Just grooming your thoughts on this one, but before I explain please know I have managed to make myself available and palm my kids off on someone else so the tenants are fortunate that I have been able to do so. I am a responsible landlord and we bend over backwards to ensure our tenants have high quality housing with a personal service and prompt repairs. In 16 years we have never (touch wood) had any issues.
So the reason for the post…
Last night at 07.11pm I received this text from my tenants
Hi guys,
There’s currently gas works taking place on our street and they need to do some through the garden. I think they are wanting to move the gas meter from the cupboard in the kitchen, to outside at the back, and also change the pipes underground to plastic ones.
From what I remember, they are wanting to do the work on Thursday moving the gas meter, then sort some extra stuff out on Friday. I think they were planning on a surveyor coming over tomorrow to check what needs to be done, but the guy took photos so that might not be necessary.
The guy I spoke to was called Chris and this is his number; ************
As we are at work, I think someone needs to be present for them to do it during working hours.
Obviously you don’t expect to be told all this the night before it happens so we started querying if “Chris” was genuine or someone trying their luck. Turns out our tenant let “Chris” into the house without asking for ID and allowed him to take pictures of said gas meter inside the house. Regardless of the clause in their contract that states no trades or workmen are permitted to enter or carry out works without our prior consent or arrangement.
So worrying that this guy could be bogus and has been in the property we put calls in to the neighbours to find out if they had been approached. That’s when we find out that weeks ago letters with contact details we posted to each house asking the occupants to make contact to discuss works and availability. When I made the tenants aware that I had been told this they admitted they had received this letter but had failed to do anything or even inform us as the landlord.
My husband is working on shift Thursday Friday and cannot at such short notice book the time off (had it been an emergency he may have been ill those days 
)
When I spoke to “Chris” he too informed me there had been multiple attempts to make contact resulting in him catching my tenant around 5.30pm yesterday on his way home from work (yet it still took until 7.11pm for the tenant to let us know).
As it stands the tenants have admitted they have dropped the ball in not relaying the letter to us but have failed in any way to apologies or make attempts to make themselves or someone available for the work to be carried out despite being informed that if no one is available the engineers will cut the supply to the house and they will need to make alternative arrangements for the gas to be put back on.
I’m interested to know what your thoughts are on this one because while I have managed to get a friend (who has had to cancel a medical appointment) to watch my kids so I can go to the house I’m furious that the tenants have 1. Had notice and failed to inform us or do anything about it 2. Expected us at 7.11pm the night before to just drop everything and go down 3. Have concerns that had they been home the next few days they would have allowed the works to be completed without letting us know 4. Have made no attempts to make themselves available having admitted they are at fault and 5. Attempted to make like this was only just knowledge to them in their initial contact.
If you’ve read this far thank you I look forward to reading your thoughts