Damage to washing machine/ curtains who's liability

Baby01032012

New tenants just moved in.

Decided to wash living room curtains in the washing machine. These are large heavy long curtains for 3 windows. They ring to let me know. Curtains are stuck mid cycle with drum full of water. Can't switch off or restart or drain. I'm getting make so I can find out manufacturer and agent. If machine is broken and curtains damaged who's liability? Washing machine is relatively new.

punisher5112

They damaged them so they would be responsible.

Washing machine is something must be provided but their negligence caused it to break.

I would suggest putting some rules in writing to hopefully prevent this stupidity happening again.

You could take the costs from deposit at end of tenancy but have proof and receipts.

TheBlock

Baby01032012 wrote: »

New tenants just moved in.

Decided to wash living room curtains in the washing machine. These are large heavy long curtains for 3 windows. They ring to let me know. Curtains are stuck mid cycle with drum full of water. Can't switch off or restart or drain. I'm getting make so I can find out manufacturer and agent. If machine is broken and curtains damaged who's liability? Washing machine is relatively new.

Did they let you know before they put the wash on or when they realised they had a problem?

Both of you are responsible I'd say. Washing machines have max loads they can take and tenant should have seen this marked on the machine, You have given them permission so have to shoulder some of the blame.

Any washing machine repair man should be able to drain the machine and open the door call out charge about €80 - €100. Machine made need repairs though curtains will be just wet

TheBlock

TheBlock wrote: »

.......... You have given them permission so have to shoulder some of the blame.............

They rang to let him know there was a problem, not to ask permission.

100% the tenants fault, they should pay for all & any costs incurred to rectify this mess that is of their doing.

mikemac2

There are YouTube videos that will show how to drain the machine

I was clueless for many years but once I found a good video it was all I needed.

You could ask your tenants to have a go before the handyman gets called. I'm guessing the pump is blocked. If so, not a big deal and a new machine will not be needed

Baby01032012

Sorry to be clear they rang me 1-2 days after they decided to wash the curtains.

737max

drain machine and it probably will work again.

if curtains have "directions for care" label and it advises not to machine wash then they are liable for replacement of curtains.

Bitches Be Trypsin

Perhaps you should have had the curtains clean before they moved in?

PhoenixParker

As others have said, drain the machine and there's a 99% chance it'll work.

Did they stuff all the curtains in at once? A modern washing machine should be well able to handle one or two curtains even or big windows.

Also in terms of what they might owe you, bear in mind that what they owe you is the value of a secondhand washing machine of whatever age your machine is and similarly a secondhand pair of curtains. You may need to cover the difference between those values and "new".

737max

Bitches Be Trypsin wrote: »

Perhaps you should have had the curtains clean before they moved in?

What grounds do you have to surmise such a thing?

Bitches Be Trypsin

737max wrote: »

What grounds do you have to surmise such a thing?

More courtesy than anything else, have a house clean when people move in.

The Diddakoi

Washing machine probably just stopped mid wash as it is overloaded.

If machine won't drain when set to drain, have a look for a catch, which is often under the flap where the drain filter is.
Open door, remove the load, and then the machine should then work as usual.

Curtains could be rewashed in one of those large washing machines outside Tesco's etc, depending on material they are made of.

737max

Bitches Be Trypsin wrote: »

More courtesy than anything else, have a house clean when people move in.

You jump to conclusions based on scant information.

cruizer101

Bitches Be Trypsin wrote: »

Perhaps you should have had the curtains clean before they moved in?

Perhaps tenants shouldn't have gotten the curtains dirty. Oh wait I'm jumping to assumption there.

Tenants liable op, whilst you do have deposit you would be better to get money back sooner. But see if you can fix yourself first

Baby01032012

Bitches Be Trypsin wrote: »

More courtesy than anything else, have a house clean when people move in.

The house was completely refurbished, everything brand new. There may have been some minor work after the curtains were put up that resulted in dust on them. However when I inspected I didn't see any dust on the curtains.

TheChizler

We're talking about liability but there's no evidence of any cost or damage yet. Drain the machine, get the curtains out, and reassess. Are you even sure they weigh more than the machine max? I've had cheap washing machines give up on me mid-cycle with half loads, draining them fixed it. Could be nothing.

mikeybrennan

It's a blocked filter or pump

Not strictly damage

davindub

Baby01032012 wrote: »

The house was completely refurbished, everything brand new. There may have been some minor work after the curtains were put up that resulted in dust on them. However when I inspected I didn't see any dust on the curtains.

I suppose the good part is they cared enough to wash the curtains.

I don't think the machine would stop like that unless there is a drainage issue, check pipes aren't pinched, filter is clean, you can drain below. Once the blockage is cleared, it should just start working again.

You could bill them, but I would only do so if sure they caused it, by just putting on a wash doesn't sound like they were reckless.

punisher5112

davindub wrote: »

I suppose the good part is they cared enough to wash the curtains.

I don't think the machine would stop like that unless there is a drainage issue, check pipes aren't pinched, filter is clean, you can drain below. Once the blockage is cleared, it should just start working again.

You could bill them, but I would only do so if sure they caused it, by just putting on a wash doesn't sound like they were reckless.

Of course they are curtains were said to be very big and if wet would weigh more then most machines in rentals which tend to be 7kg.

If they had done one at a time it could still be well overloaded.

Sure the sister put on a wash at my dads the other day and I just happened to be there she put a wash on with 5 small items but still managed to close the door with an arm hanging out of small top... It flooded the kitchen.

TheChizler

punisher5112 wrote: »

Of course they are curtains were said to be very big and if wet would weigh more then most machines in rentals which tend to be 7kg.

7 kg is the dry weight. I'd be surprised if they weighed more than that. Maybe.

davindub

punisher5112 wrote: »

Of course they are curtains were said to be very big and if wet would weigh more then most machines in rentals which tend to be 7kg.

If they had done one at a time it could still be well overloaded.

Sure the sister put on a wash at my dads the other day and I just happened to be there she put a wash on with 5 small items but still managed to close the door with an arm hanging out of small top... It flooded the kitchen.

yes well that would be reckless

jamesthepeach

Just goes to show the issues caused by furnished lettings.
If only the govt would allow unfurnished lets you wouldnt have any of this sh1t at all.

Op,.I wouldn't bother getting them new curtains or even cleaning the existing ones. Just leave them with the curtains they damaged and dump them at the end of the tenancy.
Just go and drain the machine yourself or better yet get a friend to to it and pretend they are a handyman with a lot of Tut tutting and you shouldn't be adjusting the washing machine talk.

Maybe that will learn them. And save you a few quid.

And for next let just strip out all furniture apart from white goods. Even the beds.and mattresses and go as.unfurnisbed as you are allowed.to be by the govt.

the_syco

jamesthepeach wrote: »

Just goes to show the issues caused by furnished lettings.
If only the govt would allow unfurnished lets you wouldnt have any of this sh1t at all.

Unfurnished still has to include "laundry facilities".

=-=

OP; is there a chance that the curtains smelt, and/or did you inform them that the place was recently refurbed? This (cleaning everything) could be them running off a checklist of things they do when they move into a new place.

If it's one curtain in the machine, meh. But if multiple curtains, I'd be saying that they need to cough up money for the repair.

jamesthepeach

the_syco wrote: »

Unfurnished still has to include "laundry facilities".

=-=

OP; is there a chance that the curtains smelt, and/or did you inform them that the place was recently refurbed? This (cleaning everything) could be them running off a checklist of things they do when they move into a new place.

If it's one curtain in the machine, meh. But if multiple curtains, I'd be saying that they need to cough up money for the repair.

I did mention the govt not allowing proper unfurnished, but in the main I was referring to damage to the curtains.
But it would solve any problem of them putting an armchair into the washing machine too I guess

listermint

This thread is an example of the nuclear option when the issue is no where near that.

Jeepers OP, just go around or have someone go around and drain the machine.

Washine machines are far more resilient than a couple of curtains putting them in washing machine heaven.

There was no need for the nuclear option and talk of compensation.

Do people even communicate anymore or is it all blame game on all sides..........

mikeybrennan

Washing machine stuck mid cycle-blocked filter or pump

Hardly worthy of a thread

Could just as easily argue tenants should be seeking compensation for lack of facilities while landlord repairs machine

Graham

mikeybrennan wrote: »

Could just as easily argue tenants should be seeking compensation for lack of facilities while landlord repairs machine

You couldn't really. Unless you knew

1) the machine hadn't been repaired
2) the repair took an unreasonable amount of time.

jon1981

Tenants fault, did he curtains not have a "dry clean only" symbol on them!?

Browney7

If the tenants put a few towels in the washing machine and it got stuck mid cycle would we be even having this conversation? Can you actually definitively prove that the curtains caused the washing machine to malfunction?

Graham

Browney7 wrote: »

If the tenants put a few towels in the washing machine and it got stuck mid cycle would we be even having this conversation?

Are the tea-towels in question the same size and weight as 'large heavy long curtains for 3 windows'?

wally79

jamesthepeach wrote: »

I did mention the govt not allowing proper unfurnished, but in the main I was referring to damage to the curtains.
But it would solve any problem of them putting an armchair into the washing machine too I guess

So you'd like renters to have to source cookers washing machines etc and lug them around with the rest of their gear.

Do you own a moving company?