I have a tenant who is telling me their hob cracked which was a Zanussi brand electric ceramic hob.
It was a high-end high spec new build flat with previous first tenant lived there for 3 years cooked a lot and had no issue with the hob.
the current second Tenant moved in 3 months saying they simply was trying to cook an egg and it cracked. They added this brand Zanussi is not good quality and not durable and they wanted something like Hotpoint or Bosch something can deal with heavy duty because they used to gas hob. Also mentioning the broken glass bit looks thin for this brand.
Due to the tenant was paying 100 pounds higher that the market rent per month, I decided to replace it with an expensive Bosch Induction hob so they donât complain and not charging them this time.
My thoughts on this is, tenant usually trying to hide their mistake and suggesting it is itemâs fault. i.e., how likely is a ceramic hob break by itself. Also given they mentioned saying a hob is weak has thin glass i doubt it is the issue with the hob, otherwise the company selling it work of bankrupted.
Any thoughts on what is the best way forward? I donât want them to think I am a landlord can be taken advantage of just provide all expensive items all the time. I am planning to explain to them why I got them an expensive one and if that one cracks again it is on them. Also, I will ask them to get it covered. Not sure if it is good to be true but Domestic and General offer 2.5 pounds a month for accidental and all other covers too so i just add 2.5 to their rent.
is that a good plan or any more things i can do to make the situation better?
The only way you can really deal with a situation like this is to inspect the damage before committing and have a conversation with them about how it happened. Glass hobs usually break through impact and you can usually see evidence of this on the surface. If theyâve been careless, they should pay. However, I think your approach is reasonable given that theyâre paying over the market rent.
Thanks, they said they were only just put it on to boil an egg. so, I wasnât there so there is no proof and depends on the tenant they might end up wasting my time trying to get their way out of it.
So yeah it may not seem to be the best option but i looked at my cards too. Not saying time is money but it has opportunity cost as well.
replacing a hob is a 30 minute job. lots dont even have knobs now I regard them as a consumable. do what Colin said and say you wonât replace again.
Lucky tenants getting an induction hob, must be a high end property. I go for not the cheapest but things like hotpoint which tend to be reliable. Personally I dont find Zanussi (Electrolux) that reliable and the service is by independents under the service force umbrella. Bosch was a good choice
I put ceramic touch control hobs of a cheaper brand than the big-name versions, and never had a problem, other than one with a chip on a corner, which did not impede its operation or safety. Theyâve proved to be the most durable easily cleaned appliance in the whole property, never broken down or needed replacing for any reason.
Just remember to increase the rent after 12 months, youâve been generous by not challenging and by buying a top end appliance. Also get it insured with extended warranty (3 years), you can claim this and of course have some piece of mind.
Another thought is to ensure the tenant has accidental cover insurance on their home and contents policy which includes LL fixtures and fittings. Itâs good for them as if they accidentally damage e.g a carpet they are covered there too, plus if their washing machine leaks and causes damage. All this helps to protect their deposit too.
You canât prove that the damage was caused by their negligence, so personally Iâd just replace & move on. I would be choosing the make/model based on my own interpretation of âvalue for moneyâ.
I would have bought a cheaper model and sucked it up, with a polite warning to take care in future. Seems they are wagging your tail.
But thats your choice
