Tenants. Am I the only one who has trouble with them?

[jedisparks]

Don't know about anyone else but whenever I get a call from a lanlord to go and look at a problem in a tenanted property, I always get a sinking feeling.

I've lost count of the number of times I've made agreed appointments only to turn up and they're not in.

Tonights one has really annoyed me. landlord asks me if I can take a look at a storage heater in one of his properties and gives me the tenants phone number. So I'm speaking to the tenant and say that I can pop in tomorrow if he's about. He says this is fine but he wont be there, so I will need to collect a key from the agents. So far so good. I then just suggest that I could do Saturday in case he would rather be there when I'm there. At this he loses it and shouts "I'm not waiting till f*&^ing saturday!" rasing his voice and having a rant at me.

I was only trying to help. I just thought that this was really rude. I'm tempted not to do the job now but I will because the landlord is a friend of mine. It just dosen't seem worth the 30 or 40 quid i'll get from the job.

In contrast, I have worked for some really nice tenants in the past so I'm not taring all with the same brush. But some are a pain in backside to say the least.

Is it just me, or does anyone else get the sinking feeling when a landlord calls up?

 

[Jay Sparks]

Luckily, I only work for a couple of landlords and so far I havent had a problem with the tennant. Infact, most of the time, the tennant bends over back wards for me because they know that I can sort the problem there having. The most recent one was a storage heater like yours and the tennant was all to keen to be nice because she was freezing in the living room and she knew if she was nice, I would fix it quickley!!!lol
Now that ive said that,I will of course encounter a tennant from hell....lol

I have had a few runnings with social housing tennants when I did a bit of subbying. One set the dog on me and some of them blatently refused to stop smoking while I was working in there house. I know its there house but while im making there house safer, there killing my lungs!!

Jay

 

[telectrix]

if you are ever having a council employee visiting, you are told not to smoke in the house all day, even if they're coming at 4.00 pm.

 

[Jay Sparks]

if you are ever having a council employee visiting, you are told not to smoke in the house all day, even if they're coming at 4.00 pm.

Exactley, I was subbying for a large social housing company and they were refurbing all the houses, new kitchen, new bathroom, full rewire, all decorated etc etc...the tennant was always told when the works were to be carried out and not to smoke on that DAY. I dont think they listened, every house I went into to test, there was a blanket of smoke, not always tobacco neither!!!!!!!

Now up until 6 years ago, I used to smoke (both)..lol and I dont look down on people that want to do it but I stopped to become healthier and to be able to play footy with my lad when im 50+, so when people smoke near me I dont like it. I useually walk away but you cant do that when its your job.

Jay

 

[jedisparks]

I guess people have different ways of dealing with things. When some people want someone else's help they are nice and friendly and make things easy (I generally fall in that camp). While others get angry, rude etc. This fella just got my back up because I don't like his way.

Agree with the smoking thing too. I used to smoke and try not judge others who do. But when it is imposed on you while you're working it is horrible. Being a non smoker now, I hate working in homes when people are smoking. I'm not sure it occurs to them that it may bother you. You go home stinking of it. So glad I stopped myself some years back

 

[Guitarist]

This thread just reminds me why I don't work for landlords...
There IS no excuse for rudeness. State that you want an apology before you carry out any work for this tenant, otherwise they just get away with it.

 

[oldtimer]

My business is doing repairs for letting agents and I am left to manage the tenants yes there are some but I am on to them so they say I am not waiting in all day for you and I say I will give you a time and stick to it plus mobiles are great as you can text them and they like that. It annoys me when they say pick up the keys only to find they are in the house and they say well the house is in a bit of a state can you come back I say no sorry you agreed to this and the landlord would be charged for my visit then he will send it to you O well come away in then would you like a cup o tea