Tenant Incommunicado

Landlord Discussion Repairs & Maintenance
1

From time to time I have needed to contact my tenant to ask to have access to my flat for the purpose of improvements. One example would be to arrange for an electrician to come to install an electric radiator in the bathroom, which has no heat.

Another example would be to have a surveyor to come in to inspect and measure the windows to give me a quote on getting thermopane windows installed (it is an older Victorian flat and would benefit from being warmer and less noisy plus we need to achieve a higher rating for our EPC by 2030 in order to continue renting.)

I always give my tenant more than 24 hours notice when requesting access. Example, the electrician to fit the bathroom radiator has said he could come on Friday the 20th so I asked my tenant on Sunday the 15th if it would be possible to access the flat this Friday. I always take time to explain what I am hoping to have done and what the benefit would be.

But no matter how I try to contact L, whether text, WhatsApp message, email, OpenRent messaging or voicemail she does not read my messages for days, if at all. One time she did answer the phone and another time she eventually replied to the WhatsApp message. But most of the time she does not read the texts or messages.

I have a neighbour, whom I have known since 1990, and I can pay him to go around and ring her intercom box to let her know there is a message from me that needs a reply, but I hate to bother him.

Is there any way you can suggest for me to communicate with her? I would hate for the electrician to arrive this Friday and he cannot gain access to fit the radiator.

BTW I do not expect L to miss work and so I do pay my neighbour to allow the tradesmen to come in and he will be there to ensure the flat is secure (L has agreed to this in the past if I can just make contact with her.)

It is really important for me to have communication with my tenant (I have contact info for her boyfriend but his email no longer works and apparently he has moved out, in any case, so contacting him instead will not work.)

And this summer we are having the outside of the building redecorated and it may require access once or twice to the flat while the scaffolding is up in a once a decade occurrence. If I canā€™t get the work done when communal scaffolding is up, it wonā€™t get done at all and we freeholders have an agreement that it has to be done. We did let L know this exterior work would be coming in summer of ā€˜26 when she and her boyfriend signed the rental agreement.

Twice she has told me how happy she is in this ā€œdream flatā€ and that is great! She also pays on time, which is so appreciated but communications are very stressful. Please advise what I should do.

Thanks!

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By the sound of it, keep paying Laurence to pass on messages and relay back to you her response.

My assumptions are that you are too distant from the property and do not want the expense of an agent. If Iā€™m correct, then all Iā€™d say is that this is typical for a situation where you do not have either yourself or a professional on the ground to build a relationship with the tenant.

I would edit this post to remove the names of these people. If she finds this post online, L might be in touch sooner than you expect!

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Thanks for your suggestions. Will do!

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4

Has the tenant asked for the improvements?

Personally i keep mid tenancy to essential (eg gas and electrical safety,dealing with leaks etc) or something that tenant actually wants.

Other improvements you may wish to make are normally best at end of tenancy or closer to them being required by regulations.

They are entitled to quiet enjoyment of their home and most tenants prefer to be left to get on with it. You need to check they are looking after your property but i wouldnt be enforcing improvements on them. Tenants normally respond when they want something so lack of response indicates they dont want these.

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@Brenda

Not every tenant wants to be there when trades visit some are happy for you to organise access when they arenā€™t there and assume you will do so so wonā€™t bother replying- different if they were not allowing access and not answering. The positive confirmation visits etc will be ok and ability to do improvements evidently matters much more to you than L.

Arrange your next inspection visit, and when there ask face to face

A) what the best way is to communicate with L is, - txt, email, a whatsapp Chat, or something else, and how much notice needed (not everyone good with emails or txts or interested in admin stuff), and ask if been receiving in case went to spam

B) whether L content for neighbour to continue to provide access for tradesmen if L not in as a default backup arrangement

C).ask for alternative contact detail in case of emergency (eg a family member) as boyfriend one not working

D) every month after rent received on time, send a courtesy email or txt ā€œthanks as ever for rent received on time - this is a quick message to confirm receipt ā€œ so nor all your comms with L are about you wanting something.

E) use the inspection visits to explain and give notice of proposed improvements or other maintenance or reasons for access you expect to want/need - while they donā€™t have to agree to any access, it can be a disruption and as a tenant Iā€™d like to know if eg scaffolding is going to be going up, more than 4 days before (you would tell neighbours more ahead than that, why not tenants too). Better to tell people that way not piecemeal as and when it happens. That way your txt /emails/whatever nearer the time can be ā€˜hi, Iā€™ve arranged the date for the electrician visit we talked about to be on . Trust ok let me know if any issue ā€œ

  1. Say youā€™ll make a note of the conversation and send back to her afterwards so she can confirm youā€™ve recorded everything properly (and do same for all inspection visits)

  2. Issue tenant with ICO notice explaining how you protect and use all info supplied (if not done already)

Hope that helps

Good luck

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You need a face to face or you will carry on dancing

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Also consider posting a letter?

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