gas checks

[cmb]

Hi, hope somebody can help, in Jaunary my lost lot tenants left leaving the place in a bad condition(which is another story) so I am with my partner in the throes of re decorating changing carpets etc, when I went back to the property in January I noticed the boiler was not running efficiently and had problems turning the gas fire on, so I decided in Mid Feb to call a gas engineer out who is known to our family to do repair work and the landlord gas safety check, he duly came repaired the fire, when he came to look at the boiler he condemned it because of a crack in it and there was a possibility of fumes coming back in the kitchen, I had no problem with this as the boiler was 13 years old, a week later he came back and put the new boiler and did the checks for me.

Beginning of FEb, a young man from the letting agents phoned up at work to tell me about new tenants, IN THE COURSE of our chat I told him about the boiler and told him that I would be doing a safety checks etc alongside our decorating works.

this last tuesday evening my partner and I went round to the property to do some painting, found out that another gas engineer organised by the letting agency's in house maintenance firm to do a gas safety check, I went mad , firstly that somebody had come into my house without my authorization, my partner had left some expensive power tools there, also they had not written to me to do the checks, they always write to me telling me that i can get my engineer in or allow their in house maintenance team to do it, when I tackled them over this they stated that I HAVE ALWAYS let them do it, obviously when I have tenants it is easier for me to allow this, this year as the house in tenant free for a couple of months and I had time off work it was better for me to organise it also to pay less money, as the letting agent's firm charge the earth! I think they are peeved that they haven't not install a boiler for me and charged a high fee.

The young man with whom I dealing with is the son of the lady who runs the maintenance firm and the lady is married to the owner of the lettings agency you get my drift I think there is a definite conflict of interest here, quite unethical no wonder he denies all knowledge of my converstion with him..Where do I stand about paying there bill? would I need to go to SMALL claims court if they take money out of my account

[SALL]

Hi, hope somebody can help, in Jaunary my lost lot tenants left leaving the place in a bad condition(which is another story) so I am with my partner in the throes of re decorating changing carpets etc, when I went back to the property in January I noticed the boiler was not running efficiently and had problems turning the gas fire on, so I decided in Mid Feb to call a gas engineer out who is known to our family to do repair work and the landlord gas safety check, he duly came repaired the fire, when he came to look at the boiler he condemned it because of a crack in it and there was a possibility of fumes coming back in the kitchen, I had no problem with this as the boiler was 13 years old, a week later he came back and put the new boiler and did the checks for me.

Beginning of FEb, a young man from the letting agents phoned up at work to tell me about new tenants, IN THE COURSE of our chat I told him about the boiler and told him that I would be doing a safety checks etc alongside our decorating works.

this last tuesday evening my partner and I went round to the property to do some painting, found out that another gas engineer organised by the letting agency's in house maintenance firm to do a gas safety check, I went mad , firstly that somebody had come into my house without my authorization, my partner had left some expensive power tools there, also they had not written to me to do the checks, they always write to me telling me that i can get my engineer in or allow their in house maintenance team to do it, when I tackled them over this they stated that I HAVE ALWAYS let them do it, obviously when I have tenants it is easier for me to allow this, this year as the house in tenant free for a couple of months and I had time off work it was better for me to organise it also to pay less money, as the letting agent's firm charge the earth! I think they are peeved that they haven't not install a boiler for me and charged a high fee.

The young man with whom I dealing with is the son of the lady who runs the maintenance firm and the lady is married to the owner of the lettings agency you get my drift I think there is a definite conflict of interest here, quite unethical no wonder he denies all knowledge of my converstion with him..Where do I stand about paying there bill? would I need to go to SMALL claims court if they take money out of my account

What does your contract with your agents says? Are they allowed to arrange such work without checking with you first?

[susanne]

sounds like you may have changed the goal posts and may not have communicated that very clearly to them

[mind the gap]

I agree that if the contract OP has with LA says that LA will organise gas safety checks and other routine maintenance without informing LL, then it may be difficult for OP to get the cost of this refunded if LA takes it out of her account.

However, if her conscience is clear (as it seems to be) that she definitely informed LA about the new boiler and getting the gas check done herself, I think that in her position I would be writing to the LA reminding the manager of the conversation I had had with his employee (give date if possible) and expressing my unhappiness with the way they did not log or act upon the information I gave them. I would make it clear that if LA insists on charging me for the unnecessary gas check, then I would be taking my custom elsewhere. There are plenty of letting agents wh do full or partial management and you want one who will work with and for you, (not just for themselves).

I also agree that there is a conflict of interests between LA and maintenance contractor; this is not unusual but it is not in the LL's interests.

Good luck.