who pays for repairs

[angee]

I have had a tenant for almost 3 years and he has been okay up to now but since Christmas I have received five bills for central heating repairs. This involves 3 engineers all within weeks of each other. The tenant call out the engineer and then gives the bill to the agent who takes it from the rent. I telephoned one of the engineers who told me that the repairs have been caused by abuse and letting the oil fired boiler run dry which causes the pump to blow. I have not had a full months rent since Christmas. In the February bill the tenant withheld 2 weeks rent because of the heating repairs. Now this months invoice shows a repair to the bathroom cupboard which had been newly installed just before the tenancy and to fix a sticking internal door. All these repairs without telling me in advance as well as the deduction of rent for which I am insured but need to tell my insurers in advance. When I let the property there was a quarter tank of oil, surely that amount should always be in the tank.

[Richlist]

Your problems stem from the fact that you don't have a set of acceptable ground rules with your tenant/ agent.

1. Your tenant should not be contacting repairers without authority from you/ your agent.

2.There should be a limit on the amount of repairs before the agent needs your authorisation.

3. Any repair caused by the tenant should be at the tenants expense.

4. Tenants are not permitted to withhold rent due to repairs.

Get in touch with your agent NOW remind them you are not running a hotel and get it sorted.

[Grampa]

The tenants need to be told in writing they do not have the authority to instruct any tradesman unless it is a genuine emergency. Any other general maintenance issues need to be put to the letting agent who will contact you for instructions (if fully managed)

I am assuming that the property is fully managed by a agent and they should have instructed a full inventory before the tenancy started which should also state the amount oil in the tank which should be at least the same when they vacate. Also have the tenants been left instructions (which should be listed on the signed inventory) on how to use the the boiler. If not you will struggle to claim anything from them.

Your agent should also have told the tenants they have no legal right to deduct rental payments if the the repairs were done in a reasonable time.

You need a serious talk with your agent to make it clear how repairs are dealt with

[Melboy]

To avoid a repeat of good solid advice Riclist and Grampa have spelt it out for you the best course of action you should be following.

Mel.

[Carryon Regardless]

Your T and A are taking you for a mug.

In the T's case it 'may' be that they have heard that they can deduct the cost of repairs from rent. This can be true but certainly not the for the reasons given here. It's your property you must be given 'reasonable' opportunity to affect repairs. At that point you would then be able to point out the errors in the T's opeation of the equipment and say "your fault you pay".

If the A doesn't understand the principle of when you are liable, and condones this 'theft' (for want of a better expression) get rid of 'em, they're not acting for you as they should and don't know how to.

[angee]

Thank you, all of you. I can see now see the way forward and yes I do have a full managing agent who is obviously at fault.. My tenant has been in there for almost 3years without problems so I also need to find out the reason for this change and hyperthetically who is behind it (like does he have a house share that he has not told me about). I am going down to see the agent on Monday to discuss all this. Once again Thank you as I now have a basis on which to set my talks.

[Grampa]

Let us know how you get on.

[angee]

I have made an appointment with the agent for Monday morning and I shall put all comments together in my arguments. Luckily the contract ends in May but I am in hospital next Wednesday for a knee replacement operation which will means I will be incapacitated for some months. If he complies with all my demands I will let him stay for a further 6 months when I will be in a better position to go down and sort the house out. If I feel he will not I would be better off just leaving the house empty until I am fit enough to see to things. Also if it is a new 6month contract I would be able to include the rules you have mentioned.

[Mikey74]

Used to have similar problems with my tenants but I didn't want to pay 10% management fee to a agent to sort. Ended up using www.n-l-c.info and for £60 a year they sort all my problems. Cheapest I've found in my 13 years as a landlord! U have to click on 4th box on left on home page "services".

[LLAW96]

I have had a quick look at that n-l-c website, its nothing special there are better and cheaper sites out there, and do you really want to support an outfit that pays part of its profits to Shelter who do their best to thwart landlords at every turn.

[Melboy]

Used to have similar problems with my tenants but I didn't want to pay 10% management fee to a agent to sort. Ended up using www.n-l-c.info and for £60 a year they sort all my problems. Cheapest I've found in my 13 years as a landlord! U have to click on 4th box on left on home page "services".

This is a self promoting business entry and no matter how much you try to hide it Mikey 74 it is so painfully obvious to anyone reading your comments.

If you have anything to say then lets hear it about it but please drop the website promotion.

Mel.

[Richlist]

Annoying as it is when people self promote I nevertheless always admire their enterprise. The real world is a tough place, more so in the current climate and any opportunty to advertise should be grasped with both hands.

[Carryon Regardless]

I don't agree RL.

There is far too much invasion by uninvited 'enterprise', they seem to have belief that their product is something we need and they are ok to push it at us uninvited.

We know where to look for promotional material when we have desire for it. Nowadays it arrives by junk mail (only to be binned), continual fax (so much I disconnected mine), telephone (and messages often left) , text, stuck under your wipers, pretending to be doing a survey in the High Street ("this will take just 2 minutes", "no it bloody won't").

I find this promotion often deceitful and even corrupt. They lie to get attention and gain advantage. As Mel if there is something to say, say it, don't fanny about pretending something else as a fraudulent git.

You may remember a poster from the previous forum. He openly stated he ran an agency in Manchester, he also gave good contribution. It was up front, I used him to good effect, and would again. T'others can naff off.

IMHO

[Melboy]

Trenners, who contributes to this Forum from time to time and over a longish period of time runs a very busy letting agency and he is also a landlord with some 20 rental properties of his own but I think I am right in saying he has never self-promoted his LA business on this forum but has only contributed as a landlord and a very good landlord he is as well.

My Son is his Plumber & Gas Engineer and you never see me promoting my Son's company......well, not yet anyway.

Mel.