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landlord's chosen contractors. my rights?
rockabilly_spike
Posts: 236 Forumite
hello
we are renting a property in our home town, been in just over 1 yr now and have recently renewed our lease for another 12 months. happy with the price and property tho there is a few niggles that we've asked landlords to sort out.
problem is that the landlords are now only based in London (we're in tyne & wear), they closed all of their regional offices about 3 months after we moved in and everything is relayed to their london office.
Anyway, we had a surprise visit on monday morning from asian 2 men in tracksuits, who got out of a mercedes car and banged on the door just as my gf was leaving for work (i was already at work).
they said the name of our landlord agency and had a list of the things we had told the landlords needed doing.
when my gf tried to explain that we'd had no call/email or letter from landlords to say they were sending anyone round and that she was going to work so they couldn't come in, they looked blankly at her and one said "English not good"
she told me and I was furious so emailed the agency from work.
later on that day I had a phone call from them in london saying they were sorry and that they were sure they had arranged it with us and the girl i spoke to said she'd made so many phone calls that day, she was sorry we hadn't been one of them.
i said it was unacceptable that they just spring a visit on us and she said how sorry and embarrassed she was. she arranged for them to return on thursday which is my next day off where i'll be at home.
today at 9.30 they turned up again!
i'd just nipped to the shops at the end of our street and when i came back i see 2 asian men wearing tracksuits and baseball caps getting back in a silver merc and one of them making a phone call.
as i approached the house and let myself in, neither of them got out of the car to speak to me.
my gf who was in the middle of getting dressed had answered the door with the chain on and told them again that they were supposed to come back thursday not today.
one of them said "broken bath?" and she told them to go away.
once again i was furious, tried to call agency and it just rang. so fired off a very angry email saying that these 2 guys barely speak english, showed no ID and seem to be working out of a mercedes car!
i said how am i supposed to explain what work needs doing when they couldnt understand my gf telling them she was going to work and they couldnt come in!!
i also said that if they turned up on thursday with no ID from the company they work for then I will not let them in.
I asked how they would feel if 2 men in tracksuits and baseballs caps got out of a posh car and banged on the door of their house and when you asked what they wanted, they could barely explain!
would you let them in?
no, you'd probably take the reg no. and call the police.
I have acknowledged that the agency are trying to resolve what small problems we have but am i within my rights to deny these 'contractors' as she called them, access if they don't provide me with ID?
previously when the local office was still open, we'd had an issue with our boiler, the local office contacted me and told me which company would be sending round a gas engineer, at what time and to check his ID.
These 2 guys, I don't know who they are, they barely seem to be able to communicate and showed no ID.
I very much doubt they have any!
what are my rights here.
can I tell the agency not to send these clowns round again?
can I insist on seeing ID. theres work (not a lot) that needs doing in the bathroom to the bath and toilet, I want these guys to be proper plumbers!
I have told the agency in my email that if they turn up on thursday with no ID i will not let them in.
am I doing the right thing, i don't want strangers in my house if they can't prove they are qualified to do the work that needs doing.
my father in law was a plumber/gas fitter, but the poor soul passed away from cancer age 61 in january this year. times like this, i wish he was here to sort the work out!
we are renting a property in our home town, been in just over 1 yr now and have recently renewed our lease for another 12 months. happy with the price and property tho there is a few niggles that we've asked landlords to sort out.
problem is that the landlords are now only based in London (we're in tyne & wear), they closed all of their regional offices about 3 months after we moved in and everything is relayed to their london office.
Anyway, we had a surprise visit on monday morning from asian 2 men in tracksuits, who got out of a mercedes car and banged on the door just as my gf was leaving for work (i was already at work).
they said the name of our landlord agency and had a list of the things we had told the landlords needed doing.
when my gf tried to explain that we'd had no call/email or letter from landlords to say they were sending anyone round and that she was going to work so they couldn't come in, they looked blankly at her and one said "English not good"
she told me and I was furious so emailed the agency from work.
later on that day I had a phone call from them in london saying they were sorry and that they were sure they had arranged it with us and the girl i spoke to said she'd made so many phone calls that day, she was sorry we hadn't been one of them.
i said it was unacceptable that they just spring a visit on us and she said how sorry and embarrassed she was. she arranged for them to return on thursday which is my next day off where i'll be at home.
today at 9.30 they turned up again!
i'd just nipped to the shops at the end of our street and when i came back i see 2 asian men wearing tracksuits and baseball caps getting back in a silver merc and one of them making a phone call.
as i approached the house and let myself in, neither of them got out of the car to speak to me.
my gf who was in the middle of getting dressed had answered the door with the chain on and told them again that they were supposed to come back thursday not today.
one of them said "broken bath?" and she told them to go away.
once again i was furious, tried to call agency and it just rang. so fired off a very angry email saying that these 2 guys barely speak english, showed no ID and seem to be working out of a mercedes car!
i said how am i supposed to explain what work needs doing when they couldnt understand my gf telling them she was going to work and they couldnt come in!!
i also said that if they turned up on thursday with no ID from the company they work for then I will not let them in.
I asked how they would feel if 2 men in tracksuits and baseballs caps got out of a posh car and banged on the door of their house and when you asked what they wanted, they could barely explain!
would you let them in?
no, you'd probably take the reg no. and call the police.
I have acknowledged that the agency are trying to resolve what small problems we have but am i within my rights to deny these 'contractors' as she called them, access if they don't provide me with ID?
previously when the local office was still open, we'd had an issue with our boiler, the local office contacted me and told me which company would be sending round a gas engineer, at what time and to check his ID.
These 2 guys, I don't know who they are, they barely seem to be able to communicate and showed no ID.
I very much doubt they have any!
what are my rights here.
can I tell the agency not to send these clowns round again?
can I insist on seeing ID. theres work (not a lot) that needs doing in the bathroom to the bath and toilet, I want these guys to be proper plumbers!
I have told the agency in my email that if they turn up on thursday with no ID i will not let them in.
am I doing the right thing, i don't want strangers in my house if they can't prove they are qualified to do the work that needs doing.
my father in law was a plumber/gas fitter, but the poor soul passed away from cancer age 61 in january this year. times like this, i wish he was here to sort the work out!
:: No Unauthorised Links in Signatures please - FM ::
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Comments
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what has them being Asian got anything to do with it?
or their choice of car, come to that?0 -
Cant help but feel you are over reacting here
You called your agency about some repairs, agent acknowledged issues and contacted a local contractor to fix the issue, local contractor turned up - Most people who rent (and post here) would love a response like that
Not sure what the issue with ID is, a lot of plumbers are self employed
Rather than getting would up by what seems like a very minor issue why not take a contact number or card from the plumbers and arrange a suitable time yourself?0 -
You'd be mad to let them anywhere near the house without evidence of their ID. Reputable workmen don't wear tracksuits and baseball caps or drive Mercedes to work or fail to speak English. I don't know the legality of letting in personnel assigned by the agency but clearly you need to see proof that these people are who they say they are. I'd also demand current CRB checks.0
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You'd be mad to let them anywhere near the house without evidence of their ID. Reputable workmen don't wear tracksuits and baseball caps or drive Mercedes to work or fail to speak English. I don't know the legality of letting in personnel assigned by the agency but clearly you need to see proof that these people are who they say they are. I'd also demand current CRB checks.
Reputable workmen don't wear tracksuits, baseball caps or drive Mercedes? Really don't know where to start with that one.
Would you seriously demand ID and a CRB check from someone who is doing small jobs in a house you rent?
Have no idea why the OP feels it necessary to mention that the men are Asian.0 -
Reputable workmen don't wear tracksuits, baseball caps or drive Mercedes? Really don't know where to start with that one.
I'm sure you don't. No, reputable workmen don't dress like this when undertaking work.Would you seriously demand ID and a CRB check from someone who is doing small jobs in a house you rent?
Yes I would, if I had any suspicions about their authenticity. Didn't you glean that from my post? If you're stupid enough to let two dodgy characters into your home without ID then that's your lookout.0 -
You'd be mad to let them anywhere near the house without evidence of their ID. Reputable workmen don't wear tracksuits and baseball caps or drive Mercedes to work or fail to speak English. I don't know the legality of letting in personnel assigned by the agency but clearly you need to see proof that these people are who they say they are. I'd also demand current CRB checks.
LOL, a CRB check for someone fixing a leaking tap
They are workmen coming round to fix a small problem, who cares what nationality they are, what car they drive (my plumber has a jag btw) or how proficient their English is
Schedule a visit with the plumbers directly, point out what the issue is and check the work afterwards. If you arent satisfied with the work then contact the agent directly with evidence of the substandard work0 -
I personally think that whether or not you think these guys are upstanding or not is not the thing thats actually in question here...
It seems that you have made a phonecall to the agency who confirm they are who has been contracted to do the repairs on the property and therefore you must accept that....
they are the work men and must be allowed the entry to the property to carry out the work deemed needed.
By not allowing them in just because you dont like the look of them/their clothes or feel their mode of transprt is not suited to their profession is not something to take issue with...frugal October...£41.82 of £40 food shopping spend for the 2 of us!
2017 toiletries challenge 179 out 145 in ...£18.64 spend0 -
I'm sure you don't. No, reputable workmen don't dress like this when undertaking work.
Yes I would, if I had any suspicions about their authenticity. Didn't you glean that from my post? If you're stupid enough to let two dodgy characters into your home without ID then that's your lookout.
Your first point is utter nonsense - workmen often dress in tracksuits while working, and them driving a mercedes is irrelevant.
Workmen do not have CRB (or DBS as it is now called in England) checks, and it is ludicrous to suggest that they should. If I was told to expect workmen, and workmen turned up at the door then I would let them in. If I was paranoid (or perhaps prejudiced as the OP does appear to be) then I'd phone the letting agency. Panic over, drama averted.0 -
19lottie82 wrote: »what has them being Asian got anything to do with it?
or their choice of car, come to that?
I dont think the OP is being at all racist, more highlighting that they don't speak or understand the language, which he did clearly state 3 times.
An unmarked mercedes car is ot what one would expect a plumber to turn up in, again, i would not think it was a plumber if it was my house.
OP: YEs you have a right to not let them in. I think you've handled this pretty well so far.
As far as insisting on contractors, no unfortunetly you cannot insist they use a different firm, unless you are prepared to pay the difference. The LL is entitled to seek the best deal.
However in light of all that has happened, I do think the agency should rectify the problem by hiring a reputable firm.
I would see what they reply with before taking any further action.0 -
Blimey, I thought your inital response was ironic and amusing, seems you were serious?Yes I would, if I had any suspicions about their authenticity. Didn't you glean that from my post? If you're stupid enough to let two dodgy characters into your home without ID then that's your lookout.
in that case insist on seeing their passports to check they are not illegal immigrants working in the (to be PC) grey economy0
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