jazzys

Hi guys, had an email from the rental agents in the uk who look after our house.

There's a problem with the garage door come off the runners, or something in that vein.

They asked if i wanted them to get someone to take a look at it.

shouldn't the tenants by liable to sort a problem such as that as its obviously come off when they used the garage door?
After all, if they smashed a window, it wouldn't be my responsibility to pay for it to be fixed (would it, )

Jazzys

Melbourne bound Mark

Unfortunately my take would be that it would be your resposibilty to fix it (same with any items that would be subject to wear and tear through useage ie. most things with moving parts or electrics / electronics).

A pane of glass just sits there and can't degrade over time.

jazzys

Thanks for the reply mate, but what would be the situation IF a window got broken?

Jazzys

Wendy

I think it would depend on how it got broken. If it was because they did something then they would be liable to pay for it, but if it was broken after a break in or something, then your insurance should cover it.

spalen

you have to sort it out unless you prove they were negligent in their use of it - but realistically you still have to sort it out.

jazzys

Funnily enough, my daughter rents a house through the same rental mob. When she moved in the gas fire didn't work. Their reply was "it wasn't advertised with a working gas fire".

My house wasn't advertised with a working garage door!

Kooky.

I think your daughter's mob is talking out of its bottom. If there is an appliance there, it has to work and, I would think in the case of a gas fire, be certified as safe by the relevant authority.

When we first left the UK and rented out our house we were advised to remove all appliances (which I was planning to leave for my own conveneince as much as anything else) otherwise we would have to maintain and replace as and when.

spalen

yeah its a bummer. but if you dont fix it - and they use it more, and it falls off and gets destroyed and you have to buy a whole new one.... thats your fault.

good news is all this is tax deductible as an expense against the income.


I too have always found that letting agents generally are on the side of the other person, regardless of whether im lessor or lessee, even using the same logic in reverse from same company on both sides...nuts. Perhaps its me, I should get some social skills.

Scotty1

Ulitmately its your garage door, and if you are ok with it being broken, its not going to be a breach of the agreement you have with the tenant to fix it. That's why the agent have asked you if you want it seen to and not just got it repaired.

Gas fires are slightly different - gas appliances must be certified as safe- otherwise criminal offence committed, so if the landlord can't produce certificate, gas appliance decommisioned. If broken while let, then it should be fixed by registered gas person.


If window broken by tenant, their job to fix. If broken by unknown vandal, insurance job, or yours if no insurance.

Scotty

carolinephillips

Unless they broke it deliberately, I would have thought it was the landlord's responsibility to fix it: things do break with age and if, for example, it was a tile cracked on the roof you would get it fixed with no question of charging the tenant.

Jaycee1

In our rental last year the husband 'bumped' into the door and it was offset slightly.We got someone out to fix it.
My point is if they have damaged the door then they should repair it.
If it has just stopped working and you can't prove its the tenants fault I rekon you will end up paying
I would arrange for someone to take a look and if they report that the tenants have caused the door to malfunction then bill them.
Good luck
J x