expense. Part of the joys of being a landlord is that from time to time you will be faced with situations such as this. annoying as they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacko Posted October 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2019 Thanks everyone. I have repaired the door lock. Everyone's happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grampa Posted October 31, 2019 Report Share Posted October 31, 2019 Ultimately it is down to proof and the landlord has a responsibility to keep in repair the structure and security of the building as previously mentioned. It doesnt stop you sending the invoice to the tenant for repayment. How that will effect landlord tenant relations is another matter. If they didnt pay you could try a claim via the small claims court on-line and let the judge sort it out as a normal dispute over money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted October 31, 2019 Report Share Posted October 31, 2019 But surely the court would require proof/ evidence that the tenant has caused the damage before ruling the tenant should pay. Can't you claim on your buildings insurance ? All you need is a police report number to validate the claim. Let the insurers sort out who they want to chase for the cost of repairs through the police......I suspect they wouldn't bother if it were less than £200. Isn't this what insurance is for ? We don't need to make it more complicated than it needs to be. Now if the tenant hasn't reported it to the police and obtained a police report number.........if be asking why ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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