UK Landlord Forum / Life

I will try and keep this short!
I have been told to get an electrical certificate for my rented property, from the council. I renovated the house over seven months Nov2014 – May 2015 I put in a new Kitchen, Bathroom, and a downstairs loo plus a Utility room I also put in a Swan retro Fridge freezer, Microwave, & Dishwasher. (I even left on the sealing plastic so that they would be like moving into a new house).
I have now got the tenant from hell!!!! Being Mr. New Knees I was taken in by the mother and farther telling me that the tenant run a company in Wales and was not DHSS had no dogs all a big fib! I now have the council on my back (Housing Health and Safety Rating System) they have found that I need to repair:

"The soft floor covering in the ground floor toilet is not sealed down at the door threshold.( it's lino just needs a bit of glue) In the first floor bathroom, the sealing strip between the bath and wall is not securely fixed in place.( a bit of mastic)There is hole in the tiled wall at the side of the electrical shower unit.( a bit of mastic) A wooden angle bead is not fixed in place in place at the edge of the shower wall panel.(  done) On the side external wall of the bathroom, there are gaps in the wall around waste pipes at the point where the pipes pass through the wall.( my fault just forgot) The bathroom light fitting sealed unit does not have the glass cover in place. (They replaced the bulb with a bulb that does not fit in the round globe)The front double bedroom window has an opening section the does not fully close into the window frame." ( a slight draft in the corner of the window ! not a hurricane)
I have no problem in sorting these trivial problems out and have booked a man to rectify them on Monday.

However this is the real rub: I phoned an electrician to do a quick survey of the property and was told due to the new rules from 1st October I must have WIRED smoke and carbon detectors fitted and all the carpets on the top floor will need to be lifted ( all brand new on the 5th of May 2015)   I told the tenant that this is not true and I have booked a new electrician to survey the property (he can't do it till the 19th) WHO CAN I TRUST IF THE ELECTRICIAN SAYS I NEED THE WHOLE HOUSE REWIRED DO I HAVE A COME BACK THEY CAN SAY WHAT EVER THEY LIKE! How do I know they are telling the truth or just making money? I have told the tenant about the smoke alarms and she contacted the electrician and said that he lied I have now an irate tradesman and a tenant trying to drop me in it at every turn.

Just an after note last Wednesday at a meeting with the man from the council she said I had attended the house when she had a problem that I was DRUNK when I attended I have never been so insulted!!!!! From her phone call I attended within 1 hour to sort the problem out PLEASE HELP ME I have issued a section 21 which expires on the 5th December I just want to SELL I have lost in faith in all human nature.

"I have just re-read this and I now think I have got to have been MAD and naive"

A very down hearted and worried RON

Ron - are you drunk now by any chance?

Firstly, for a normal house that is not an HMO or anything like that - there is no legal requirement for you to have an electrical safety certificate.

Secondly, regarding the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarm - while these are now a requirement - they do not have to be wired (but it's probably a good idea for the smoke alarms to be wired).

Thirdly, chill. You're being paid rent, I assume? That's nice. Everyone has problems. Everyone has problem Tenants. They come and they go. As long as you are doing things right, you should be OK.

Read this:

https://www.rla.org.uk/landlord/guides/carbon-monoxide-requirements.shtml

Give it to the Electrician. Then accept the Electrician's apology.

Please be careful of advice received from websites (including my own) and always do your own research.
Obviously I cannot understand your full situation from a small blog...

Hippos is right.

Are you a newbie Landlord...?  If so then you have learnt a valuable lesson...
Assume in this world that everyone from agent, tax man, tenants, council, british gas, government, bank, accountant, tradesman is out to get the Landlord (paranoid? moi?  ) ..trust no one..where you can do it yourself then do it.

You obviously knew in advance that the electrician is wrong so rather than thinking negatively think positively how smart you were....if you get this upset every time one the aforementioned folks gives you bad advice then I suggest you buy a defibrillator as you will need it...

You have raised an incredibly important point though for the DIY landlord.
Be very very careful when having access to a tenanted property...especially if you are visiting by yourself.
Never ever go in if they have their minor open the door and let you in with no adults.
Be careful of single women tenants
...know your tenant which you can trust and which you cannot.....
The horrors of a a claim by the tenant out of the blue "I was raped by the big bad landlord" is the stuff of nightmares...
There was a case locally to me where a bailiff executing a court order was stabbed by a tenant...

Clearly your tenant cannot be trusted (you now have a "history" of being drunk when visiting the property) and now you should never go near the place until she is out even if that means spending money on a tradesman.

Perhaps this post is a little too solemn but the scope of the landlord to get royally fkd increases every day and with every new law passed.....

Don't worry about your experience, looks like you "won" against the first tradesman and so what if he is irate -- you won't be using him again and his advice should have been better.......and its daft to consider selling up over  this.
Good tenants do exist ...I've had one for 16 years with no problems..

Sometimes a problem shared is a problem halved and I have seen folks post here simply to vent or to get an empathetic response...it's actually one of the big benefits of these sites...as Hippo said, chill out.

Best of luck

You are both right I have bought a defibrillator and I send my wife to talk to her. I am now on my second bottle of Famous Grouse and am very chilled.  I now do Yoga and Tai Chi.  Thanks for the replies much appreciated.