But was able to contact an electrician. I don't know a single adult that doesn't have a mobile these days. They could always have used a public phone.
Tenant organises own electrical work with big fee....
- Thread starter Corporategirl
- Start date
But was able to contact an electrician. I don't know a single adult that doesn't have a mobile these days. They could always have used a public phone.
In WA the standard form lease MUST be used.
http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/atoms/files/restenancyagreementform1aa.pdf
Read Clause 22 and the carefully read clause 23 line by line.
You may not have to pay. They didn't follow the terms of the lease. 23.1 was not followed. They were impatient for "essential repairs" which must be completed within 24hrs or then they can get their own tradie. The PM should address this with the tenant.
http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/atoms/files/restenancyagreementform1aa.pdf
Read Clause 22 and the carefully read clause 23 line by line.
You may not have to pay. They didn't follow the terms of the lease. 23.1 was not followed. They were impatient for "essential repairs" which must be completed within 24hrs or then they can get their own tradie. The PM should address this with the tenant.
The laws are worded differently but it stresses that tenant is to notify the landlord/agent first, then try the emergency contact numbers and if no luck to then try someone different. If it is a burst pipe and yes I know they can turn it off at the main, but tenants panic first. Should they wait for the agent to call back or get someone out to fix asap? 24 hrs wait not written in NSW and 24 hrs too long for some cases.
Also i am very tired about them and us situation! Tenant normally is not there to take advantage of the owner as the owner in most cases is not there to take advantage of the tenant.
Both have to live together and work together. WIN WIN situation for both parties make a long term relationship work.
Work out what was urgent, cost break up and would your electrician been any cheaper? Be flexible and fair!!
Also i am very tired about them and us situation! Tenant normally is not there to take advantage of the owner as the owner in most cases is not there to take advantage of the tenant.
Both have to live together and work together. WIN WIN situation for both parties make a long term relationship work.
Work out what was urgent, cost break up and would your electrician been any cheaper? Be flexible and fair!!
Sorry with delay getting back (have been unwell). Here are some answers to some of the questions.
1. Tenant called electrician out
2. Electrician knew they were a tenant and says that they tried calling the PM "some time on the weekend" but PM has no missed call or message (I know the PM well and don't beleive that they would be dishonest about this).
3. Electrician got the tenant to pay this (so tenant currently out of pocket) - this is my main concern as don't want to incur hardship with tenant)
4. We have asked PM assistant to get copy of documented invoice (invoice is vague and hard to read) with cause of fault and details of repair. So far don't have this as the PM assistant only got info in a phone call and this was - "situation is complex in that the board in the meter box is asbestos and they did not want to drill into it". "The electrics in the box were also not up to scratch and they had to replace the RCD's". "They are not able to specify a cause - age? Or electrical surge?. They tried to call PM on weekend to get authority to replace the switchboard but did not get answer so repaired to required standard".
PM assistant have advised that we now need to follow up with electrician if we need further information.
We bought the property just over 12 months ago and had everything checked as part of inspection and this was never raised as an issue then....
We are happy to pay the $770 if it is a fair price (getting confirmation on this) but will ask tenant to contribute If it is double the reasonable price.....
Feel that the tenant did the wrong thing with not contacting PM who has now given him a talking to!! Also the electrician have possibly seen this as an opportunity to take advantage.
1. Tenant called electrician out
2. Electrician knew they were a tenant and says that they tried calling the PM "some time on the weekend" but PM has no missed call or message (I know the PM well and don't beleive that they would be dishonest about this).
3. Electrician got the tenant to pay this (so tenant currently out of pocket) - this is my main concern as don't want to incur hardship with tenant)
4. We have asked PM assistant to get copy of documented invoice (invoice is vague and hard to read) with cause of fault and details of repair. So far don't have this as the PM assistant only got info in a phone call and this was - "situation is complex in that the board in the meter box is asbestos and they did not want to drill into it". "The electrics in the box were also not up to scratch and they had to replace the RCD's". "They are not able to specify a cause - age? Or electrical surge?. They tried to call PM on weekend to get authority to replace the switchboard but did not get answer so repaired to required standard".
PM assistant have advised that we now need to follow up with electrician if we need further information.
We bought the property just over 12 months ago and had everything checked as part of inspection and this was never raised as an issue then....
We are happy to pay the $770 if it is a fair price (getting confirmation on this) but will ask tenant to contribute If it is double the reasonable price.....
Feel that the tenant did the wrong thing with not contacting PM who has now given him a talking to!! Also the electrician have possibly seen this as an opportunity to take advantage.
Gosh - you can be harsh ... in a storm the power may go off, but usually only for a few hours - not days. Can't really expect some old dude to live by candlelight, and have the food in his freezer go off, just because you don't want to pay weekend rates.
The PM didn't receive any calls ... did they call the office or the mobile? Do they have the mobile number, or is it given on an answering service if they dial the office?
I rang after hours last Friday as urgently trying to get in touch with my PM about a tenant issue ... was transferred thru to an answering service who took my details to get the "on call" agent to phone back ... it's now the following Thursday and I'm still waiting. Luckily I managed to track down a selling agents home number several hours later and they dealt with the issue instead.
Sim
Administrator
As both a tenant and a landlord, I've lived both sides of this argument.
It is completely unreasonable to suggest that the tenant should be without power all weekend. Storm damage to the power grid will be fixed as soon as the power company can get to it, but if it is a problem with the house itself - it needs to be fixed as a matter of urgency and it is the landlords responsibility to reimburse these costs.
To those who suggest that it could wait is potentially leaving you open to a large insurance claim for spoiled food - and what if the tenant has important medicines which need to be kept refrigerated?
We had a burst pipe in our house late one Saturday night last year, which left us without running water and two young kids - I called a local plumber who did only what was enough to get us going again and left us with instructions to get our PM to send their plumber out to check everything and make sure it was sound enough for the long term (which they did).
The cost including callout fee was $440 - the company was very professional in the way they handled it, all their fees are clearly stated up front and they gave a detailed invoice, which I paid on the spot and was later reimbursed by my PM.
Now, as a landlord, if I had been given an invoice for $770 for electrical work which was vaguely described and potentially didn't need to be done - I'd be challenging it strongly with the electrician.
Either way - unless you feel that the tenant was negligent in their actions (are they a qualified electrician? if not, then they are pretty much at the mercy of what the electrician says needs to be done), I would just reimburse them fully and take it up with the electrician.
But definitely ask the electrician to justify their costs - the invoice should detail clearly all work that was completed and potentially why it was necessary, if it is not obvious that the work needed to be done there and then at after-hours callout rates.
It is completely unreasonable to suggest that the tenant should be without power all weekend. Storm damage to the power grid will be fixed as soon as the power company can get to it, but if it is a problem with the house itself - it needs to be fixed as a matter of urgency and it is the landlords responsibility to reimburse these costs.
To those who suggest that it could wait is potentially leaving you open to a large insurance claim for spoiled food - and what if the tenant has important medicines which need to be kept refrigerated?
We had a burst pipe in our house late one Saturday night last year, which left us without running water and two young kids - I called a local plumber who did only what was enough to get us going again and left us with instructions to get our PM to send their plumber out to check everything and make sure it was sound enough for the long term (which they did).
The cost including callout fee was $440 - the company was very professional in the way they handled it, all their fees are clearly stated up front and they gave a detailed invoice, which I paid on the spot and was later reimbursed by my PM.
Now, as a landlord, if I had been given an invoice for $770 for electrical work which was vaguely described and potentially didn't need to be done - I'd be challenging it strongly with the electrician.
Either way - unless you feel that the tenant was negligent in their actions (are they a qualified electrician? if not, then they are pretty much at the mercy of what the electrician says needs to be done), I would just reimburse them fully and take it up with the electrician.
But definitely ask the electrician to justify their costs - the invoice should detail clearly all work that was completed and potentially why it was necessary, if it is not obvious that the work needed to be done there and then at after-hours callout rates.
Maybe I am, I guess I am used to having the power go off for days, in the middle of winter.
However, the PM stated a call was not made.
Are you going to believe the tenant or your agent?
Bags of ice will keep a fridge/freezer cold.
Kind of agree that power being off constitutes an emergency.
Depending on the work, $770 could well be very reasonable for switchboard work. Doesn't take much wrong with a switchboard to get you into that territory.
I think PMs should get fridge magnets printed with the emergency numbers and the order in which they should be called. Tenant filing systems sometimes make information hard to find in daylight, let alone the dark.
Depending on the work, $770 could well be very reasonable for switchboard work. Doesn't take much wrong with a switchboard to get you into that territory.
I think PMs should get fridge magnets printed with the emergency numbers and the order in which they should be called. Tenant filing systems sometimes make information hard to find in daylight, let alone the dark.
Sim
Administrator
Absolutely - I recall the PM for this house we rent sending us a small slip of paper (about 5cm x 5cm) that contained a list of the emergency numbers to call.
Of course, I have no idea where this paper is now, and they do not have this information on their website.
Interestingly, they now have a maintenance request form which states the following:
