Letting our house - compensation for heating breakdown?

grainmum

Hi,

We are letting a house, via a letting agent. On Thursday we had a call from the agent to say that the tennants had no heating/hot water. The agent had sent round an engineer who identified a fault, and gave us a price for the repair. We told them on Thursday to go ahead with the repair. The engineer left the heating working as long as it was left on and not turned up.

The tennants decided to switch the heating off overnight at the weekend, it then wouldn't go back on. They have used an electric heater over the weekend. The engineer visited the property today (Monday) to repair the system (part had just become available) but tennant was unable to grant access due to sleeping child. Tennant is now unhappy at time taken for repair and shouting at letting agent, complaining and requesting compensation.

Any advice on where we stand? Should we offer something as a good-will gesture, or would that be incriminating?

(Heating previously regularly serviced and little problems, frustratingly this is the 3rd repair since the property was let 3 months ago).

Thanks!

chris_m

So the fault was reported on Thursday, engineer attended on Thursday and made a temporary fix whilst awaiting for a part. Tenant ignored his instructions, thereby breaking the temporary fix, refused to allow him on on Monday to do the permanent repair and now they are shouting because it hasn't been fixed?

You've done the best you can, probably the best anyone could. I don't think they are living in the real world - although you might prefer to be a little more tactful ;-)

phill99

It s about being reasonable.

Given the timescale involved, I think ou have acted exceedingly reasonably, and have acted very promptly.

O think the tenant is acting very unreasonably and is in no position to ask for compensation.

G_M

Seems like a swift, efficient resolution.

Tenant was not left in the cold as they had alternative heating.

Write a calm, friendly letter, explaining that that you took immediate action, your engineer fixed the problem as soon as the required part was available (except for the delay imposed by the tenant on Monday) and that the tenant had alternative heating in the meantime.

You could also diplomatically point out the tenant did not follow the engineer's recommedation to leave the heating on.

Say you are of course sorry the tenant has had this brief inconvenience, but do not feel in the circumstances that any other action could have been taken or should be now taken.

grainmum

Thanks for the replies, it's nice to have what we were thinking confirmed. Looking at it in black and white, it's hard to say that 2/3 working days to repair a fault is unreasonable.

jimjames

grainmum wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, it's nice to have what we were thinking confirmed. Looking at it in black and white, it's hard to say that 2/3 working days to repair a fault is unreasonable.

Absolutely. And if it was really that desperate to have heating the sleeping child would not have stopped them allowing engineer in which would have fixed it sooner. Or maybe I just have different priorities.

theartfullodger

grainmum wrote: »

....... say that the tennants had no heating/hot water. ....
The tennants decided to .... but tennant .... Tennant is now unhappy at time taken for repair and shouting at letting agent, ...
...

Call me old-fashioned but whenever I see a landlord who can't even spell "tenant" (4 times!!) I do, I'm sure entirely unfairly & incorrectly, wonder if they have a clue about what the responsibilities & legalities are...

Cheers!!!

grainmum

Oops! A misconception on my part, and I stand corrected.:o

We are not experienced landlords - we have let our house due to having to relocate and being unable to sell it, but the letting agency are providing guidance. As others have said I understand our reponsibility is to arrange repair in a reasonable time, and I don't think we have caused delays at any stage.

G_M

grainmum wrote: »

Oops! A misconception on my part, and I stand corrected.:o

Not sure I follow. What is your misconception..?

grainmum

My misconception was with the spelling of "tenant" - not just a mistake (demonstrated by the fact that I repeated it 4 times) but deep-rooted wrong knowledge!:o

grainmum

Does anyone have any experience of an annual Landlord Boiler policy, such as that available through British Gas for example?