Tenants asking for rent discount

pizzarelli7348

I looked at the contract and it says
"the landlord agrees with the tenant to keep in repair and proper working order all mechanical and electrical items including washing machines,dishwashers and other similar appliances belonging to the landlord as are included in the check in inventory provided that this agreement shall not be constructed as requiring the landlord to carry out any works for which the tenant is liable by virtue of his duty to use the premises and the equipment and effects in a tenant-like manner"

I did ask the letting agency who drew up the contract and they said we had to fix/replace all the broken appliances.

Lokolo

It was the tenants choice to be there when repairs were carried out and therefore I do not believe the LL should compensate them for their time.

If the LL had told the tenant to be there, then fine, but the OP idicates this isn't true.

19lottie82

quidsy wrote: »

I always ensured this is a clause in every agreement I make, to prevent slum landlords from trying to rip me off. If it is advertised for rent with white goods & I view witha certain quality of goods, then I expect like for like replacements when necessary through out the whole tenency.

That's your choice, but most tenancy agreements don't have a clause like that and most tenants don't ask for it.

quidsy wrote: »

And yes, compensation for time off. If the LL rents somewhere in june & the boiler needs replacing by Septembe then the boiler was broken down already & should have been replaced before new tenants were placed. Not the tenents fault at all.

Where did the OP say anything about the boiler needing replacing before it broke? Things break and sometimes there is nothing that can be done to prevent it.

Maybe not the tenants fault, but not the landlords either.

There is no obligation for the LL to pay for the T to take a day off work, it was their choice to stay.

If it was the tenants home (owned) and something that was under warranty, like a boiler, broke, and they had to take a day off to wait in for a repairman, would they ask the company for compo? No they wouldn't. Well, they could, but they wouldn't get it.

harrys_dad

pizzarelli7348 wrote: »

I looked at the contract and it says
"the landlord agrees with the tenant to keep in repair and proper working order all mechanical and electrical items including washing machines,dishwashers and other similar appliances belonging to the landlord as are included in the check in inventory provided that this agreement shall not be constructed as requiring the landlord to carry out any works for which the tenant is liable by virtue of his duty to use the premises and the equipment and effects in a tenant-like manner"

I did ask the letting agency who drew up the contract and they said we had to fix/replace all the broken appliances.

Not sure I would ever agree to a contract like that as a landlord. Much better to supply the items if they are in situ, but not be responsible for repairs, and accept a slightly lower rent. Did the agent discuss this with you or just suggest it was standard practice? I suppose if appliances are "built in" it might be more difficult.

pizzarelli7348

Agent did not discuss it with me, I assumed it was a standard contract.

Are you people telling me that a tenant will pay for items to be fixed if they break down or even replaced them if the property was let with appliances? What if a tenant rents for only 6 months and all appliances break down in the 6 months?

19lottie82

pizzarelli7348 wrote: »

Agent did not discuss it with me, I assumed it was a standard contract.

Are you people telling me that a tenant will pay for items to be fixed if they break down or even replaced them if the property was let with appliances? What if a tenant rents for only 6 months and all appliances break down in the 6 months?

Most standard contracts will not mentions replacing and maintaining white goods. If they don't, a landlord is under no legal obligation to repair or replace, should they break. HOWEVER the moral issue is another matter, any decent landlord will look after these items. If you don't I'm sure any tenant will be out of their property as soon as the AST is up.

DominicJ_2

If they were homeowners they wouldnt get compensated.
I'd tell them where to go.
However, if they might actualy take your advice and go, are you sure you can get an equal quality tenant in.

anselld

19lottie82 wrote: »

Most standard contracts will not mentions replacing and maintaining white goods. If they don't, a landlord is under no legal obligation to repair or replace, should they break. HOWEVER the moral issue is another matter, any decent landlord will look after these items. If you don't I'm sure any tenant will be out of their property as soon as the AST is up.

Agree.
... and if the T asks for compo every time the L does the decent thing they will probably be leaving as soon as the AST is up anyway!

persa

pizzarelli7348 wrote: »

Hi there,

got new tenants in a 2 bed flat at the beginning of june and since then several things have gone wrong.
Boiler had to be replaced, washing machine and fridge broke down ( replaced them too) and then yesterday got a text saying oven blowing out cold air ( probably heating element so going to fix that tomorrow).

Tenant has asked for rent reduction as they have had to take time off work to be there when the work has had to be carried out ( even if I have been there as well and told them their presence was not necessary) and because the fridge and washing machine are not integrated anymore but just plain white. Also the tenant complained the fridge we have bought has not enough freezer space ( he said the old one was 50% fridge and 50% freezer and this one is 70% fridge and 30% freezer).

All the repairs has taken 2 to 5 days to be carried out and same for new appliances to be delivered.

What should I tell them about rent reduction? Should I be suspicious of these tenants?

As a tenant, I don't think compensation for time off work is reasonable, unless you insisted on them being there.

A broken boiler and washing machine are hideously inconvenient - but if you sorted both within 5 days, they should suck it up, that's a decent response time.

Is this a 'normal' property or a swanky luxury pad? If your tenants are paying through the nose and the kitchen looks a bit hotchpotch now, I can see why they're annoyed. If it's just a 'normal' home, they're over fussy.

It would have been a nice gesture though (unprompted) to apologise for the inconvenience at the time and maybe leave a bottle of wine in the kitchen after having it fixed. Given they've complained, the moment for gestures has passed. A polite email saying you sympathise but no, and reminding them to report faults as soon as discovered so you can continue to react quickly and minimise disruption is probably the way to go.

Guest101

Lokolo wrote: »

It was the tenants choice to be there when repairs were carried out and therefore I do not believe the LL should compensate them for their time.

If the LL had told the tenant to be there, then fine, but the OP idicates this isn't true.

Would you let a tenant be in your house when work was carried out, and you be out?