Can my landlord charge me a call out fee?

RobertoMoir

prudryden wrote: »

Clutton - What happened to you? You have done a complete turn around on your attitude to tenants. You used to be "treat them with decency and they will treat you with decency". Was it that one girl who lied and took advantage of your helpfulness? If so, I can understand.

I'm not sure why charging a customer for a service is being indecent.

bellrooster

Yes it's all still all wrong!

My Landlord runs a buisness, has other properties that he rents out but he still finds time to shovel snow of my path, or pull my bin back in if he gets to it before me and he doesn't charge me a penny extra! I have a huge amount of respect for him as a person and as such its a joy to live here and to keep his house spotless.

boliston

I'm wondering if landlords legally have to be "on call" in this way.

I thought the only requirement was to provide the tenant with a UK "contact address".

A friend of mine has some BTL flats and there is one particular tenant who keeps contacting him by phone about petty things that most other tenants would probably sort out under their own steam.

prudryden

RobertoMoir wrote: »

I'm not sure why charging a customer for a service is being indecent.

There may be more to this story than we know. But, in general, if you have a good tenant, why risk upsetting him for the sake of 5 minutes of your time? He then starts delaying the rent or stops altogether. Then it could take 6 months to get him out. Or he brings in an investation of cockroaches and blames it on your building. He breeds mice in a wall cavity and claims they must have been there before he moved in.
My tenants and I have a very good relationship. I do things for them and they do things for me. That is how it should work.

Yes, I agree, by all means, charge if the relationship has already become a problem. But if things are going well, leave it and you will keep a tenant for a much longer time and not have a void.

My guess is that £20 is going to cost the LL a lot more further down the road.

prudryden

bellrooster wrote: »

Yes it's all still all wrong!

My Landlord runs a buisness, has other properties that he rents out but he still finds time to shovel snow of my path, or pull my bin back in if he gets to it before me and he doesn't charge me a penny extra! I have a huge amount of respect for him as a person and as such its a joy to live here and to keep his house spotless.

And, that is how it should be and can be, if we make the effort. For those who don't, then they deserve the consequences.

RobertoMoir

prudryden wrote: »

There may be more to this story than we know. But, in general, if you have a good tenant, why risk upsetting him for the sake of 5 minutes of your time? He then starts delaying the rent or stops altogether. Then it could take 6 months to get him out. Or he brings in an investation of cockroaches and blames it on your building. He breeds mice in a wall cavity and claims they must have been there before he moved in.
My tenants and I have a very good relationship. I do things for them and they do things for me. That is how it should work.

Yes, I agree, by all means, charge if the relationship has already become a problem. But if things are going well, leave it and you will keep a tenant for a much longer time and not have a void.

My guess is that £20 is going to cost the LL a lot more further down the road.

If you have a good LL then why risk upsetting them over expecting them to call round at the drop of a hat for nothing? He serves a section 21 notice or whatever its called and you have to find a new place to live. Could take 6 months to find a new place you _really_ like.

I bet moving house would cost more than £20, too.

Not trying to be an !!! here but it does cut both ways.

clutton_2

hello pru - you say ""Clutton - What happened to you? You have done a complete turn around on your attitude to tenants. You used to be "treat them with decency and they will treat you with decency".

i am sorry you see my views on this particular incident in this "indecent" manner... i like to think that i am still a fair minded landlord, and i do try to treat people in a balanced manner.. maybe i dont always succeed.....

but, when a young person gets so drunk that they lose their shoes, and cannot get home, and expect someone else to sort them out.. i cannot be sympathetic.... - if it was a tenant's child.. i would be moving heaven and earth to help if they were locked out and in trouble.....

i live nowhere near 90% of my tenants.... and i have NEVER had a callout for lost keys ... they all seem to take responsibility for their own actions as they know i cannot just "pop round"

actions and behaviours have consequences all through life.... and the consequence of this OP's night out was £20 and a lost pair of shoes.....


i think that the question in the subject of this thread shows that the OP seems to have no sense of responsibility for his actions, nor even a "thanks" that the landlord went out of his way to attend.. (even with a small fee) .. indeed there is a sense of "poor me - i have been exploited by wicked landlord" in it......


as i said already - i bet he does not do it again... or if he tries, then maybe the LL wont answer his phone at midnight.......

RobertoMoir

bellrooster wrote: »

Yes it's all still all wrong!

My Landlord runs a buisness, has other properties that he rents out but he still finds time to shovel snow of my path, or pull my bin back in if he gets to it before me and he doesn't charge me a penny extra! I have a huge amount of respect for him as a person and as such its a joy to live here and to keep his house spotless.

Well that's nice for both of you and long may it continue, but it isn't something you have to do for each other. There's nothing wrong with being friends with people you do business at all, don't get me wrong, but there's nothing wrong with simply sticking to professional courtesy either.

prudryden

Clutton - Tell Roberta about how quick Section 21's work, especially if your tenant decides not to pay rent while you are waiting for the court date. The tenant then gets sick and the court date gets postponed for another two months. So far, that is 4 months with no rent. And, all this, perhaps over £20.

prudryden

clutton wrote: »

hello pru - you say ""Clutton - What happened to you? You have done a complete turn around on your attitude to tenants. You used to be "treat them with decency and they will treat you with decency".

i am sorry you see my views on this particular incident in this "indecent" manner... i like to think that i am still a fair minded landlord, and i do try to treat people in a balanced manner.. maybe i dont always succeed.....

but, when a young person gets so drunk that they lose their shoes, and cannot get home, and expect someone else to sort them out.. i cannot be sympathetic.... - if it was a tenant's child.. i would be moving heaven and earth to help if they were locked out and in trouble.....

i live nowhere near 90% of my tenants.... and i have NEVER had a callout for lost keys ... they all seem to take responsibility for their own actions as they know i cannot just "pop round"

actions and behaviours have consequences all through life.... and the consequence of this OP's night out was £20 and a lost pair of shoes.....


i think that the question in the subject of this thread shows that the OP seems to have no sense of responsibility for his actions, nor even a "thanks" that the landlord went out of his way to attend.. (even with a small fee) .. indeed there is a sense of "poor me - i have been exploited by wicked landlord" in it......


as i said already - i bet he does not do it again... or if he tries, then maybe the LL wont answer his phone at midnight.......

I missed the bit about him being drunk. If that is the case, then so be it. But I have had tenants lock themselves out just taking the rubbish out. The door slipped off the door stop and closed. For me , it was no problem to go over and unlock the door for him. The next week, he looked after my dog for me without pay. So, I guess that was my £20 payoff.