Tenant has broken the bath

boyse7en

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

How easy or difficult is it to "fall over and crack the bath?" I've never heard of such a thing.

God knows! They didn't say and, with a view to keeping the relationship between us professional, I didn't pry.

also most insurance companies will only pay to replace the damaged item - not the set. My beloved fell through our shower tray which was a delightful shade of 1980's pink but they would only replace that not the entire suite to match

That's understandable, but I expect that the cost of a cheap white suite would be cheaper than trying to source a matching bath.

You did tell the insurer that the property was being let to tenants I suppose?

Is this a proper commercial letting with a deposit?

Of course! The house has been let out for about ten years now, always with a BTL mortgage, always with BTL insurance. There is a deposit retained from them, but I wouldn't want to use that, as if I spend that, then I won't have a deposit for when they leave, should it be necessary.

jc808

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

How easy or difficult is it to "fall over and crack the bath?" I've never heard of such a thing.

Indeed - I smell BS

G_M

1) insurance. Unlikely to be covered by buildings unless you have accidental damage option, and it is landlords insurance not normal domestic.
2) if it is covered, it will affect future premiums - the claim will stay on your insurance record for years
3) legally, if the tenant caused the damage, you can claim off them, even if insurance is valid. You might prefer to keep you no claims record
4) You cannot claim 'betterment'. So as the bath is (at least) 5 years old, you cannot make the tenant pay for the full cost - only for the installation cost + a % of the bath cost based on how long the bath could reasonably have been expected to last
5) you may prefer to NOT claim off the tenant in order to keep the tenant happy. A good tenant is worth their weight in gold. An agreived tenant can become a nightmare. So it depends how much you value this tenant....

Callie22

[Deleted User] wrote:

Edit: your tenants should have their own insurance, so get that checked as well.

But only contents insurance - I'm not sure but mine wouldn't cover a bath, as that's a 'fitting'.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

as they've been renting for five years now, would it not be a good idea for a refurb of the toilet, with a token contribution from them?

princeofpounds

It's fairly easy to crack a bath actually, if not that common. Particularly if the bath has not been properly supported underneath and/or is made from cheaper materials. It's quite possible the tenant was doing something not sensible though, but not necessarily the case.

That's why you get bath crack repair kits.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=bath+crack+repairs&meta=&rlz=#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=bath+crack+repair&pbx=1&oq=bath+crack+repair&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=5427l5427l0l5664l1l1l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=af889145c41a6ec4&biw=1114&bih=606

Legally speaking you are probably entitled to the depreciated cost of the bath if it can't be repaired. I have no idea but I'd guess that's around 10yrs, so about half.

I'd make that clear, in a non-confrontational way, but you may not wish to actually charge them, or charge a reduced amount, if it's a one-off, they pay a decent rent etc. 5yrs of steady renting is something worth investing a little goodwill in.

Scotchnan

Put white bath in.
You can still use a non matching bathroom suite.

brightonman123

let em stink!

Ulfar

It is quite easy to crack a plastic bath, I have done it. I had a shaving mirror stuck to the tiles that fell off, it went straight through.

I have also heard of other people cracking baths as they have a shower over the bath, not all baths are strong enough for people to stand in especially if like me you are large.

I now have an enamel metal bath, if I drop something in it the worst that could happen is chipped enamel which can be fixed.

Hump

Standard building insurance policies usually cover accidental damage to fixed sanitary ware including baths (without needing the accidental cover sold as an addition of most policies).