Tenant requesting discount: Boiler broken

LifeasMe

Looking for some advice. I rent my flat out and the tenants have been having issues with the boiler - intermittent hot water and heating.

The boiler has been serviced twice in 12 months (2nd time to comply with British Gas insurance plan), I have safety certificate and insurance with British Gas. Engineers have been out on 7 occasions in the past two weeks and 'fixed' it each time, only for it to break down again a few days later. I have repeatedly asked them if I should get a new boiler, to be told no.

I have always had the engineer out within 24 hours of the tenant letting me know there is a problem, calling and arranging it myself. In all but 2 of the engineer visits, it has been me that has waited in the property for the engineer.

The tenant is now asking for a reduction in rent, but I feel I have done everything I can to resolve the issue - in fact more than most landlords from what I can see.

I have already forked out a good few hundreds of pounds repairing damage that they have caused (new landlord, I didn't realise it wasn't my resposibility) including the recent purchase of a new appliance and let them off with an underpayment in rent that I didn't notice until almost a year later.

Are they entitled to a reduction in rent?

Thanks.

dimbo61

No you are acting as a good landlord.
If they are not happy they have a choice MOVE when the fixed term has ended.
As for BG service :-(
How old is the boiler ? What type ?
You can offset the cost of a replacement boiler against rental profit.
Do not become a soft touch as you are running a business which needs to make a profit

LifeasMe

Thanks for your reply, it's good to know I'm not being mean!

It's an Ariston genus 27 mffi, more than ten years old.

dimbo61

I live on a big estate and nearly every month I see a BG van arrive outside someone's house, one/two hours later a second van arrives and sometimes a third !!!!
Most households are on BG service plans and most have now had new boilers with the houses only 8/10/12 years old.
Do you know anyone who could recommend a good local gas safe engineer to get a second opinion ?
We fitted all new central heating when we refurbished our rental property with Valliant eco Tec as Which best buy.
You are signed up with BG now so keep on the case.
sometimes a tenant can be a little heavy handed with things IF they think they will get the rent reduced so are they using the central heating correctly ? Do you have the instructions? Could you find the instructions on the internet and print a copy.

19lottie82

I'd say no, because from the sounds of it, you have done everything possible and in a very timely manner. They are lucky to have a Landlord like you.

Guest101

LifeasMe wrote: »

Looking for some advice. I rent my flat out and the tenants have been having issues with the boiler - intermittent hot water and heating.

The boiler has been serviced twice in 12 months (2nd time to comply with British Gas insurance plan), I have safety certificate and insurance with British Gas. Engineers have been out on 7 occasions in the past two weeks and 'fixed' it each time, only for it to break down again a few days later. I have repeatedly asked them if I should get a new boiler, to be told no.

I have always had the engineer out within 24 hours of the tenant letting me know there is a problem, calling and arranging it myself. In all but 2 of the engineer visits, it has been me that has waited in the property for the engineer.

The tenant is now asking for a reduction in rent, but I feel I have done everything I can to resolve the issue - in fact more than most landlords from what I can see.

I have already forked out a good few hundreds of pounds repairing damage that they have caused (new landlord, I didn't realise it wasn't my resposibility) including the recent purchase of a new appliance and let them off with an underpayment in rent that I didn't notice until almost a year later.

Are they entitled to a reduction in rent?

Thanks.

The choice is yours, just to give the tenant perspective:

They have had to have 5 occassions with strangers in their home, probably concerned about possessions etc.

They are concerned that as winter sets in, their boiler keeps breaking down.

You cannot avoid repairing the boiler, sooner or later, the council would deem you property uninhabitable if it wasnt repaired (ie in the next couple months as weather gets colder)

How would YOU feel if you had to have your home boiler repaired 7 times? Would you be complaining to BG? - lets be fair most people would be.

No you dont have to give them a dicount, but a cursory discount would mean you get to keep what sounds like relatively good tenants.

3 side points:
What damage did they cause which you repaired?
How much was the rent short?
and most importantly: did you protect their deposit and provide them the prescribed information?

LifeasMe

Thanks for the replies...

I understand its important to have boiler fixed now that winter is approaching, but I can only go on the advice of the experts surely? I have also offered to get engineers out and sit in the flat myself...to be told by them don't bother, its working, then receiving angry texts late at night to say its not working

I have had independent engineers out, it seems to be a pressure detection fault and they keep replacing one part after another to determine which part is causing the issues (very basic breakdown of what I'm sure is much more technical).

It is me that has been waiting in on the engineers and the tenant is an acquintance, so not strangers.

The have broke the fridge (by not defrosting it and snapping the door off trying to open it when iced up, so then it couldn't be closed, losing freezing ability), a kitchen unit (by standing on it to put up an unauthorised fixture - one of numerous they have put on my newly plastered walls) and dislodged two pipes in the bathroom causing the sink to flood the below neighbour (no idea on that one, think they leaned against the sink). Not to mention, I also noticed while waiting on the last engineer they have broke my digibox and damaged my hardwood floors.

I also receive texts to fix TV (they were on wrong AV channel), TV remote (change of battery required), phone not working (again change of battery required).

They were £50 short on rent.

LifeasMe

...oh and as it was an acquaintence I didn't take a deposit

jbainbridge

With the best will in the world - I wouldn't consider it 'fixed' if they have been out to it 7 times every 2 or 3 days!?! For someone who is working the disruption will have been huge. It should have been resolved on the first visit - maybe on the second visit if a part needed to be ordered.

pmlindyloo

I am glad this is an acquaintance and not a friend because I think you are being a little 'soft'.

The damage you describe is unacceptable. Are these tenants rather young or just irresponsible? A battery in a TV remote? Damaging the hardwood floors?

Issue them with a notice for possession. They sound the type that are likely to stop paying the rent if you don't give them a discount (they wouldn't be in the right, by the way - you are doing all you can - but time to use a different gas engineer I think)

You do not need this hassle. The most you have to do is provide them with some heaters whilst you are getting this boiler problem sorted.

If this was a one off problem then I would agree that it would be very inconvenient but your tenants seem to be taking the p*ss with everything that has happened.

Oh, and by the way, I wouldn't be renting a house with hardwood floors. Cover them with some carpet that doesn't show the dirt when they move out.

Innys1

Consider yourself lucky OP.

On another recent post, a landlord's tenants had chosen to take time off while repairs were being done to the house, even though the landlord was there as well. They then had the gall to ask the landlord to pay for their time off work.........

I think you have done your best to have the boiler repaired and need to think about replacing it. Sounds like it's beyond saving.