Tenant arranged repairs and now expects me to pay

[Phi]

Not sure where things stand on this one.

The lights in one section of the house blew (apparently the fuse went early one morning, old type with the wire wrapped around that plugs in). Tenant doesn't contact me but contacts a friend who has some of her own properties and a handyman goes around. Doesn't fix the problem. Tenant contacts another friend and somehow a sparky is arranged and turns up. Says the fault is due to loose wiring in the bathroom so replaces the lights (one of two sets in the room).

Next day it blows again, no lights in that section of the house. Tenant still hasn't contacted me.

Next day I send through a rent increase notification (not out of the norm, still below market).

The following morning I receive a text from the tenant asking me to call. I do and she advises the above (which started the Friday, its now Monday). I don't want to muck around (its electrical) so I manage to arrange for someone to be out there in a few hours.

The sparky I arranged says its the bathroom and changes the other set of lights in there (both set now replaced by different people). Early the next morning (Tuesday) the tenant texts me, lights have blown again. Same sparky is contacted and will come back to check it out. Installs safety switch and advises tenant to let him know if it blows again. Tenant lets me know this is what has been done and what they have been advised.

Friday the tenant texts me and says it blew once Wednesday and twice Thursday. Contacting the sparky as he advised last visit. Sparky is booked to come out again Monday.

Haven't had the account and report through from the company yet, but now its 3 visits, first 2 didn't resolve the issue with items replaced that may not have needed to be (lights).

This evening the tenant forwards the invoice from the first sparky that was arranged without my knowledge, and after some handyman fiddled around with things, and expects me to pay the bill.

I'd already arranged to call her later this week (before she sent the invoice to me), but as she didn't bother to advise me of any issue and went ahead and organised people to come out, I feel I'm more of a third party. Had I been notified after the first time, I would have arranged a local sparky who I have used before and am confident in his workmanship. As I wasn't advised until 3 days and several incidents later, I had to use someone further away and more expensive.

Who should cover the first sparky's invoice?

I'll also be making it clear that the tenant needs to let me know when there are any issues.

Thanks for your wisdom.

[Don't believe the Hype]

Do not pay the bill.

Next they'll be calling in a painter to freshen up the interior and sending you the bill.

[PC]

The bill is not your problem.
The tenant should have first replaced the blown fuse then called you if it continued to fail.
The electrician/handyman can pursue the person who authorised the work - the tenant.
Tell the tenant if they mess about with the electrics they had better provide an electrical certificate of compliance.

[Anthonyacat]

Absolutely not your problem to pay the first bill. If your relationship with the tenant is really good, maybe offer to split it with them and advise it'll never happen again.

They need to contact you when there's a problem, that's their job. You then need to get the problem fixed promptly, that's your job.

[Phi]

Thanks all for your feedback, appreciated.

[Lighthouse]

As a preventative measure, it is a good idea to spell out the consequences of this sort of thing in your tenancy agreement.
Long term, you should consider updating your meter board. Get rid of the old fuses and upgrade the rest of your wiring.

[RollingCloud]

From Tenancy Services:
If repairs are urgent"If the state of disrepair is likely to cause injury to people or property, a tenant can have repair work done and ask the landlord to pay them for it. A landlord must also pay the tenant back for any urgent repair work the tenant had to have done, as long as the tenant made reasonable attempts to let the landlord know first."
So you can refer them to that if they dispute as tenant did not appear to have made reasonable attempts to contact you first.

[Perry]

Some good advice proffered. However, better to quote the RTA than something on the TS web site. (They have been known to get things wrong.)

45 Landlord’s responsibilities

(1) The landlord shall—
(d) compensate the tenant for any reasonable expenses incurred by the tenant in repairing the premises where—
(i) the state of disrepair has arisen otherwise than as a result of a breach of the tenancy agreement by the tenant and is likely to cause injury to persons or property or is otherwise serious and urgent; and
(ii) the tenant has given the landlord notice of the state of disrepair or made a reasonable attempt to do so;

Did the problem ever get conclusively solved? It did sound like a bit of an oddity.

[Rentex]

Per others advice above. Put it in writing too. Insurance potentially void, happy to fix faults quickly, etc.

Is "safety switch" in your post a circuit breaker?
Most people don't know how to replace fuse wire and I've been told by an electrician that if they do often the wrong gauge wire is used and allows too much current. Replacing fuse blocks with circuit breakers where practical (fuse blows, electrician on site) is good.

[SPerfect]

Per others advice above. Put it in writing too. Insurance potentially void, happy to fix faults quickly, etc.

Is "safety switch" in your post a circuit breaker?
Most people don't know how to replace fuse wire and I've been told by an electrician that if they do often the wrong gauge wire is used and allows too much current. Replacing fuse blocks with circuit breakers where practical (fuse blows, electrician on site) is good.

If you want to keep the tenant, you may have to bite the bullet and pay the bill - but I'd wait on the rest of the bills and then decide.

I'd also email them so it's in writing, including the wording and that they must contact you first- give them your contact details again so no excuse includ mobile/email/other phone number. Even better if you go around there, get them to sign it and you sign it so that they can't argue it, and scan a copy for them for their own records. Either way put it in writing.

[Meehole]

Just pay the bill and be thankful your tenant was proactive in trying to get it sorted. Better that than leave it and the house burns down.

[Bobsyouruncle]

Sounds like you're being a bit petty in this case. Just pay it.

[Phi]

Not petty, nor was it an emergency situation, the fuse blew. As earlier forumites have said, its the tenant's responsibility to advise me of the issue but she didn't until 4 days later. It happened several years ago and the fuse wire was simply changed, problem sorted. Who knows what the supposed handyman she got over did, as its become a bigger problem to fix. Tenant has delayed advising me before of another issue and the problem got worse and cost more to resolve.

[Bobsyouruncle]

But you've already invested more energy on here than it would have taken to pay what is a small bill........

[Perry]

But you've already invested more energy on here than it would have taken to pay what is a small bill........

Oh, dear. That's akin to not reporting a defaulting tenant so that other LLs might know of that propensity, because of the effort involved.

Mind you, from someone who puts more energy into PT than paying back people he owes money to, that sort of response is not out-of-character.

Phi - you need to know who is behind that avuncular facade, before paying much heed.