Deposit deduction for repairs - landlord responsibilites

[fpyards]

I don't think Foxton's provided them, the landlord has always been responsible for managing the property and repairs.

The clauses relating to picture hooks are:
"Not to hang or fix any posters, pictures or other items to the walls of the Property using nails, glue, blu-tac, sellotape or their equivalents, other than with a reasonable number of commercial picture hooks"

"To pay the reasonable costs of making good any excessive damage marks or holes caused by any fixings or their removal"

No mention of permission and we didn't discuss it.

[Hooper]

Ok - so almost certainly your responsibility. Comments re costs in my earlier post. On the face of it I think any more than 2hrs plumbing time (which doesn't include repair after) needs to be justified.

In future think about using Command Strips for hanging anything up to about 4kg.

[royw]

Seems a bit excessive to me but it might not have been so easy to find the leak. You knew where the hole was but by the time the plumber got there it might have been wet at the bottom of the wall but not around the hole. Once the water was turned off water left in the pipe would just have dribbled down the pipe. That might be why he made such a big hole in the wall to find the leak.

[jase222]

I had a similar problem when a tenant put a nail into the wall , unfortunately it went into gas pipe and I only noticed when I decorated and heard the gas belting out.
the tenant denied responsibility but it was clear as mud and they paid in the end

[Hooper]

I had a similar problem when a tenant put a nail into the wall , unfortunately it went into gas pipe and I only noticed when I decorated and heard the gas belting out.
the tenant denied responsibility but it was clear as mud and they paid in the end

First thing I did on my first ever flat was have gas piped to the fireplaces. The second thing was to have wood laminate floors put down. The second thing resulted in about forty punctures to the new gas pipes.

[Hooper]

From the checkout inventory I can see that the plumber (or someone) has torn a very messy 3 foot hole in the wall to get access to the copper heating pipe inside.

Just to clarify, if this was a heating pipe then the heating circuit is a closed loop. Any leak would just keep leaking until all pipework and radiators above the leak were empty - not much you can do. At that point it would stop leaking. Turning the water off at the stop cock would be unlikely to have made the slightest difference.

[fpyards]

Photo from checkout inventory

[Hooper]

Not sure anyone can provide much more feedback until you gets answers from the landlord.

With the pipe tight in against a stud they may have needed to open up further to find the fixings that allow them to loosen the pipe sufficiently to get a repair joint on. Looks like an awkward plasterboard repair and can see why that might be £180 with decoration.

As an aside, the sound proofing resilient bars are incorrectly fitted. They should cross the studs at 90degrees to minimise points of contact.

[jpucng62]

You have punctured a pipe, a plumber has been called to fix it & a decorator will need to make several trips to repair & will probably need to repaint at least the whole wall.

The LL does not need to get the cheapest contractor, only to not make money.

You are at fault, pay the bill.

[jpkeates]

The LL does not need to get the cheapest contractor, only to not make money.

They don't have to get the cheapest contractor, because they are entitled to take quality and timescale (for example) into account.
But they are obliged to keep their loss to a minimum, not simply not to make money.

[Parkers4]

The claim is for compensation, its easier to justify with an invoice, but the adjudicator will accept estimates, quotes etc.

I had to call out an emergency plumber, had to pay for an asbestos check, £500 excess, to remove & repair a ceiling to access pipes , repaint stained walls/ceiling in the room below, when the tenant claimed the pipe had burst to the bath, when they had actually flooded the floor themselves - yes I claimed from the deposit to put it right

[fpyards]

I got invoices from the landlord today. Two plumbers came, one to diagnose and one to do the fix. Both seem to be reasonable, non-dodgy companies based on a quick google (The Plumbing and heating people and Master Gas .

Invoice 1 £72.50:
Plumbing Diagnostic (this is all the detail of the invoice)

Invoice 2 £420:
Repair damaged 28mm copper pipe
* Cut damaged section of copper pipe out
* Replace new copper pipe section
* Solder new connection
* Test new pipe section integrity

No explanation of what made it so expensive. Or why two separate plumbers were used. I assume though with invoices I have little chance of disputing it even if the cost appears to be unreasonably high? Could I suggest reduced costs or challenge the diagnostic fee?

The £180 for the plasterer the landlord hasn't provided because the work hasn't been done yet, though I did ask for a quote for planned work.

[Parkers4]

https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/cos.../plumber-cost/

[davetg]

It seems strange that the plumber who diagnosed the problem could not fix it. The second invoice for £420 seems excessive for replacing a short section of pipe even allowing for the fact that he might have had to drain down the system, refill it and bleed all the radiators but unfortunately that is what some trades can get away with particularly in London - I have just had a bill for £204 to replace 2 euro barrel locks which took 10 minutes.

To repair the wall for £180 seems good value in comparison.

It doesn't look like the landlord is trying it on so you may just have accept it.

[Parkers4]

we have to remember we are paying for someone's knowledge as well as their time.

I just replaced 2 mortice locks & I euro barrel at the end of the tenancy, less than £100, because I could do it myself, but if I had to do for someone else I would add a £75 (Inc 1st half hour) call-out fee & at lease £50 per hour