UK Landlord Forum / Life

Some advice please. The property that I bought to let out has admittedly had multiple issues to sort out. All of the ones raised have been sorted, but the tenant has said that she's unhappy with how quickly. For example, they reported that the back door doesn't open properly, I responded by speaking to a tradesman who asked for some pictures, but they never came. Admittedly I didn't then push for it, I assumed that it can't have been a big enough issue. The issue was then raised again several months later, at which point we were able to get it sorted. But the tenant has hinted that she has grounds for taking me to court, so I wanted to know: 1) are multiple issues in a property grounds to seek compensation and 2) can a tenant sue for speed of repairs, even though I could argue that it was in their court to provide pictures?

Grounds for compensation are more of a goodwill thing than anything else. When it comes to repairs (whether multiple or not) it really comes down to "a reasonable time"... and that is a very grey area subject to all sorts of interpretations and, then, the recourse available to a Tenant is to - eventually - deduct money from the rent due, and to use that money for explicitly taking care of the repairs themselves (repairs that you had failed to carry out despite numerous warnings etc.)... not as a windfall due them. Now, whether there's something akin to misrepresentation, like the Trade Descriptions Act, whereby the Tenant can prove that you misled them as to what they were spending their money on... I doubt it, but someone else may say there is... in my mind that's what viewings are for. At a viewing a prospective Tenant should be ensuring the property has everything they want... including a properly opening back door (oo'er).

Ignore any musings on this topic from your Tenant... it's likely fishing, and even if they did take you to Court you'd get notice of it, and be able to offer something (if you were ever so inclined) to head it off at the pass.