Landlord - Maintenance - where do you draw the line?

Bass Cadet

I have three tenants in a house in Galway city.

I live in Dublin and decided to not go with a property management company as they company I had before were useless.

Anyway. I actually reduced the rent even though they never told me there was a 3rd tenant living in the house (cause of circumstance - I don't have time to travel up and down to Galway to interview potential tenants).
I got references etc of 3rd tenant and they are good tenants all being said. Anyway, new lease just signed last week.
They are from China and are phd/lecturers at the university.

I understand that as the property owner I'm responsible for 'maintenance' of the house as regards a shower needing replacing, etc if it happens to become faulty.

However, they have asked me to pay and replace 'lightbulbs' in the house. Now, I'm well used to being a tenant myself and actually laughed at the thought of having to replace lightbulbs. They turn on the power and use the light bulbs, if they fail, it's because...they're lightbulbs...after a certain amount of usage, they by their very nature expire.

I'm not a solicitor but do have it in writing that I will 'maintain the house to the extent that it was first inhabited'. When the house was rented, all bulbs and contents were is in pristine condition.

Using common sense I would have thought that like water/refuse etc light bulbs should not be my concern (useless there is an electrical fault which there is not).

I thought it was a joke at first and have had the house rented to other tenants for the last six years (as I was living abroad) and have never had such a 'claim'.

What's my course of action here in anyone's experience?
All and any help appreciated.

PS...they are just normal light bulbs in the kitchen.

glued

Ask them do they want any toilet roll when you're picking up the light bulbs?

Technically, it's a grey area I think but it's common sense that the tenant replaces the light bulbs IMO.

awec

Tenant should replace it.

The mind boggles that someone would actually ask their landlord this. For the sake of a few quid it is surely much handier to do yourself?

Markcheese

I was renting out my brothers house (he was in oz) - and the tennants were using a bedside lamp to light kitchen diner as all the halogen bulbs ( 8 or 9 of them ) had blown - and for some reason they were a bugger to change .
I had to take the lamp fittings out of the ceiling -
Well within they're rights to get me to change them -
Another crowd knicked all the cfl bulbs out the house - not huge but cost me 40 or 50 quid at the time to put them in . Left cheapo bulbs in after .

Jay Dee

Hi,

" maintain the house to the extent that it was first inhabited ", is surely subject to normal wear and tear.
You don't go back to the garage when the tyres wear down and get a new set.....
Consumables cannot be included...

My opinion...

Thanks

Jay.

handlemaster

Nip it at the bud. Not LL issue. It will only get worse

Father Hernandez

As a tenant currently, I'd be embarrassed to ask my landlord to replace light bulbs.

boardsuser1

I am a tenant and have been in the private sector for 14 years now,if there was 1 thing I never asked the LL to replace it was light bulbs,broken shower,washing machine,fridge etc yes,but god almighty are you telling me they have PHD's and don't know or are not willing to change a bloody bulb :rolleyes:

quadrifoglio verde

How many PhD holders does it take to change a lightbulb? Must be like the set of the big bang theory in there, all brains and no idea on how to use them.

I'd be replying that light bulbs are the tenants responsibility, like all other consumables in the property....you might have left a bottle of fairy for example in the property, once it's gone its their responsibility. Likewise light bulbs, they're a consumable

newacc2015

You can hold your ground on the lightbulbs and they might give you. But dont expect a glowing reference when you move out. If I heard a potential tenant was being a nightmare to deal with over a lightbulb. I would look for another potential tenant

Mrs OBumble

Bass Cadet wrote: »

They are from China and are phd/lecturers at the university.

Bad news for ya, OP - there are some tenants, and not just from overseas, who do expect LLs to do lightbulbs. (Mr OBumble has done some work for a property manager!) And there are likely cultural / language issues at work here.

Someone has to politely and calmly educate them that changing lightbulbs is a tenant responsibility, just like cutting the lawn and cleaning. Congratulations - you are that someone!

If they say they are scared of the electricity (can be the case for people from certain countries), then explain - again politely and calmly without any sarcasm - that it is normal for people to change their own bulbs here, and that our houses are designed so that this is safe provided the light is switched off at the time.

If they still refuse, say that they will have to pay for an electrician to do it - and you hire a spark and tell him that his job is to teach the tenants how to change lightbulbs.

Bass Cadet

Thanks for all the replies.
I have informed them, politely without any sarcasm or being fasicious that the bulbs are normal wear and tear and that they can replace them themselves.I noted if they think there is a fault with the electricity obviously to tell me and that is something I would get checked out immidiately

I didn't say this to them but I'm a tenant myself in Dublin and as someone else said I'd be embarrassed to ask my landlord to have bulbs paid for and changed by her. It's not a cultural thing.

If they want to move out over a few light bulbs they can. As I mentioned in the original post I was good enough to actually slightly reduce the rent when every other landlord is raising it to the highest levels ever the city...issue over as far as I'm concerned.

It's the principal here that's the issue, not the cost. If I start paying and changing light bulbs for them where would it end??

Again, thanks for replies

dissed doc

LIght bulbs are consumable items like toilet paper, cleaning materials, or anything else the tenant needs to keep the apartment in a habitable condition when they are living there.

it is worth making a document, per room, specifying exactly who is responsible for what. E.g., Kitchen: Dishwasher: washing tablets, detergent, filters, keeping external clean and internal drainage unblocked = tenant. Mechanical problems = landlord. Every light socket, electrical socket, tec., ..

Jaketherake

Put a policy like his one that I've outlined below in place.

I charge market rent. So I tell the tenant on moving in that I
have budgeted €500 for expenses for the property during
the year.
On the anniversary of their rental, what remains will be given
to them. And if it happens that they leave 1.5 years after
moving in and i havent had to dip into that budget they will
get €500 at the end of 12 months and €250 the day they
leave, provided the rent is up to date and the budget is
intact.
I also tell them that if I have to call them about late rent or
anything else then thats using my time so its €50 off that
budget straight away each time.
You would be amazed at the amount of times the tenant
now fixes small things, or buys their own stuff instead of
asking me for it. Because coming to me now costs them
money as they see it.
Before I did that they were calling me about letterboxes not
closing properly, lightbulbs buzzing, fuses gone in the
hoover, hoover bags, shower hoses, doorbell batteries,
squeeky handles on doors .... you name it.
Now they dont, they learn how to change fuses, oil hinges,
buy a shower hose for a fiver, buy a battery for a doorbell.
All that costs them a few euro. For me to do it would cost
€50 plus the few euro.

vrusinov

Do they ask for replacement of any lightbulb?
I've asked landlord for replacement of certain lighbulbs since it was a hassle to replace and I did not have any tools or ladder to do it, and I did not wanted to buy them as there's nowhere to store in tiny apartment I rent.
Could something like this be the case here?

Also, is it some kind of special expensive bulb or just something standard?

If not, just tell no. I could not imagine asking anyone to replace some simple bulb. Surely it's more hassle and time to call and ask somebody than just do it.

Yawns

Jesus christ some people are thick. Tell them no and to change the bulbs themselves.

I'd generally try to take care of any diy myself if I can and not bother the LL too much even tho there's been plenty that I could have bothered him with. I'd be embarrassed to ring him about changing bulbs for me.