papillon
08-03-2010, 20:59 PM
Seems like things really haven't kicked off on the right foot.
I've just recently - 3 weeks ago - moved into rented accommodation after living in my own place for 8 years (fast relocation required). The place is lovely, but there were a couple of minor things - a loose kitchen tap and a loose light fitting which I hadn't got round to reporting because they weren't causing any trouble.
On Sunday morning I turned on the kitchen tap and then couldn't turn it off again. The tap just wouldn't get any purchase and kept slipping. When I tried to turn the stopcock on, it was too tight for me to turn. Lots of water pouring down the drain. I called the number on my AST agreement and got an answering machine, and left a message to report the problem, adding that I didn't want to pay the extra money on the water meter that this was going to cost. I wasn't shouting, but yeah, I was stressed. With the water still running I tried an alternative number and got the landlord on that. I repeated the same thing. "Now don't get excited," LL said. "I'm going to make a call and will call you right back."
Couple of minutes later a friend showed up, and he was able to turn the stopcock, thankfully. Ten minutes after that, a bloke (not the LL) showed up. I said we'd sorted the stopcock, and he took a look at the tap and said the seal had gone and it'd need to be repaired. He said he'd speak to the LL. I didn't hear from the LL himself again that day.
Monday morning rolls round and, needing a shower, I had a lightbulb moment and managed to jury rig a seal for the tap with an elastic hairband and managed to get it turned off. Stopcock off again, shower had, and I went off to work, thankful that the tap was no longer dripping, if only temporarily. I didn't turn the stopcock on again as it wasn't needed. I got a phone call from the LL on the way in to say he'd send someone round about 10am. Come 5.30pm, I got home to find the hairband off the tap, the seal still broken, and the tap dribbling away. This time, I wasn't able to fix it with the hairband, so the stopcock went on. Cue another call to the LL.
"I thought the guy had left you a message," he said. "The seal is gone completely and the whole tap needs replacing."
"No," said I. "And the tap wasn't dribbling this morning when I left and it is now. I still don't expect to pay the excess on the water meter from yesterday or today."
"If you couldn't turn the stopcock," he said, "that's not my fault. There wasn't anything wrong with it. And if you want to have this argument we could keep it going for years. But I'm not going to argue over a couple of pounds difference on your water bill when it's going to cost me over £100 to replace the tap."
"I'm not raising my voice," I said, "But-"
He cut me off. "Neither am I. But there'll come a time," he said, "when you'll need me to do something else for you. And I can make things just as difficult for you. So we can keep on having this argument if you want. The tap will be replaced tomorrow."
When he hung up I got really upset. Ok, truthfully - I burst into tears. I'm not normally so emotional, but - new job, still trying to rent out or sell my own house so paying mortgage and rent, the fast move, blah blah. Anyhow, whatever. Let's glaze over that embarrassing bit!
I've turned the stopcock again this evening to stop the dribbling, which means I'm out of water unless I want to keep on with the dribbling tap. I'll turn it on briefly in the morning to shower.
I know it's pretty much impossible to judge how much higher the water bill is going to be so I doubt I'm gonna see anything from the LL in that respect, even if he had any kind of obligation to do so, which I suspect he doesn't.
Am I being unreasonable? I could definitely have been calmer, I admit that, but I didn't shout or scream down the phone. Did I sound angry and/or stressed? Yes, I'm sure I did. But for him to basically threaten that he could make things difficult for me... that was not cool :(
Awesome start to a tenancy, right?
I've just recently - 3 weeks ago - moved into rented accommodation after living in my own place for 8 years (fast relocation required). The place is lovely, but there were a couple of minor things - a loose kitchen tap and a loose light fitting which I hadn't got round to reporting because they weren't causing any trouble.
On Sunday morning I turned on the kitchen tap and then couldn't turn it off again. The tap just wouldn't get any purchase and kept slipping. When I tried to turn the stopcock on, it was too tight for me to turn. Lots of water pouring down the drain. I called the number on my AST agreement and got an answering machine, and left a message to report the problem, adding that I didn't want to pay the extra money on the water meter that this was going to cost. I wasn't shouting, but yeah, I was stressed. With the water still running I tried an alternative number and got the landlord on that. I repeated the same thing. "Now don't get excited," LL said. "I'm going to make a call and will call you right back."
Couple of minutes later a friend showed up, and he was able to turn the stopcock, thankfully. Ten minutes after that, a bloke (not the LL) showed up. I said we'd sorted the stopcock, and he took a look at the tap and said the seal had gone and it'd need to be repaired. He said he'd speak to the LL. I didn't hear from the LL himself again that day.
Monday morning rolls round and, needing a shower, I had a lightbulb moment and managed to jury rig a seal for the tap with an elastic hairband and managed to get it turned off. Stopcock off again, shower had, and I went off to work, thankful that the tap was no longer dripping, if only temporarily. I didn't turn the stopcock on again as it wasn't needed. I got a phone call from the LL on the way in to say he'd send someone round about 10am. Come 5.30pm, I got home to find the hairband off the tap, the seal still broken, and the tap dribbling away. This time, I wasn't able to fix it with the hairband, so the stopcock went on. Cue another call to the LL.
"I thought the guy had left you a message," he said. "The seal is gone completely and the whole tap needs replacing."
"No," said I. "And the tap wasn't dribbling this morning when I left and it is now. I still don't expect to pay the excess on the water meter from yesterday or today."
"If you couldn't turn the stopcock," he said, "that's not my fault. There wasn't anything wrong with it. And if you want to have this argument we could keep it going for years. But I'm not going to argue over a couple of pounds difference on your water bill when it's going to cost me over £100 to replace the tap."
"I'm not raising my voice," I said, "But-"
He cut me off. "Neither am I. But there'll come a time," he said, "when you'll need me to do something else for you. And I can make things just as difficult for you. So we can keep on having this argument if you want. The tap will be replaced tomorrow."
When he hung up I got really upset. Ok, truthfully - I burst into tears. I'm not normally so emotional, but - new job, still trying to rent out or sell my own house so paying mortgage and rent, the fast move, blah blah. Anyhow, whatever. Let's glaze over that embarrassing bit!
I've turned the stopcock again this evening to stop the dribbling, which means I'm out of water unless I want to keep on with the dribbling tap. I'll turn it on briefly in the morning to shower.
I know it's pretty much impossible to judge how much higher the water bill is going to be so I doubt I'm gonna see anything from the LL in that respect, even if he had any kind of obligation to do so, which I suspect he doesn't.
Am I being unreasonable? I could definitely have been calmer, I admit that, but I didn't shout or scream down the phone. Did I sound angry and/or stressed? Yes, I'm sure I did. But for him to basically threaten that he could make things difficult for me... that was not cool :(
Awesome start to a tenancy, right?