Landlords - use agent or DIY?

[Drago]

I used an agent for the first 6 months. Once my tenant had proven herself to not be a slavering loon who held black masses and emptied ashtrays over the carper, i took it over directly. Been doing it that way since 2009 for the same tenant and all has been peachy. She even maintains the place, paints the external woodwork and decking etc (I supply the materials). She knows that in a few years when Mini D is ending her primary education I'll be moving back and brushing up on my Northern Isles accent, and she's cool with that.

 

[Spinney]

Bumping this up so not to start a new topic...

I'd appreciate thoughts from the CC collective!

I'm a private landlord of a wee house that we bought as our first home. We have been renting it out for over 6 years with no real issues. We're onto our 4th tenant. This morning she texts me to say that there was a rat in the kitchen and that pest control were out at the house. It turns out the pest control guys said the rats were accessing the house via an underground drain and that it needs a 'ratcatcher' device installed and they recommended another company to do it. I then contact the second company and arrange for them to attend tomorrow morning and agree a price. The tenant then messages me again with the total for this morning's pest control service. The bill is just over £200 for this mornings call. Now, the contract that we have between ourselves says:

"If repairs are necessary for which the Tenant is not liable the Tenant should notify the Landlord of the repair with 24 hours but should not arrange or give instructions for any repairs to be carried out apart from in an emergency except at the request of the Landlord or the Agent. Should the Tenant fail to comply with this provision he/she shall be liable for the cost of any repairs carried out."

I have told the tenant that she should have contacted me prior to ringing her own pest control service. As per the contract, she is liable for the cost of them. She is now claiming that it was an emergency and a health and safety matter. Now, 95% of house repairs can be classified into the broad 'health and safety' boundaries and yes while rodents are unpleasant, I don't constitute it as an emergency i.e. life and death matter or house crumbling on top of her. I have tried to be understanding though and have offered to meet this morning's cost 50/50. I don't feel I legally have to but would have had to call someone out regardless so feel I'm being fair. I wouldn't have used the company she did and they are more expensive than previous companies I have used. She has literally just started into another 12 month tenancy, like literally, and that means that I also have to be cautious that this doesn't become overblown. As it is, she's refusing to pay 50/50.

Rats are not an emergency. She employed them, they should be billing her. If she pays them but withholds some of her rent she's putting herself in arrears. You can use that to get rid of her (probably mucho hassle), or you deduct it from her deposit when she leaves - at that point, the deposit scheme will probably adjudicate.

Note - this is just my opinion, I'm not an expert. I use an agent, and this is what I'd tell them before getting them to sort it out!

 

[Brains]

My pennyworth as a long term Landlord.

As rats have been found, and you would have had to have paid someone.
So in this case as a Landlord, I'd foot the entire bill, even if it is excessive.
After all, rats are your problem, not hers.
However warn her, in writing, that this is an exception.
Next time, unless its a 999 call, she is to get hold of you first.
It's the Landlords job to deal with the issue, not hers.

Had rats not been found, then obviously the entire bill would have been hers.

As an FYI we had a rat infestation at one of our properties, it stopped a major renovation project for 3 weeks whilst the rats were "fed" on a daily basis.
I'll dig out some pictures of the damage. Impressive.

What you want to avoid is a tenant calling out Pimlico Plumbers late on Christmas Eve to deal with a minor leak.
The bill will be eye watering, roughly ten times the normal plumber call out charge.
(I speak from experience .....)

 

[Mrs M]

I’d also just pay up, and definitely make it clear to tenant it’s a one off.
Rats cause too much damage

 

[Bazzer]

As a landlord I would have expected to be contacted for this and would be pretty p''d off if a tenant tried to bill me for this.
I suppose it how you view the tenant. If they are one you consider a "keeper", then I might be inclined to discuss the tenant's actions and ultimately pay the bill, but with a warning in writing, to contact you first. Out of the tenants we have had, there would only be a couple I would have done this for. The others, I would have dug my heels in.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Bumping this up so not to start a new topic...

I'd appreciate thoughts from the CC collective!

I'm a private landlord of a wee house that we bought as our first home. We have been renting it out for over 6 years with no real issues. We're onto our 4th tenant. This morning she texts me to say that there was a rat in the kitchen and that pest control were out at the house. It turns out the pest control guys said the rats were accessing the house via an underground drain and that it needs a 'ratcatcher' device installed and they recommended another company to do it. I then contact the second company and arrange for them to attend tomorrow morning and agree a price. The tenant then messages me again with the total for this morning's pest control service. The bill is just over £200 for this mornings call. Now, the contract that we have between ourselves says:

"If repairs are necessary for which the Tenant is not liable the Tenant should notify the Landlord of the repair with 24 hours but should not arrange or give instructions for any repairs to be carried out apart from in an emergency except at the request of the Landlord or the Agent. Should the Tenant fail to comply with this provision he/she shall be liable for the cost of any repairs carried out."

I have told the tenant that she should have contacted me prior to ringing her own pest control service. As per the contract, she is liable for the cost of them. She is now claiming that it was an emergency and a health and safety matter. Now, 95% of house repairs can be classified into the broad 'health and safety' boundaries and yes while rodents are unpleasant, I don't constitute it as an emergency i.e. life and death matter or house crumbling on top of her. I have tried to be understanding though and have offered to meet this morning's cost 50/50. I don't feel I legally have to but would have had to call someone out regardless so feel I'm being fair. I wouldn't have used the company she did and they are more expensive than previous companies I have used. She has literally just started into another 12 month tenancy, like literally, and that means that I also have to be cautious that this doesn't become overblown. As it is, she's refusing to pay 50/50.

That para' is about repairs - she hasn't authorised any repairs so surely it doesn't apply in this case.

Personally I'd take the cost on the chin and ensure that something is included in the next contract re pestilence.

 

[Brains]

This is what rat tunneling looks like once the boards have been lifted.
The tenants had not reported any rat problems
The entire site had to close for 3 weeks whist we dealt with the issue

 

[Brains]

[QUOTE 5407664, member: 9609"]can you do FRI with private tenants ? we have a commercial on FRI and even though I will often pay or contribute towards stuff (I'm a really nice soft landlord) but I don't have to, its up to the tenants to do absolutely everything.[/QUOTE]

You could, but you typically dont.
Private tenants rarely stay much more than 3 years.
(Having said which I have one teanancy now in it's 15th year and I had another which lasted nine years, but they are exceptions.)

 

[Sixmile]

Thanks for the replies folks. It's really a situation I could do without, financially and otherwise. In response to @Bazzer no, they aren't a 'keeper' and I'd hope regardless, that they'll leave at the end of the term next year. I had a terrible nights sleep over this and it has removed my ability to think about anything else the last 24 hours.

I was down at the house after work last night to see what the pest control company had done. They have meshed two holes and laid 3 traps, not a lot of work for upwards of £200. Anyhow, I've another company (recommended by the 1st) coming out to fit a rat blocker on the sewer pipe which apparently is the main thoroughfare for the rats. She's adamant that she's contributing zilch towards the cost and I guess I have more to lose over this than her and just may, as some have said, have to take it on the chin.

 

[Spinney]

Thanks for the replies folks. It's really a situation I could do without, financially and otherwise. In response to @Bazzer no, they aren't a 'keeper' and I'd hope regardless, that they'll leave at the end of the term next year.

You don't need to hope, you just don't renew the tenancy agreement.

 

[Sixmile]

You don't need to hope, you just don't renew the tenancy agreement.

That's as long as the tenant always plays ball and doesn't start mucking about once they are notified that the tenancy will be ending.

 

[biggs682]

Agents did mine , saved me loads of aggro but cost me

 

[ianrauk]

This is what rat tunneling looks like once the boards have been lifted.
The tenants had not reported any rat problems
The entire site had to close for 3 weeks whist we dealt with the issue


View attachment 433628

Wow. I never realised they could do that amount of damage.

 

[Sixmile]

Agents did mine , saved me loads of aggro but cost me

I had the agent do my first years lease then I managed it from then on and found my own tenants. The absolute worst tenant I have had was the one found by the agent. For the privilege of them advertising and finding a tenant, who walked after a year, I think it was around the £800 mark.

 

[Bazzer]

I hope you get it sorted.
We currently have fully managed let, with a guaranteed monthly rent paid to us. It costs more than self management, but the peace of mind after the last two tenancies is worth it to us. For example, one of the last pair of boneheads removing the smoke alarm (in a multiple occupation block), "because the beeping was annoying".