how to approach landlord suspected of using our electric...

Ms_Chocaholic

I bet she doesn't pay Council Tax on the storage (living) part either.

TheGardener

If your LL had nicked 50 quid out of your purse while you were getting the wine out of the fridge every time she came round - would you have been so pleasant? Would she have been so pleasant if as a tenant, you'd fiddled her meter? This was theft and I have no doubt she would have phoned the police if you had been stealing £50 a month of her.

I would insist on a billed meter - not a sub meter. The communal lights and the question of building/fire regs and council tax are also valid points? This might also have had serious insurance consequences for you if there had been a fire.

I appreciate that you don't want a revenge eviction situation but her behaviour has been at best unprofessional and at worst criminal. I guess all you can do is resolve it to your satisfaction but I would want a full and reasonable settlement asap and no faffing about with sub meters - you cannot trust her to be honest. What's the betting she'll whip the sub meter out when you leave and the new tenant will be in the same position.

m0bov

Call the Police!

Mr.Generous

Council tax is a really good point, her unoccupied second home would be an expensive luxury if she paid utilities and council tax. Both have been covered by tenants up to now.

She MUST have known she wasn't getting an electricity bill, and to be honest the electrician who did the wiring would have explained to her that property A will be footing the bill for this area you are having on this feed...

As to the whole rent vs buy debate its blindingly obvious there are advantages to both choices. For most the satisfaction and security of being the owner wins against the flexibility and fixed costs of renting.

Got to move with work next month? Oh well give my notice v's house up for sale and months of grief. Boiler gone boom, roof leaking, or subsidence? Shucks never mind, I'll move on.

I would generally advise buying, its my preference but I can see it wouldn't suit everyone. Two sides to every story.

Except this one, landlord has behaved appallingly. I'd be tempted to with hold rent - she has already had your money paying her bills!

TheGardener

...so, are you on a water meter too...?

Sadie23

TheGardener wrote: »

...so, are you on a water meter too...?

Yes! but I'm not too fussed about that because she is rarely there really, and we have had our DD reduced with credit of about £100 refunded. The electricity is the issue because its going constantly... and costing me an arm and a leg!

Sadie23

Ms_Chocaholic wrote: »

I bet she doesn't pay Council Tax on the storage (living) part either.

no and we pay £169pm

G_M

Good grief - why is everyone so negative? Get with the positive vibes guys!

Tenant had problem.
Tenant raised problem with landlord.
Landlord acknowledged problem.
Landlord agreed to resolve problem.

All that remaons is to agree a resolution that is satisfactory to both parties, and based on the LL's response so far that should be forthcoming.

TheGardener

G_M wrote: »

Good grief - why is everyone so negative? Get with the positive vibes guys!

Tenant catches thief red handed
Tenant now knows LL is untrustworthy
Tenant has not got the cash back yet
Thief gets away with it and is free to do it again to next tenant
Everyone has a glass of wine... :rotfl:

moneyistooshorttomention

Or another cynical take - LL is only being co-operative in order not to be reported to the police for her thieving.

.....and...yep....I think OP needs to keep an eye on exactly what happens re the meters from the pov of preventing the LL swopping back to thieving again in between tenants. From which - another poor tenant would have to go throw this too ....and so on.