Urgent advice please! Problem with tenant!

dizziblonde

If it's an emergency you can override quiet enjoyment and enter without the 24 hours notice. I can understand the dogs thing - my cat would either go hide somewhere completely inappropriate, or try to convince you she's a crippled kitty in need of cuddles depending on if she liked you or not - but still, what kind of numpty is going to want an ongoing leak wrecking the place they have to live in?! I speak as someone who rang our landlord the second they spotted water dripping from a hole in our water tank so his house DIDN'T get wrecked! Still waiting for him to put 100% right the water damage 4 months later but that's another story because HE dragged his feet on fixing stuff.

Why do people want to trash somewhere they're stuck for another 4 months or so? The logic defies me. I do however understand the feeling of not wanting someone there when you're not - but even in a job where it's hard to take the odd hour out of work, I'd do that if my flipping floor was lifting!

Trollfever

Why do people want to trash somewhere they're stuck for another 4 months or so? The logic defies me.

The tenant now has an excuse for using their LHA for their own benefit.

mchale

clutton wrote: »

i think this could be seen as harrassment....

if OP enters the property then she can see for herself the size of the emergency... and with a witness she will be covered in case tenant kicks off......

hope OP remembered to take photos

I would call this minimizing damage/common sense, you being a LL yourself should know some tenants don't give a damn about anything unless it actually affects their own environment, the OP's tenant would soon make contact and water could be back on in minutes and OP would be able to have a look at cause of leak whilst there

clutton_2

Trollfever .... ""The tenant now has an excuse for using their LHA for their own benefit. "

using LHA Local Housing allowance IS for the tenant's benefit.......




mchale..... what i meant re harrassment was.... if the LL turns off the water and does NOT make sure the tenant knows how to turn it on again for short perids, that could be seen as harrassment......

pimento

Why not just give the tenant the plumber's number and tell her to arrange a convenient time herself?

mchale

clutton wrote: »

mchale..... what i meant re harrassment was.... if the LL turns off the water and does NOT make sure the tenant knows how to turn it on again for short perids, that could be seen as harrassment......

Not if you leave a contact number & explaination, like most things in life, problems only arise through poor communication

bitsandpieces

If the tenant turned off the water at the stopcock and therefore stopped the leak, then would they have a better argument to refuse access - no longer an emergency? Although who would want to live without water when they could avoid it I don't know.

g_attrill

bitsandpieces wrote: »

If the tenant turned off the water at the stopcock and therefore stopped the leak, then would they have a better argument to refuse access - no longer an emergency? Although who would want to live without water when they could avoid it I don't know.

Depending on the leak, water could still escape from the pipework or the roof tank for a long time, so if it was me I would want to make sure that anything that needed to be drained was done so, and there were towels/buckets in place to catch whatever is left.

Personally I would also pick up a load of bottled water from the supermarket for the tenant so they wouldn't have any complaints about water for drinking/cooking.

tbs624

MadnessOfHPC wrote: »

Agreed. However I go for 6 months statements because at the very least I'll keep the tenant in for 6 months so want to know they can at least manage 6 months finance.

Are you also willing to show the T your own bank statements so that they can see that you are likely to pay your mortgage on time and not disappear with their tenancy deposit?

tbs624

far2812 wrote: »

Hi All - need some urgent advice please.

My tenant rang to tell me that there is a leak in the kitchen, I have called a plumber and the only time he can come for me is tomorrow morning at 8.30am.

I called my tenant to ask her if she would be home and if not, if ok with her for me to let myself in!

Stupidly I allowed her 2 dogs in the property and she has left me a really sh**ty message saying that "it is not my problem that there is a leak - and you MUST arrange a time to suit me! I dont want you in my home without me being there as I don't know how the dogs will behave so sort it out"

Firstly I am so sick of the way she speaks to me - I want the plumber in there to sort the leak!

Any advice please?

Have you given your tenant clear advice on how to temporarily turn off the water herself if there is going to be a delay in her giving access to the plumber? (many LLs give their T a file with this sort of info for emergencies)

If you want to avoid tenant harassment charges have a chat with the local Council's Tenancy Relations Officer(private sector housing) *before* you enter/turn off water yourself.

Don't make the mistake of being drawn into confrontations with this T - hard though it is you need to remain calm and be seen to act correctly, even if she is not doing so ( that does mean that you have to feel "bullied" by the T)

I note that you have acted pretty quickly in getting a plumber round in less than 24 hours after the Ts notification but are you sure that your own communication style is faultless? Do you for, example, thank the T for bringing a repairs/maint issue to your attention?

I agree with the others that if you are wanting to serve notice on this T you should probably do it as late as is legally possible to limit the time available for playing silly b's with the rent and/or damaging the property. Remember that a s21 notice can only be validly served once you have scheme registered the tenancy deposit (Eng/Wales) and that it is only a Notice of your Intent to repossess the property. The T *can* sit tight until a court order for her eviction is made.