Advice Please

Miss_Poohs

Tell me what you think.

The scenario......

My tenants have been with me just over a year - nice young family, rent always paid on time, no problems.

They supplied their own furniture, cooker and washing machine when they moved in, that was what they wanted.

Their cooker broke, so they bought a new one, unfortunately when they tried to fit the new cooker there was a burning from the wiring, so they disconnected straightaway and called me.

I an electrician look at the prob but he couldn't take on the job due to other work commitments, the second guy didn't bother turning up, so we have a tried and trusted electrician coming out tomorrow hopefully to get us back on track.

Now my dilemma....

Was their old cooker faulty, or was it the wiring to the cooker that's caused the problem?

They have been without a cooker for the best part of a week, very in convenient with a young family.

Would it be the done thing for me to offer some return of rent for the hassle and expense they've had, or isn't that the done thing?

sandsni

Wait until you hear what your electrician has to say. It's a hassle for the tenants not to have a cooker, but THEY provided it in the first place, not you. Did they use an electrician to fit the old and new cookers or did they DIY-it?

If it turns out that it was the tenants who caused the problem in the first place then you shouldn't have to pay for their mistake AND give them money back for your trouble! But if it was faulty electrics in your house that caused the problem, then by all means give them a small sum to compensate.

If the other sockets in the kitchen are working I'm sure they could manage with a combi microwave/grill or whatever other gadgets they have for a few days, even with a young family.

Miss_Poohs

I've had the relevant leckie and gas safety checks, which I'm relieved about. They did connect their own cooker themselves, so I guess you're right wait and see what the electrician says tomorrow.

Thanks

dominoman

Most likely the problem was with the wiring rather than their old cooker, as it would have been wired to a cooker fuse.

But unless they ask for a return of rent I don't think you should feel obliged. It sounds like you have tried to get it fixed as soon as possible. They are lucky to have a caring landlord.

sandsni

dominoman wrote: »

Most likely the problem was with the wiring rather than their old cooker, as it would have been wired to a cooker fuse. QUOTE]

If that was the case then their (presumably previously working) cooker would have cut out or thrown the trip and they would most likely have informed the LL that there was a problem with the electrics (or do you mean a problem with how they originally wired/installed the old cooker). Unless, of course, they mistook a problem with the electrics for a broken cooker and went out and bought a whole new one . But I would imagine that's an unlikely scenario.

Definitely better to wait and see what a qualified electrician makes of it.

Mozzanov

sandsni wrote: »

If that was the case then their (presumably previously working) cooker would have cut out or thrown the trip and they would most likely have informed the LL that there was a problem with the electrics (or do you mean a problem with how they originally wired/installed the old cooker).

It's not out of the realms of possibility that the electrics can suddenly fail. When I recently moved into a flat, the washing machine at the dedicated socket was working fine on the first use, but then it stopped during the second one. Confirmed the fuses were fine (both for the dedicated socket and washing machine). Tested another item there, didn't work (a lamp - light momentarily flashed on and then went off). Checked the voltage coming through - about three volts. Was it caused by the washing machine? No. Faulty wiring at the socket, according to (and repaired by) a qualified sparky, and not influenced by any device in use at it. (And this was in a building built only a few years old.)

sandsni

Mozzanov wrote: »

It's not out of the realms of possibility that the electrics can suddenly fail. When I recently moved into a flat, the washing machine at the dedicated socket was working fine on the first use, but then it stopped during the second one. Confirmed the fuses were fine (both for the dedicated socket and washing machine). Tested another item there, didn't work (a lamp - light momentarily flashed on and then went off). Checked the voltage coming through - about three volts. Was it caused by the washing machine? No. Faulty wiring at the socket, according to (and repaired by) a qualified sparky, and not influenced by any device in use at it. (And this was in a building built only a few years old.)

I agree that electrics can suddenly fail, but would it not be quite a coincidence if the wiring failed at exactly the point (in time) where the tenants were trying to install a new cooker after working perfectly with the previous cooker? Unless the new cooker was attempting to draw a larger current through the wiring and the existing electrics couldn't handle it. I'm not an electrician which is why I suggested it would be better to see what a professional had to say before the OP started worrying about rent rebates for the tenants.