What Should a Landlord Provide?

Storm · 3 January 2007 at 3:38PM

I've recently moved into a new rented flat, and have already had to point out various small things to the agency (missing plugs etc)

However, a biggie has now emerged in that the flat has never had a phoneline in it, and BT want £125 to connect us! This flat is one of about 12 that were converted 5(ish) years ago, and are marketed as flats for young professionals - wooden flooring, luxury bathrooms etc.

So, do you think it's reasonable of me to expect the landlord to pay for all or part of the cost of installing a landline? Once it's there it will surely be of additional benefit to the property, and the landlord owns the whole block, so isn't likely to be selling up at any time soon.

What do you think please?

Storm

rosysparkle · 3 January 2007 at 3:49PM

It's not generally a landlord's responsibility to provide a phone line. In practice, some will contribute some or all the cost of installation, but they don't have to.

If you do get a line, once the phone is in your name, nobody else can change it which is why agents and landlords can't deal with BT. If you don't cancel it at the end of the tenancy, you'll continue to be responsible for it (bills as well if the next tenant starts calling Australia) until you do cancel it.

scorpio_princess · 3 January 2007 at 4:39PM

It sucks, but i'm afraid you're gonna have to foot the bill if you want a BT line. Unfortunately, having a phone or internet is not considered a neccessity (a bit strange if a property is marketed at working at professionals I know!) I do think it's really unfair, because once you fork out all that cash for a BT line, it's not like you can take it with you when you move out! I would be loathe to pay for anything that's going to benefit the landlord in the long term - why should he or any future tenants be able to use something you've paid good money for? You're only renting the place and would not see any kind of 'return' on that money - surely this could be viewed as betterment?

My guess is he's deliberately not paid for lines to be put in because he knows the professionals he has let to will be stuck without one and will therefore pay for one themselves - hey presto, he's saved himself hundreds of pounds!

I do think you should have checked this before you signed on the dotted line though - you could have at least negotiated with the LL. But, you live and learn I guess.

I wish I could have given you a magic formula to get around this, but unfortunately I can't - good luck though

lynzpower · 3 January 2007 at 4:48PM

NTL are charging 25 for installation at the mo I saw in the paper yesterday- that might be more palatable ( not that Id ever use NTL having worked for them!)

Paul_Herring · 3 January 2007 at 4:48PM

So, do you think it's reasonable of me to expect the landlord to pay for all or part of the cost of installing a landline?

Um, no. What else are you expecting him to provide? Cable? Broadband? Free mobile perhaps? Presumably the previous tenant (you did say 5 years - can't have been empty that long surely??) didn't feel the need to have a landline.

Anarchist · 3 January 2007 at 5:05PM

Bear in mind that you can spread the cost of the line installation.

If you do it over six months it doesnt cost any extra to do this, or over 12 months it costs an extra £15 or something like that. Might help.

scorpio_princess · 3 January 2007 at 5:28PM

Paul_Herring wrote:

Um, no. What else are you expecting him to provide? Cable? Broadband? Free mobile perhaps? Presumably the previous tenant (you did say 5 years - can't have been empty that long surely??) didn't feel the need to have a landline.

What an incredibly helpful comment, i'm sure that has helped the OP no end :rolleyes:

I didn't see anything in his original post that pointed towards him expecting his landlord to fund his lifestyle, so I don't know where you got that from! I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a landlord to have a phone line in place - it's 2007 for goodness sake! As I said before, the OP should have checked this, but to be honest, if you have no experience of renting you may not think to ask as a lot of people assume there would be a land line in place already. Renters already pay a lot in rent money that they'll never see again, without having to better a property that doesn't belong to them!

Gorgeous_George · 3 January 2007 at 5:51PM

I'm not sure that the LL can have a BT line installed. I think BT can only be contracted to install the line by the user as it is the user who will be credit checked.

IF the LL funded the line, he would need to ensure the line was still usable for the next tenant. BT may cut the line off if the tenant fails to pay bills.

If my tenants made such a request I would discuss the situation with BT and, if necessary, request that the tenant pay an increased deposit as assurance that the account would be settled. The problem is that if the next tenant doesn't want a line, a connection fee would be payable to BT when the line was required again.

EDIT: To clarify, The tenant would pay additional £125 bond and I'd pay thye £125 back to the tenant for the LL. If all was well when the tenancy ends the tenant would receive the initial bond subject to property condition and and the £125 back subject to the next tenant using the line (and paying the £125 bond).

GG

Storm · 3 January 2007 at 5:52PM

Just to give a bit more info...

When I viewed the flat it was empty, and I did see a phone point in the living room - the agency who showed me round aren't actually the managing agents (long story!) and so didn't really know much about the property.

I made the assumption (OK, shouldn't assume) that a phone point meant that there was access to a phone line - and when I moved in & plugged in the phone I got a dial tone (though, couldn't dial anywhere obviously!)

Now BT are saying that as they've never had a phoneline in the flat it'll cost the £125 - this isn't just to connect us, it's to actually put a phone cable into the flat. NTL say they don't cover our postcode (which is weird as they do everywhere else in Portsmouth!) so I'm quite confused!

Any other ideas where this dial tone might be coming from?

Gorgeous_George · 3 January 2007 at 6:00PM

Storm wrote:

ny other ideas where this dial tone might be coming from?

Could you, the LL or LA contact the previous tenant to ask?

GG

BTman · 3 January 2007 at 6:15PM

Storm wrote:

I made the assumption (OK, shouldn't assume) that a phone point meant that there was access to a phone line - and when I moved in & plugged in the phone I got a dial tone (though, couldn't dial anywhere obviously!)

If there is a dialtone that you can not call from it's probably a stopped line.
BT should re-connect it for free...
Dial 17070 (or 147017070 if numbers withheld) and it will tell you the circuit number.
Phone BT with that circuit number and they should be able to fire the line up from the exchange. No engineer visit means no charge.
I hope that helps, even though your attitude towards your LL does stink a bit...:D

What Should a Landlord Provide?

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