UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi,

I am a first time landlord and have let out my flat to a friend on a standard short hold tenancy for 6 months while we sort out issues with the freeholder so we can sell the flat.

There is an issue with the boiler and I have organised a plumber to go the flat tomorrow afternoon to fix it however the tenant says he is at work all day and is out in the evening. I also work full time and cannot be there.

Who's responsibility is it to give up work to be there to let the plumber in? I can't give the plumber keys as he is not a regular plumber.

in general, should I expect the tenant to be at home for these types of things?

Thanks

Philip

As a Landlord I would always want to be there. It's my asset being worked on, me who will sign it off and agree to pay. That's enough reason for me. Why should your Tenant / friend care about your property?

Other views may come along.

Landlord and Tenant Act says the Landlord is responsible for maintaining the supply of space and water heating. It does not go to the level of who needs to be in.

No doubt you'd go if the place was empty.  Now that someone is paying you money to be there you also expect them to take time off work to fix a job you'll pay for.

Thanks for the responses. I rented for many years and when something needed fixing the estate agents would always say we needed to be in so I was just basing it off that.

If being a landlord was my full time job then I can understand it but does every landlord here always take time off work to fix any issues?

4 ways around this:
1. I get my Father to go (he is retired although he will claim I keep him employed enough) but is there anyone you can trust - really trust?
2. Agent you trust - but that's a unicorn at the end of the rainbow hunt
3. Do the job on a weekend
4. Scive

The flip of all this is that I am very very reluctant to have anyone in the house including me without the tenant there .... Too easy for "something went missing" claim so that puts me in the tenant must be there camp but not without me/Father there

Best of luck

I think because the tenant is a friend there is an element of trust here but I totally get what you're saying and it make sense. It sounds like I'm just going to have to find a way to always be there. Thanks again everyone.

Quote from: MrOrange on March 31, 2016, 01:43:22 PMIf being a landlord was my full time job then I can understand it but does every landlord here always take time off work to fix any issues?

I skive. Or book leave. Or make the time up.

I send the in laws.