Can’t please some people

OldFrill

Crossstitchfan

OldFrill

The tenant has come up with a compromise. I'd ring the tradesman she wants to use, agree the cost and let her allow him access. You are being quite obstructive as a landlord, and your personal problems are not her concern.

Not fair! It is not up to the tenant to decide who repairs things. The landlord is doing his best here but is being thwarted at every turn. The tenant is heading for not having her lease renewed. I certainly wouldn’t renew the tenancy.

Thank goodness you aren't a landlord then.
Despite having no idea of the tenant's circumstances many on here just want to make her homeless.
She's offered a potential solution and the landlord refuses to entertain it.

"thwarted at every turn" 😄 it's a flipping domestic repair not Armageddon

Celieanne86

Surely she must know someone she can trust to be in the house while the job is being done, she can’t be totally friendless can she ? Or can she 🤔

But there is absolutely no reason whatsoever not to take the OPs very simple solution to her appliance issue.

Sorry, but imo tenant is being a pain and has forgotten that whilst this is currently her home, it’s not her property.

Lathyrus3

Not really an alternative is it OldFrill. Some random guy that she thinks might come in and fix an electrical appliance😱😱

Old Frill doesn’t like my views on many things so she is using this chance to show me in a bad light. 😉

We have always dealt with any tenants problems either the same day or the next just as we did in this case. Even if we go on holiday we leave tenants contact numbers for tradesmen so they are not left waiting while we are away. It is too risky letting unqualified people near anything! The tenant did not give me details of the person she could “probably” get and she knows full well from the tenancy agreement that we only use people we choose as we trust them to do a good job.

Anyway, job is now completed as my tradesman lives very nearby so said he would call before she goes to work. He said she also sent him a snotty message before he went.

Somebody made a remark about tradesmen working limited hours. We live in a rural area and are very fortunate to have tradesmen for every trade living locally who we know and trust. They are so busy that they could be working 24 hours a day but they deserve family time. Evenings and weekends are often spent ordering parts, paying bills, VAT, returning calls etc.

OldFrill

The tenant has come up with a compromise. I'd ring the tradesman she wants to use, agree the cost and let her allow him access. You are being quite obstructive as a landlord, and your personal problems are not her concern.

I don’t consider that a “compromise”.

What Primrose has suggested is a compromise.

Not only will any tradesman charge more to do out of hours work, why should any landlord not be able to use their preferred known and trusted tradesman to work on their own properties?

"Old Frill doesn’t like my views on many things so she is using this chance to show me in a bad light. 😉"

Interesting take Primrose. I certainly am not aware of your views on "many things" and most certainly wasn't intending to show you in a bad light
You've done that yourself.

I'm glad you've rectified your problem. Are you still not renewing the lease?

Cossy

OldFrill

The tenant has come up with a compromise. I'd ring the tradesman she wants to use, agree the cost and let her allow him access. You are being quite obstructive as a landlord, and your personal problems are not her concern.

I don’t consider that a “compromise”.

What Primrose has suggested is a compromise.

Not only will any tradesman charge more to do out of hours work, why should any landlord not be able to use their preferred known and trusted tradesman to work on their own properties?

Highly likely won't cost the landlord a penny.

Sadly this sounds like a tenant we had who started being awkward like this, then complained about everything and stopped paying rent. The agent commented that the tenant seemed to think she was a guest in a hotel rather than a tenant

The tenants in our property both work so this potential scenario has cropped up with us.

Like the OP we have a few trusted reputable tradesmen who we use when jobs need to be done at the house.
Our tradesmen have the mobile phone numbers for the tenants and when work is needed, they liaise with them to chose a mutually convenient time for the job to be done.

So far it’s worked well.

We certainly wouldn’t agree with using someone the tenant knows!
Ultimately it’s our property.
All the time the tenants are there paying rent it’s their temporary home but like all landlords we have the final say on what work is done there and by whom.

JenniferEccles

The tenants in our property both work so this potential scenario has cropped up with us.

Like the OP we have a few trusted reputable tradesmen who we use when jobs need to be done at the house.
Our tradesmen have the mobile phone numbers for the tenants and when work is needed, they liaise with them to chose a mutually convenient time for the job to be done.

So far it’s worked well.

We certainly wouldn’t agree with using someone the tenant knows!
Ultimately it’s our property.
All the time the tenants are there paying rent it’s their temporary home but like all landlords we have the final say on what work is done there and by whom.

Which is exactly how it should be!

Oldfrill Why won’t it cost the landlord a penny???

we have lived in our house for 7 years and the landlord has done nothing
several windows are falling out doors rotten gutters blocked no end of things

Primrose, It is your applianceI take it therfore you want a tradesman you can trust. Personally, I would tell the tenant this and say if she is not happy being present if she can’t be, she can get someone there to be with the two of you. If she says no, say I am sorry you are being unreasonable, I am afraid this is not working for me, you have made it clear you don't trust me, we will have to re look at the tenancy agreement. I will get back to you.

This has been resolved already.

Just saying.

Your tenant if ever a householder would find it difficult to get any repairs done if unable or unwilling to take time off work to allow any wirk to be done. Hope she never needs a new boiler as very much doubt she'd find a heating engginerr to wirk after hours. Think you are entitled to engage a tradesperson you trust. You could ask for details of the person tenant has in mind to check them out. Tenant seems unrealistic in not accepting a tradesperson being escorted by you into her home. Goidness I recently had a painter and decorator in for 4 days and I went out half the time.

Primrose
Fwiw I think you have dealt with this situation well.

I have been both a tenant and a landlord and certainly had more problems as a landlord.

OldFrill

The tenant has come up with a compromise. I'd ring the tradesman she wants to use, agree the cost and let her allow him access. You are being quite obstructive as a landlord, and your personal problems are not her concern.

It is the landlord's property, so they want the best repairman, and that is their right. It is the tenant that is being obstructive; everyone has to make themselves available during the day if they want decent repairmen - owner or tenant.

I totally disagree with Old Frill !! It is NOT for the tenant to choose who repairs an item, that is for the landlord only. We had a rental property and a very good tenant; one morning she rang us in a panic as there was water coming through the kitchen ceiling from the bathroom above. She had to go to an important work meeting, what should she do?. We said are you happy for us to enter the property without 24 hours notice, she said yes. We had a Homecare Agreement with British Gas that covered plumbing, electrics, drains etc. They came within two hours while we waited in the sitting room and did the repair. There is no way on this earth that I would allow a tenant to choose who came into our house to effect a repair. She sounds like trouble, I wouldn't renew her lease.

Keep a record of any correspondence with her as you've tried to arrange a qualified workman to sort out the problem.
I've been a landlord and know how difficult it can be to arrange a convenient time for repairs with the tenant. Please remember you might own the property but it's her home and you should respect that. As others have said, you can't enter her home with 24 hours' notice without her permission unless it's an emergency. How about trying to get another workman from Checkatrade, someone who can come in after working hours? Offer her a choice of two appointments if you can, either in the evening or at the weekend.

OldFrill

"Old Frill doesn’t like my views on many things so she is using this chance to show me in a bad light. 😉"

Interesting take Primrose. I certainly am not aware of your views on "many things" and most certainly wasn't intending to show you in a bad light
You've done that yourself.

I'm glad you've rectified your problem. Are you still not renewing the lease?

No, it sure isn’t Primrose who has been shown in a bad light!
She has been a model landlord in trying to get an appliance in working order for an awkward tenant.

OldFrill

"Old Frill doesn’t like my views on many things so she is using this chance to show me in a bad light. 😉"

Interesting take Primrose. I certainly am not aware of your views on "many things" and most certainly wasn't intending to show you in a bad light
You've done that yourself.

I'm glad you've rectified your problem. Are you still not renewing the lease?

What rubbish Primrose has shown what a good landlady she is, she rectifies problems on the same day or the next, and she uses trusted qualified trades people.

Anyway, job is now completed as my tradesman lives very nearby so said he would call before she goes to work. He said she also sent him a snotty message before he went.

Well done and well done him for dealing with it promptly.
She sounds like a nightmare tenant!

OldFrill

Bea65

I believe as a LANDLORD, you only have to give your tenant 24hrs notice for you to access the home - and state it’s for safety purposes re boilers/ electrical equipment/plumbing issues…so you do have the authority here

The tenant has to agree that you can have access.

Not in the case of emergency repairs/risk to safety/risk to the property.

<https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/what_to_look_for_in_your_tenancy_agreement/landlord_access>

I don't think there was a risk to safety/risk to the property butterandjam

Luckily it is resolved now.

I suspect many a tenant would expect the landlord to see to repairs.

The new Government Rules re tenancies are expected to be in force next month. In my opinion they weighted heavily in favour of protecting tenants. You can look up the rules online.
I advise you to have good legal insurance. If necessary top up your existing cover.