I have emergency cover as an optional extra on my landlord insurance. Around a year ago, on a Saturday evening a tenant contacted me saying they had no hot water. I called the insurance company on a Saturday evening and an engineer attended 8am the Sunday morning and sorted it. The insurance companies that can provide repeat work for the engineers are on a retainer to deal with such emergencies, especially out of hours.
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Well if you donât already have an electric shower, then itâs a pain to have one installed unless youâve got a void and then thereâs the expense. Plus, repeated showering in a completely unheated bathroom for a couple of weeks brings its own problems so T would need some input there to avoid that.
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That sounds useful. Itâs impossible to get someone out short notice at night otherwise.
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Yes thatâs true. She always says it has to be done within 24 hours if no hot water or heating and if not compensate. I would prob give a nights rent anyway for goodwill gesture.
All issues have to be dealt with in a reasonable amount of time thatâs the law
24 hours is a made up time by the tenant
The reason is it reasonable so there is discretion
Smashed glass is faster than change a carpet but your contract will read it is dealt with in a reasonable amount of time
I would not compensate
Youâll set precedent and sheâll go for the jugular next time round
Give an inch theyâll take a mile
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Linda, stop fretting and mollycoddling them, youâve acted quickly and attended to it, that is all a tenant should expect and all you are required to do.
Itâs a great pity the government donât insist on a âHow to Liveâ as well as the âHow to Rentâ booklet, with home truths about mould, cleaning and property care etc.
Buy a few of those super-efficient plug-in mini convector heaters as a backup for emergency use.
Iâve just ripped out a perfectly good gas C/H system in a full remodel of a flat in favour of electric convector radiator heaters, electric showers and 15ltr. water heater for sink and whbâs.
Independent units so there is always some heating and hot water in the property, all for less than the price of a new gas boiler.
Keep it simple, any one of these can be fixed or replaced in a jiffy, and no more GSCâs, servicing charges, gas supply terminated so no more CM detectors or gas standing charges or gas leak/explosion/CM poisoning risks for the tenants, and landlord liability.
90% of my properties are on this set up and never had a single complaint about costs or efficiency.
Pity we canât ârip outâ the local council and let market forces and common sense direct the PRS.
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Although I have not seen any time in the legislation some âweb sitesâ states that Landlord must act withing 24 hours. It does not say fix , as the parameter you cannot control is tradesman availability. As far as I am concerned act is complete if you book repairs/check and also provide alternative heating source (e.g. portable radiator). Demanding hotel sounds like whiplash claim!
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Yes I agree with you and thanks for the response itâs useful.
Thanks Chris. It is a really good idea and I can see the sense in that. This is a 3 storey old terrace so I think it would cost a bit to do and be a bigger undertaking. But yes I do all I can promptly and thatâs all Iâm required to do.
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Be careful of doing all electric
It lowers EPCrating
In the U.K. electric comes from gas ( since coal was stopped) so thatâs why itâs more expensive and is less favourable in EPC
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With respect of all of you. The situation is simple:
- It is not serviced apartment it is AST I assume.hence nothing done on a blue light, that is why it is rented cheap on AST.
- In AST the landlord required to repaire AS SOON AS POSSIBLE including boiler âŚect. During the freezing months British Gas take a few days to respond, that the norm in their home, our homes and also in AST.
- I give the tenants British Gas cover number and they deal.
- Once the boiler on cover your job as a landlord finished.
- I drop no heater to the apartments as British gas engineer has them on the van and they leave them for free (ÂŁ15 in Argos).
It is nice to be nice to the tenants but trust me once nice with good gestures it is rarely appreciated!! You open the can of warms once you start admire liability and responsibility. Put them in a hotel!!! Is so funny
Regards
Robert
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Thatâs really helpful thanks George.
Hi Linda, I had the same problem with two flats and two different tenants, both were completely understanding that I did my best by reacting immediately and getting a plumber in asap - they too had to wait until the next day. It should say in your AST that all reasonable measures will be taken for repairs etc⌠See if thereâs small print that you can forward to them. When their AST ends Iâd get rid of them - unreasonable tenants are not part of the Landlord agenda, especially if youâre a good caring reliable landlord for them.
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Thanks A_A, Iâve noticed that, but I wonât be installing ASHPâs and Iâm happier the gas is out.
I have little respect for the accuracy of EPC inspectors and their reports. Iâve just discovered a new built flat extension of ours with fully compliant insulated external walls and 300mm insulation above and below, soundproof double boarded ceilings and sound insulating rubber isolation matting with a second floating floor of 22mm chipboard flooring has been rated âEâ when another flat in the same building with an uninsulated basement / part undercroft floor and old stone rubble filled cavity external walls is a âCââŚ??
Possibly the lower rated one is down to a hot water cylinder to serve a bath facility.
Baths are another no go option in future.
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I shall not do away with baths. The showers are electric. The gas boiler heats water to the taps. If the shower breaks they can take a bath and if the boiler breaks down they can shower. No one really uses the bath but itâs there for emergencies and takes the pressure of the unrealistic expectations of tenants that if something does not work that it should be fixed yesterday.
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Fair point. Good to have back up.
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Do not let them bully you and ask them to read the tenancy agreement. Not even the government will do that.
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The tenant was not observant enough then otherwise they should have noticed the fault in day light instead of getting to you by 7pm.
When my gas safety check was done on the 12/11/24, my tenant decided to put on the heating after the engineer had left. She discover that the hot water was ok but no heating. She messaged me immediately and I got through to the engineer and he returned and rectified the problem within 10 minutes of him leaving the property initially.
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Thank you yes thatâs a good point. I donât think she was there though as I dealt with BG man. Did your tenant deal work the gas safety check?
The law is not clear on these issues so I would go for go for a compromise. If you can do it go to B&Q or ASDA ect and buy and then deliver a couple of fan heaters or oil filled radiators . They belong to you and you can take them home and store them once the boiler is repaired if they or another tenant needs themâŚ
If you canât sort it then you can agree to book them a hotel - but I would not not to give them a blank check to book their own choice !
If they insist on a particular hotel then insist must choose you could agree to contribute an amount equal to that of the cheapest local hotel but that they must make up any money higher than that amount.
Landlords all make their own decisions about the level of service provided and the rent they charge to match that level of service , and if tenants expect a higher level of service and you agree to provide you should consider the cost of that as part of your decision making process in the next rent review .
Personally my rents are set on the basis I will provide alternate heating (fan heater - portable water boilers etc ) in a reasonable time but not that I provide hotel accomodation - so I would ask my tenant if they want me to include that insurance in the rent and I will increase their rent for the future accordingly at the next review. Always best to be flexible and talk to your tenants but be realistic too !
This is similar to the decision home owners make about whether they pay for simple boiler repair insurance or go for something much more expensive that wil provide them with alternative accommodationâŚ
In the end be kind AND remember you are a business and you have to balance the books at the end of the day !.
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