Washing machine broken in rented accomadation

Stench Blossoms

Hi all,

Was hoping I'd be able to get some advice here.

My landlord isn't the greatest. He is slow to pull the finger out for most things.

On Saturday morning my washing machine packed in. I rang him to let him know and he said that the guy he normally uses is away this weekend and his backup is away as well.

I had to use about 7 towels to soak up the water that the washing machines spilled out which are now starting to smell.

Would it be unreasonable for me to bring them (and my clothes that I need to wash) to the launderette and deduct the cost from the rent until the washing machine is fixed?

Ray Palmer

No unreasonable but you can't assume somebody is going to pay without agreement.
If you owned the place and your washing machine packed up you would have the same problem. It did only break on Saturday so how quick do you expect anybody to solve the problem that they aren't even aware of yet?

Stench Blossoms

Ray Palmer wrote: »

No unreasonable but you can't assume somebody is going to pay without agreement.
If you owned the place and your washing machine packed up you would have the same problem. It did only break on Saturday so how quick do you expect anybody to solve the problem that they aren't even aware of yet?

I'm going to ask the landlord first but was just wondering if asking it would be unreasonable.

It took him a month to replace the broken fridge so I don't have high hopes of it being fixed anytime soon.

the_syco

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

It took him a month to replace the broken fridge so I don't have high hopes of it being fixed anytime soon.

Ring him to remind him. Every day. At 8am. I'm sure he'll fix it faster then.... :P

silja

Call him for an update. It would be nice if he paid, but if the repair man is coming out (and can fix the machine) by Wednesday or so, I think it would be reasonable to wait.

I think it would be reasonable to ask if he hadn't responded in a long while, but today is the first working day since this happened.

If there is no sign of him addressing the issue in the near future, then I would approach him about paying for the laundry, but you have to give him a chance.

In the mean time, I'm sure you could wash the towels in the bath to stop them smelling, that would be the most logical thing to do.

littleredspot

Any time I've rang for a washing machine repair man to come out it's always taken a few days and never on a weekend. (That's from a very old and respected repair shop in Dublin) This would be the same for you if you were the house owner. Washing machines break and often it's because the user hasn't kept the filter clean, so I'd be carefull about making demands in case it proves to be your fault.

Stench Blossoms

Deleted User wrote: »

I think it would be reasonable to ask if he hadn't responded in a long while, but today is the first working day since this happened.

If there is no sign of him addressing the issue in the near future, then I would approach him about paying for the laundry, but you have to give him a chance.

In the mean time, I'm sure you could wash the towels in the bath to stop them smelling, that would be the most logical thing to do.

Yeh I'm not going to demand anything just yet. I'm going to give him a week.

I've no where to dry the towels as its a washer/dryer and I've no garden.

Radiators perhaps?

I have a garden but in this weather and while working all day you don't get to hang clothes out anyway so a clothes horse or radiators would be the best option.

Is it possible that the dryer will work independently from the washer?

Stench Blossoms

No radiators, storage heating.

I tried the dryer and its not working either.

Definitely invest in a clothes horse anyway, even when the dryer is fixed, the heating will be on in winter regardless so it'll be a cheaper way of drying your clothes

Stench Blossoms

Deleted User wrote: »

Definitely invest in a clothes horse anyway, even when the dryer is fixed, the heating will be on in winter regardless so it'll be a cheaper way of drying your clothes

Oh I have a clothes horse. I've been using that but no matter how much i ring the towels out they still drip onto the floor.

convert

You could try hanging the towels on the side of the bath or on the shower rail, which could help with the drips. If it fits, you coucd put the clothes horse in the bath.

However, I wouldn't recommend drying clothes on a clothes horse long term as it could lead to damp and mould issues.

Re. your initial query, give the landlord a week (or 7 working days if you want to be generous) to have the appliance repaired/replaced. After that, chase him up to address the issue, mentioning the added expense of now having to get your clothes laundered, suggesting he reimburse some of the costs.

I had quite a laid back landlord in the past, but when it came to appliances breaking, they replaced the fridge within 3 days of notification (delivery slowed it down) and when the tumble dryer broke we were given a budget, to be taken out of the rent, with which to purchase a new one.

Stench Blossoms

Just to update.

My landlord text me on Monday to say that someone would be in contact to fix it.

I hadn't heard anything so I text him again asking when would this be. Then an hour or so later a repair man rang me to arrange a time.

I told him that I had tried to use the dryer to dry one of the towels but that it just spun and nothing happened so that I thought there might be a problem with that as well.

The landlord rang me 5 mins later and absolutely roared at me down the phone. Said that the previous tenant was there for 4 years and he never had an ounce of trouble with him but that ever since i moved in he hears from me nearly every week.

He said that the repair man will only be coming to look at the machine and won't be fixing it until he determines what caused it because washing machines 'don't just start leaking for no reason'. Bascially saying that I did something to break it.

convert

Be sure to make a note of all contact with the LL on this matter (times, dates, what's said, tone, etc) so that if there's a problem with him down the line you have everything recorded.

It has been suggested in other threads before that a tenant in your situation write to the LL, informing them that if the appliance isn't repaired/replaced within X days they will hire somebody to fix it,or buy a new one, and take the cost out of the rent. I've never heard any feedback, though.

A LL has to provide a tenant with a dryer/washer-dryer if there's no garden to hang a clothes line.

If you continue to have issues, you could contact Threshold or Citizens Advice.

Stench Blossoms

He's sending someone this evening to have a look at it.

Marcusm

Perhaps he should calm down and realise that if the machine has worked faultlessly through prior tenancies it's not at all surprising that it would break down now. Vis a vis the ongoinglaundry, I know nothing of your financial circumstances but I would personally pay to have laundry done for the first week. Beyond that, I would view any continuing absence as a breach of the lease and would expect reasonable reimbursement. I am speaking from the perspective of both a landlord and tenant (I am both).

Stench Blossoms

So another update.

The previous tenant lives next door and I had a chat with them.

So she said that she did as well have some trouble with the washing machine and had to call the landlord about it. So him telling me there was never any issue with the washing machine before is a lie.

Also she said he wouldn't give her deposit back. He didn't give a reason. She's foreign and wasn't sure of her rights regarding this so never persued it.

I'm very worried now that in his words 'perfect tenant of 4 years' didn't get her deposit back that it's very doubtful that he will give me mine either.

handlemaster

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

So another update.

The previous tenant lives next door and I had a chat with them.

So she said that she did as well have some trouble with the washing machine and had to call the landlord about it. So him telling me there was never any issue with the washing machine before is a lie.

Also she said he wouldn't give her deposit back. He didn't give a reason. She's foreign and wasn't sure of her rights regarding this so never persued it.

I'm very worried now that in his words 'perfect tenant of 4 years' didn't get her deposit back that it's very doubtful that he will give me mine either.

personally if I wasn't getting anywhere. I'd hold back the money. He must be very tight if he just won't replace the washing machine. Once a machine goes its general for the bin/skip. At least when you hold the money back it will be sorted as this is all he is interested in. I won't worry about rights etc to do this, I had an issue with a tenant before and treshold etc couldn't care less.

littleredspot

handlemaster wrote: »

personally if I wasn't getting anywhere. I'd hold back the money. He must be very tight if he just won't replace the washing machine. Once a machine goes its general for the bin/skip. At least when you hold the money back it will be sorted as this is all he is interested in. I won't worry about rights etc to do this, I had an issue with a tenant before and treshold etc couldn't care less.

OP it is beginning to sound as if you have a bad landlord there but this is very bad advice.

Firstly, washing machines are one of the easiest things to fix and its normally just a case of replacing a part (or cleaning the filter) It would be rare to have to bin them.

Secondly, as it stands you've done nothing wrong, if you withhold rent you will be making the situation worse and will also be in breach of your lease. If things do get more serious/legal, you won't have helped your case.

The only part of the above post I'd agree with is that Threshold are worse than useless, literally.

Hopefully by now it will all be sorted though!

Ray Palmer

convert wrote: »

A LL has to provide a tenant with a dryer/washer-dryer if there's no garden to hang a clothes line.

.

THis is still not true yet. New rental properties do but existing places don't have to until the end of the year.

No tenant ever has the right to withold rent even if they state it. They are automatically in the wrong if they do this. Very bad advice to ever suggest this.

Stench Blossoms

Another update.

The OH rang the letting agency (who we paid the deposit to) and explained what was going on and that he knew what had happened with the previous tenant.

Bascially she told him that she didn't care and that it's up to the landlord if he wants to keep the deposit.

My lease isn't up until July next year but if things keep going the way they are going I'm gonna have to start looking for somewhere new.

Ray Palmer

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

Another update.

The OH rang the letting agency (who we paid the deposit to) and explained what was going on and that he knew what had happened with the previous tenant.

Bascially she told him that she didn't care and that it's up to the landlord if he wants to keep the deposit.

My lease isn't up until July next year but if things keep going the way they are going I'm gonna have to start looking for somewhere new.

Then you will lose your deposit for sure

littleredspot

Any update OP?

Stench Blossoms

The washing machine is fixed now and I've heard nothing since from the landlord.

Edit: Well it's not 100% fixed. It doesn't do the last spin so you have to manually set it to do it.