Landlady demanding a brand new door, what are my rights?

clutton_2

""Originally Posted by LL
I am sorry but I am not happy with having a dog flat installed in to the current door, but if the tenants wish to get a different door and have that installed then this would be fine, but I would want the current door stored in the garage at home.
Also if there is any damage done to the current door why it is in storage then the tenants will have to have this replace or repaired.""



Reading this, as a LL, it seems quite clear... your LL does not want you intefering with her door in any way.... she wanted you to buy yourself a new door, take a panel out of your door for your dog, then replace her door when you leave.

If i was your landlord i would be furious at what you had done .

pimento

Tell her you have managed to find an identical door and have installed it at no cost to the landlady. Then put the new panel in.

Let her prove it isn't a replacement door.

silk_2

pimento wrote: »

Tell her you have managed to find an identical door and have installed it at no cost to the landlady. Then put the new panel in.

Let her prove it isn't a replacement door.

Yeah there's always that but I'd rather we settle things more amicably.

clutton wrote: »

If I was your landlord I would be furious at what you had done .

If you'd heard nothing about it then yeah, but I communicated everything throughout!! If you hadn't heard due to the EA then that is simply not my fault.

You do realise that we could have done this without saying a word to anyone, swapped the panels when we moved out and noone would be any the wiser? Attitudes like yours are why other tennants out there might not delclare things like this and "just do it". At the end of the day we want to live comfortably too, and in my case I have done nothing, NOTHING that isn't completely reversible, at my OWN COST.

Also When did anyone say no to swapping panels?

silk_2

Update: thanks to sonastins frankly brilliant idea (it's why these forums are so valuable, people say things you would never think of! much love.) I now have the fitter who is not only on my side but absolutely incredulous that the LL is asking for a new door.

It was on his advice I went down the panel route.

He does tennancy flap installs all the time on UPVC doors and simply put this is the way it's done. It doesn't damage the door, it doesn't affect structural integrity, and it doesn't affect the double glaze. In fact on a DG door the panels are put in afterwards anyway! Changing the whole door is a far more dangerous and costly approach and serves no purpose or benefit.

He was proper ranting (in a good way) on the phone and he is going to email me to prove the door isn't damaged in any way and that it's fully guaranteed. I will then pass this on to the EA/LL.

Again, I did try to inform the LL of all this beforehand via the EA but I feel some things have been lost in translation.

Here is my email to the EA. Wish me luck that this all goes well.

I've been in touch with the original fitter who was actually quite incredulous at the whole situation.

He does tenannt flap installs all the time and he will be in touch soon to verify that this install is completely guaranteed, and that in his business you would never remove the whole door when you can just swap a panel; and that swapping a panel is the best move when it comes to tennancies as it is easilly reversible. It was under his expert advice I did the panel swap in the first place.

He will also verify that swapping panels in no way changes the structural integrity of the door or double glaze, which I am guessing is the LL's main concern.

I will forward this on to you when he contacts me, or he may contact you directly (I'm not sure).

In the meantime here are the pictures of the door as it is now, with the flap installed onto the old panel. As a gesture of good will we kept the new panel to one side, to install when we leave, actually giving the LL a door which should be in better condition than when we arrived. It has also been properly colour matched as one of these pictures shows.

From speaking to yourself and the fitter I expect that this should come to an amicable solution shortly. I will still uphold my end of the deal and pay for a full door replacement should anything happen to it, but the fact is nothing has happened to it, nor will anything.

GDB2222

Next time get yourself a new panel, have the dog flap put in that, then swap back the original afterwards. But I agree with Clutton. I would never have agreed to my door being interfered with at all.

silk_2

GDB2222 wrote: »

Next time get yourself a new panel, have the dog flap put in that, then swap back the original afterwards. But I agree with Clutton. I would never have agreed to my door being interfered with at all.

Which is understandable, and I was expecting and prepared for an outright NO from the LL in which case none of this would ever have gone ahead!!

It's not like she said no to the whole idea then we went and did it, is it? If we had, THEN you'd have a legit point.

We were fully prepared to swap the whole door out, but then the professional, you know, the guy who actually knows his stuff because he fits UPVC for a living, made it quite clear that NO this isn't how you do it, you simply swap the panels. It made a lot more sense and I passed that info on.

As for keeping the new panel for her, that was only for her benefit. Surely you can see that? What purpose does it serve us to do it this way? We were actually thinking as a thanks, give her the newer one.

Here's a pic of them on top of each other. I paid specifically for the RIGHT panel. I do care that she doesn't lose out on this, I am a LL myself!!

dancingfairy

Hi - there does appear (hopefully) to have been a misunderstanding somewhere and hopefully you can sort things out.
What I would say is maybe you need to be a little more professional in your emails about your landlady. I can understand your frustration at playing chinese whispers but the last email does sound a bit like you are saying the landlord is stupid (ie the fitter was incredulus, the fitter knows best etc) which when things are perhaps already a little bit tense might inflame the situation.
I know it was to the letting agents but you never know they might be forwarding stuff on to her so maybe trying to keep it factual/less emotional might be better.
Anyway best of luck getting it sorted and I hope you can reach a situation where everybody is happy.
df

silk_2

dancingfairy wrote: »

Hi - there does appear (hopefully) to have been a misunderstanding somewhere and hopefully you can sort things out.
What I would say is maybe you need to be a little more professional in your emails about your landlady. I can understand your frustration at playing chinese whispers but the last email does sound a bit like you are saying the landlord is stupid (ie the fitter was incredulus, the fitter knows best etc) which when things are perhaps already a little bit tense might inflame the situation.
I know it was to the letting agents but you never know they might be forwarding stuff on to her so maybe trying to keep it factual/less emotional might be better.
Anyway best of luck getting it sorted and I hope you can reach a situation where everybody is happy.
df

It's a good point and if I were speaking directly to the LL I'd be more cautious! That mail is to the EA.

but the EA always translates and says what they want anyway.

[Deleted User]

I had a cat flap fitted in my back door's lower panel a few years ago.

After my cat died, I had it taken out and replaced with a new panel (it's my house btw). It was a simple job to do. Security is not affected in any way and the door looks just like it did before the flap went in.

At the time, I had no idea this was an option. I would have bought a new door, if it wasn't for the fitter telling me that it wasn't necessary and that I could just replace the panel. I suspect that your LL doesn't know that either?

Either that or they want to get a new door out of you.

neas

how can a tenant believe its ok to modify a part of house a major part too... without permission and then believe they in right. she gave u a solution... she did not want door tampering wity.

it does not matter if it would cause no damage, she said no. she gave u an alternative and u ignored it as it was too expensive.

seriously...?

from emails she was clear... u kept chasing it as it wasnt answer h wanted them wemt ahead either way. so what if fitter is on ire side... obviously he on ure side ure his customer.

also if u have fitted flap into old door panel then there no way new panel will match.... which imonis very unfair to landlord as when u leave its a door with an obviously diff panel...