New Landord Question

MissPennySave

Hi All, we have just purchased out first buy to let property and the tenant moved in earlier this month.  It is being managed by our local estate agents and just after they moved in we had a bill of £65 for an electrician because the oven wasn't working, which we paid.  We have just received a copy of the invoice and the issue with the oven was because they hadn't turned the oven switch on at the mains so there was no fault with the oven.  Obviously if this is down to us to pay that's fine, but I  just wondered if anyone could clarify if this is our cost or whether the tenant should in fact pay?  Any help appreciated.  Thanks!

caprikid1

Suck it up as a goodwill gesture.

No doubt certain individuals will shortly arrive and offer a lecture on what being a landlord entails for the pedestal !.

theartfullodger

I agree with caprikid1 but am confused regarding relevance of any pedestal.

What instructions (eg booklets) did you leave for tenants or explain to them??

Done any training in how to be a landlord and/or about the 100+ laws and regulations a landlord may be responsible for??

Agents all very well but ultimately it is the landlord who is liable for everything.

Best wishes to evryone.

ProDave

I have many times been called to "fix" non working storage heaters, only to find they are turned off.  the tenant says "I turned it on in the evening, it did not get hot, so i assumed it was faulty and turned it off again.

Never under estimate how lacking in basic knowledge some people are.

MissPennySave

Thanks All, we don't plan to ask for the money back, I was just interested to know.

housebuyer143

You should be telling your agent to manage your property and vet these issues. I worked in a maintenance department for years and you always ran vetting questions on maintenance issues to determine if it's something as simple as this, or they have no electricity because it's a power cut etc
 

pinkshoes

housebuyer143 said:

You should be telling your agent to manage your property and vet these issues. I worked in a maintenance department for years and you always ran vetting questions on maintenance issues to determine if it's something as simple as this, or they have no electricity because it's a power cut etc
 

100% this.

A friend rents out several properties which are self managed (she doesn't do another job), and if the tenant phones with something like this, she'd run through basic checks e.g. check the main fuse hasn't tripped, check its turned on at the wall.

I'd be really annoyed if the letting agent sent out an electrician without even asking the basic questions which could have solved the problem with needing an electrician. Lazy agent! I'd certainly be having a go at them because if "management" means just phoning an expert, then you could do that yourself!

propertyrental

Strictly (legally?) speaking it was not a faulty over it was a faulty tenant, so tenant should pay.

But I agree for the sake of £65, and the goodwill, I'd suck it up. However

* I echo artful's question - have you left instruction booklets (or copies of) in the tenant's property pack along with details of where the stopcock, mains gas/electricity etc is

* I'd follow up housebuyer's advice and ensure in future the agent does some basic telephone diagnostics before spending your money, + maybe

* contact the tenant making clear future similar costs will be billed to them

BobT36

pinkshoes said:

I'd be really annoyed if the letting agent sent out an electrician without even asking the basic questions which could have solved the problem with needing an electrician. Lazy agent! I'd certainly be having a go at them because if "management" means just phoning an expert, then you could do that yourself!

They're often very lazy and just make it someone else's problem by just passing it onto a tradie. 
That tradie will then be perfectly happy to do whatever (especially something like this lol) and charge their minimum rate for it. 

I had a leaking shower in a place I moved in. Wasn't leaking too bad but was constantly dripping, money down the drain. 
I looked it up and everything online said buy a new flow valve. Agents got the plumber out, he had a look and said he'd replace the whole shower, and that it's "hard" to get the right flow valve. 
I insisted we try the valve anyway and that I would do it myself if they reimbursed me, as the rest of the shower was fine and it just didn't make sense, when everything was pointing to the little valve. 
Looked up which size valve to use, counted the teeth etc. (lots of guides online). Bought it on Amazon for £13.99. Fitted it easily with a few turns of a spanner. Leak stopped. They reimbursed me the money. 

Saved the landlord hundreds there, just by insisting on doing the sensible, minimum steps first lol. Both the agent and the plumber would have been happy to replace the whole shower, just for that. 


As to the thread, the agent should cop for that cost, tbh, as they were the first port of call and the ones who decided that an electrician was the remedy here. But I presume the landlord will have to suck it up in this case.

housebuyer143

BobT36 said:

pinkshoes said:

I'd be really annoyed if the letting agent sent out an electrician without even asking the basic questions which could have solved the problem with needing an electrician. Lazy agent! I'd certainly be having a go at them because if "management" means just phoning an expert, then you could do that yourself!

They're often very lazy and just make it someone else's problem by just passing it onto a tradie. 
That tradie will then be perfectly happy to do whatever (especially something like this lol) and charge their minimum rate for it. 

I had a leaking shower in a place I moved in. Wasn't leaking too bad but was constantly dripping, money down the drain. 
I looked it up and everything online said buy a new flow valve. Agents got the plumber out, he had a look and said he'd replace the whole shower, and that it's "hard" to get the right flow valve. 
I insisted we try the valve anyway and that I would do it myself if they reimbursed me, as the rest of the shower was fine and it just didn't make sense, when everything was pointing to the little valve. 
Looked up which size valve to use, counted the teeth etc. (lots of guides online). Bought it on Amazon for £13.99. Fitted it easily with a few turns of a spanner. Leak stopped. They reimbursed me the money. 

Saved the landlord hundreds there, just by insisting on doing the sensible, minimum steps first lol. Both the agent and the plumber would have been happy to replace the whole shower, just for that. 


As to the thread, the agent should cop for that cost, tbh, as they were the first port of call and the ones who decided that an electrician was the remedy here. But I presume the landlord will have to suck it up in this case.

I just find this of all trades tbh. They can't be bothered to just try the easy things first. I had two rads not working and had one plumber tell me it needed a power flush, the other said I needed a thermal gun to see the exact heat output of each radiator before they could determine the issue.

My dad took the thermostat off and hit the valve with a hammer and it worked. The other just had an air lock. Everyone is out to rip you off unfortunately.

london21

Can inform them to inform you before getting stuff done. 

Depends how hands on you want to be.