UK Landlord Forum / Life

Is this usual? I'm very new to this business so I don't know if this is typical. I was charged £48 by my managing agents for the supply and fit of 3 bulbs. I've had no paperwork other than the deduction noted on my monthly statement and no information was given beforehand. I have no idea what appliance or fixture required maintenance.  What action would you recommend? Advice would be welcome as I am annoyed but don't know how far I should take this.

You read the Terms of Business you signed, obviously.

You have access to them right now... yes?

Read them again, to refresh your memory about what you've agreed to. If it states that they cannot carry out works without approval... boom! If it states they can... ooops.

Thank you - I will check. It possibly allows for emergency work. I think I will challenge them and see what happens

I used to have an agreed amount of around £100 which the LA could use if they could not get hold of me.It would be more than that now. Unless this is a new tenant just moving in,and finding missing lightbulbs,it is surely the tenants responsibility to replace bulbs when they go?

How many managing agents does it take to change a light bulb?                                                                                          Two: one to screw the bulb in and one to screw the landlord.

So this is included in the 10% service charge?

🤣

No, the service charge is charged separately. I have now contacted the manager and voiced my concern that no one tried to contact me before carrying out work. He is looking into it. I'll wait and see what comes back but thank you to everyone who replied. You have made me think that I am right to expect contact at least and to see some evidence that work was carried out and that it is within the scope of the contract. If they are simply light bulbs the price seems excessive and  as household consumables, I wouldn't expect to supply new ones when the originals blow.
I'll let you know what happens 🤞

When I worked as a property manager we had it in our terms of business that we could do works up to a certain amount without landlord authorisation. If ti was emergency works we would go ahead and do the works but for something small like light bulbs we would contact the landlord and ask for permission before going ahead.

If they paid a contractor to change the lights then the £48 is the right amount for the works but I don't really get why the landlord is paying for changing the lightbulbs.

Goodness me!

Please tell me - were they particularly difficult light bulbs to change, or just normal internal ones?

I would laugh at my tenant if one of them phoned asking to replace them

I, on the other hand, know to tell Tenants to sort their own bulbs out... but have actually been sympathetic with some bathroom-located GU10s... a real PITA when they're behind a spring clip, glass cover, rubber seal, in a kind of bottom cradle (jammed in) then rotated into a loose head unit / socket... yeah, I do have genuine sympathy when it's those. I had more sympathy with myself when the first spring clip I removed with ill-advised confidence just - boinged! - into the toilet! You live, you learn.

So quick update...... the agent is telling me it's a mistake in the accounts department  and I will be refunded. TBH I have my doubts and am wondering if this is an excuse to cover up a charge they don't want checking further - was the work even done? Anyway I'll let it go and see how things go in future.

Thanks for all the suggestions 🙂

Quote from: Catherine Moore on October 06, 2020, 09:24:41 AM
So quick update...... the agent is telling me it's a mistake in the accounts department  and I will be refunded. TBH I have my doubts and am wondering if this is an excuse to cover up a charge they don't want checking further - was the work even done? Anyway I'll let it go and see how things go in future.

Thanks for all the suggestions 🙂

When I was a property manager we had it in our contract that when furniture items were bought for the landlord 10% would be added on but naturally we didn't want to make this clear when items were actually bought.

Anytime a landlord noticed the difference we put it down to an accounting error.