Toilet seats: Who Pays?

davo10

Claw Hammer wrote: »

If you had read my post carefully, you would see that I advised putting the complaint in writing. That is what is required by the act. This keeps proper records which may be necessary in the event of a dispute about the deposit.

Complaint in writing about a toilet seat broken after 7 years?

Legally the LL is responsible, but considering how cheap and easy a toilet seat is to replace, why would you get your knickers in a twist over it?

Also, at seven years, the part 4 cycle is coming to an end, if the tenant was writing letters of complaint about a toilet seat, I'd be inclined to move him/her on at the end of the cycle.

beertons

Who ever sat on it last should replace it.

K.Flyer

[Deleted User] wrote: »

My point being, why ask anyone (someone) to come and do this when I’m sure he op is perfectly capable themself.

You would be surprised, I have worked in apartments where tenants wouldn't change a fcukin' light bulb, and I'm not talking about tricky spot lights in the ceiling either.

K.Flyer

Claw Hammer wrote: »

If you had read my post carefully, you would see that I advised putting the complaint in writing. That is what is required by the act. This keeps proper records which may be necessary in the event of a dispute about the deposit.

First off I wasn't replying to your post... which I presume is this..

Claw Hammer wrote: »

It is a ****ty problem. You should complained about it in writing, else the customers will be taken from your deposit eventually if it is still broken when you leave.

Secondly, given that most of my work is dealing with landlords and tenants, a simple phone call to the landlord usually starts the ball rolling. You can then escalate to "complaining" by email if the landlord refuses the repair. But after 7 years of use, you don't start by "complaining".
f.f.s. the o.p. hasn't even contacted the landlord yet.

L1011

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

A toilet seat broken after only seven years? What on earth have you been doing to it.

Actually .. I don't want to know.

Replace it yourself. if the new one lasts for 15+ years, then ask the LL to replace it.

I'm on my third in 7. Imperial fittings and silly 90s decoration on the tank that stresses the lid and hence the fittings.

Current one requires adjusting every few months, and it wasn't cheap

dennyk

Brae100 wrote: »

It is not nonsense to say that you can't have a nice cosy relationship with a corporate landlord. You just can't. It is pure business to them.

It's a business relationship with any landlord, unless you're renting from family or close friends or something (and there's a reason people advise not mixing money with friendship or family!).

There's nothing stopping you from having a good professional relationship with a corporate management company; pay your rent on time, be polite and treat the folks working there with whom you interact well, and don't harass them about silly things, and if they're a decent operation, they'll likely be courteous and professional to you in return. I spent many years living in corporate apartments back in the US and never had any issues with any of them. What they likely won't do is cut you a lot of slack out of the goodness of their hearts if you should stop paying your rent or otherwise break the terms of your lease, but really, that's fair enough; if you aren't living up to your end of the deal, why should they? Now, of course there will always be ****ty corporate landlords out there, just like there are ****ty private landlords, but most are fine to deal with unless you go missing rent payments on a regular basis.

Graces7

You folks are lucky. I have to... hover.... as the toilet itself is no longer properly attached to the floor.... If I sit down (lovely raised toilet with grab rails etc) I have to be very careful...
if it moves, it floods..

It is on the list I was asked to submit to the Council when the power finally went on in January, with several other interesting items!

I am not fussed as living with no ESB was worse and am glad to have a roof over my head but there we are...

beauf

Well this thread has gone down the toilet....

If it's that bad grace you should report it as a safety issue if it's installed with mobility aids. Last thing you need is a fall.

Graces7

beauf wrote: »

Well this thread has gone down the toilet....

]]funny! I just could not resist!


If it's that bad grace you should report it as a safety issue if it's installed with mobility aids. Last thing you need is a fall.

Oh they know and the safety aids were here when I came. Been in this situation before in a run down rental and it is OK as long as I don't.... rock the boat! I had no rails at that place either so this is luxury...

Just thought it might ..cheer folk up re their seats!

boege

OP
Fixtures and fittings are generally the LL's responsibility but check your tenancy agreement as it should set out the responsibilities of both sides.

As a LL letting directly, I will generally change toilet seats on every letting and earlier if damaged/broken. I will also check the floor bolts every time as I am looking to prevent deeper levels of damage (i.e flooding). Its in my interest to keep the property well maintained.

Send a written note to your LL to indicate that the seat is broken. Its their decision to decide if it can be repaired/replaced but they do have to leave you with a functioning toilet seat.

Also, you are probably not dealing with the corporate property owners. They will contract letting out to agencies to manage their properties and will have a very detailed contract with them - hence the lack of flexibility you perceive. There may even be more than one middleman (middleperson?).

Brae100

OP here. I was in Lidl today and they happened to have decent quality toilet seats for €12, so I grabbed one and fitted it today. The damaged one was beyond repair. Cheap, plastic fittings that had snapped. I'll buy another one tomorrow and fit it to the other toilet as that seat is going the same way.

I will send the receipts to the landlord, now that I know that the toilet seats are actually their responsibility, which was my original question.

Thanks for all the replies.

Brae100

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

A toilet seat broken after only seven years? What on earth have you been doing to it.

Actually .. I don't want to know.

Replace it yourself. if the new one lasts for 15+ years, then ask the LL to replace it.

You always seem to appear in these landlord/tenant discussions. Always on the side of the landlord. I just ignore your opinion on such matters as you are obviously not objective.

fritzelly

Brae100 wrote: »

OP here. I was in Lidl today and they happened to have decent quality toilet seats for €12, so I grabbed one and fitted it today. The damaged one was beyond repair. Cheap, plastic fittings that had snapped. I'll buy another one tomorrow and fit it to the other toilet as that seat is going the same way.

I will send the receipts to the landlord, now that I know that the toilet seats are actually their responsibility, which was my original question.

Thanks for all the replies.

Ahhh here now, you didn't say 2 toilets seats need replacing.
Different perspective now - obviously the landlord is not taking care of the place and is very negligent towards his duties :rolleyes:
The throne is the most important seat in any house

But seriously you shouldn't be buying anything unless they agree to pay for it, can't just send them receipts..

ted1

fritzelly wrote: »

Brae100 wrote: »

OP here. I was in Lidl today and they happened to have decent quality toilet seats for €12, so I grabbed one and fitted it today. The damaged one was beyond repair. Cheap, plastic fittings that had snapped. I'll buy another one tomorrow and fit it to the other toilet as that seat is going the same way.

I will send the receipts to the landlord, now that I know that the toilet seats are actually their responsibility, which was my original question.

Thanks for all the replies.

Ahhh here now, you didn't say 2 toilets seats need replacing.
Different perspective now - obviously the landlord is not taking care of the place and is very negligent towards his duties :rolleyes:
The throne is the most important seat in any house

But seriously you shouldn't be buying anything unless they agree to pay for it, can't just send them receipts..

When I was renting I always got a new toilet seat and my own mattress. They are two things tenant should provide

fritzelly

ted1 wrote: »

When I was renting I always got a new toilet seat

Why?

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20324304

ted1

fritzelly wrote: »

ted1 wrote: »

When I was renting I always got a new toilet seat

Why?

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20324304

I like to be comfortable in my throne

Graces7

ted1 wrote: »

When I was renting I always got a new toilet seat and my own mattress. They are two things tenant should provide

Wise wise person... Makes so much sense. Thank you

Roberto_gas

Brae100 wrote:

OP here. I was in Lidl today and they happened to have decent quality toilet seats for €12, so I grabbed one and fitted it today. The damaged one was beyond repair. Cheap, plastic fittings that had snapped. I'll buy another one tomorrow and fit it to the other toilet as that seat is going the same way.

I would not even claim that small amount....in this market having a good relationship with landlord is everything....if you are paying reasonable rent at par or below market rates just pay for small fixes like this...

Graces7

boege wrote: »

OP
Fixtures and fittings are generally the LL's responsibility but check your tenancy agreement as it should set out the responsibilities of both sides.

As a LL letting directly, I will generally change toilet seats on every letting and earlier if damaged/broken. I will also check the floor bolts every time as I am looking to prevent deeper levels of damage (i.e flooding). Its in my interest to keep the property well maintained.

Ah you are wonderful!

This is the second time this has happened to me. The first time was in remote Donegal and the plumber said the floor was too wet for him to work and never came back ...

Subtle

Fair bit of bias at times in this thread.. The OP should simply have been advised to notify their landlord about the issue, and incidentally any other issues that might be in the background.

It isn't too expensive or a big job for them to fix themselves but they are probably not a plumber and may not necessarily be a good handyman.

Incidentally, my bugbear would be with landlords who rent out places with completely worn out mattresses. In some cases, I suspect they are probably pass-me-ons from their own homes!

davo10

Subtle wrote: »

Fair bit of bias at times in this thread.. The OP should simply have been advised to notify their landlord about the issue, and incidentally any other issues that might be in the background.

It isn't too expensive or a big job for them to fix themselves but they are probably not a plumber and may not necessarily be a good handyman.

Incidentally, my bugbear would be with landlords who rent out places with completely worn out mattresses. In some cases, I suspect they are probably pass-me-ons from their own homes!

To be fair, you don't need to be a handy to change a toilet seat. It literally involves taking the seat out of its box, attaching a screw, dropping the seat into position on the toilet and twisting the thumb nut underneath until the seat is tight. Takes two minutes.

A lot of tenants supply their own mattresses, if they don't want to, then I'm afraid you use the ones provided unless they are soiled.

Graces7

Subtle wrote: »

Fair bit of bias at times in this thread.. The OP should simply have been advised to notify their landlord about the issue, and incidentally any other issues that might be in the background.

It isn't too expensive or a big job for them to fix themselves but they are probably not a plumber and may not necessarily be a good handyman.

Incidentally, my bugbear would be with landlords who rent out places with completely worn out mattresses. In some cases, I suspect they are probably pass-me-ons from their own homes!

I spent 5 months of my precious life battling the authorities re the power supply etc. I baulk at the very idea of asking the council for anything. Work has been promised so that is enough!
On advice here I asked my previous landlord if the water was potable. The reaction was....she got ........abusive. Threshold were stars.

Many landlords are excellent I know. And glad to hear it,.

Fol20

Brae100 wrote: »

OP here. I was in Lidl today and they happened to have decent quality toilet seats for €12, so I grabbed one and fitted it today. The damaged one was beyond repair. Cheap, plastic fittings that had snapped. I'll buy another one tomorrow and fit it to the other toilet as that seat is going the same way.

I will send the receipts to the landlord, now that I know that the toilet seats are actually their responsibility, which was my original question.

Thanks for all the replies.

Just to let you know if they wanted to they could decline to fix it. If I have a tenant and they bought something without informing me first and getting my go ahead, I wouldn’t pay for it.

Graces7

Fol20 wrote: »

Just to let you know if they wanted to they could decline to fix it. If I have a tenant and they bought something without informing me first and getting my go ahead, I wouldn’t pay for it.

true. I asked my former landlady re replacing a small item and sendin g her the bill and she went off at the deep end

ross2010

Fol20 wrote: »

Brae100 wrote: »

OP here. I was in Lidl today and they happened to have decent quality toilet seats for €12, so I grabbed one and fitted it today. The damaged one was beyond repair. Cheap, plastic fittings that had snapped. I'll buy another one tomorrow and fit it to the other toilet as that seat is going the same way.

I will send the receipts to the landlord, now that I know that the toilet seats are actually their responsibility, which was my original question.

Thanks for all the replies.

Just to let you know if they wanted to they could decline to fix it. If I have a tenant and they bought something without informing me first and getting my go ahead, I wouldn’t pay for it.

Are you serious? Your tenant replaces a few cheap toilet seats and you refuse to reimburse? Its not like they ordered a new sofa! Im an accidental landlord and have a lettings company manage it even though i have worked inproperty for over 20 yrs. I immediately authorise repairs. A paying tenant deserves a maintained property. A tenant who buys a small item like toilet seat should be reimbursed. I have had tenants ruin the wood floors by flooding them. But overall lucky with good tenants. Its not a war LL v Tenant!

ted1

ross2010 wrote: »

Fol20 wrote: »

Brae100 wrote: »

OP here. I was in Lidl today and they happened to have decent quality toilet seats for €12, so I grabbed one and fitted it today. The damaged one was beyond repair. Cheap, plastic fittings that had snapped. I'll buy another one tomorrow and fit it to the other toilet as that seat is going the same way.

I will send the receipts to the landlord, now that I know that the toilet seats are actually their responsibility, which was my original question.

Thanks for all the replies.

Just to let you know if they wanted to they could decline to fix it. If I have a tenant and they bought something without informing me first and getting my go ahead, I wouldn’t pay for it.

Are you serious? Your tenant replaces a few cheap toilet seats and you refuse to reimburse? Its not like they ordered a new sofa! Im an accidental landlord and have a lettings company manage it even though i have worked inproperty for over 20 yrs. I immediately authorise repairs. A paying tenant deserves a maintained property. A tenant who buys a small item like toilet seat should be reimbursed. I have had tenants ruin the wood floors by flooding them. But overall lucky with good tenants. Its not a war LL v Tenant!

absolutely no receipts to be paid without pre authorisation

Graham

ross2010 wrote: »

Are you serious? Your tenant replaces a few cheap toilet seats and you refuse to reimburse?

I can completely understand why some landlords would be wary of going down that particular road.

It would be very easy for a landlord to find themselves presented with ever increasing numbers of receipts for ever increasing amounts of money.

Apart from that, I'd consider it only polite to make a quick phone call before spending money for somebody else.

Fol20

ross2010 wrote: »

Are you serious? Your tenant replaces a few cheap toilet seats and you refuse to reimburse? Its not like they ordered a new sofa! Im an accidental landlord and have a lettings company manage it even though i have worked inproperty for over 20 yrs. I immediately authorise repairs. A paying tenant deserves a maintained property. A tenant who buys a small item like toilet seat should be reimbursed. I have had tenants ruin the wood floors by flooding them. But overall lucky with good tenants. Its not a war LL v Tenant!

I too have worked in the business for years and manage it myself. From learning the hard way I never set a precedent which give them the go ahead without my express permission no matter how small it is. The system can be abused if they buy it themself and secondly they may keep buying small stuff which I think may not be required. Some tenants are fairly easy going and I may allow it depending on my relationship with them while others would be constantly calling asking for every little thing.

Graces7

Fol20 wrote: »

I too have worked in the business for years and manage it myself. From learning the hard way I never set a precedent which give them the go ahead without my express permission no matter how small it is. The system can be abused if they buy it themself and secondly they may keep buying small stuff which I think may not be required. Some tenants are fairly easy going and I may allow it depending on my relationship with them while others would be constantly calling asking for every little thing.

After waiting 3 months when the washing machine died, when the fridge freezer ( came from the Ark) broke, I sourced one locally and told the landlord and he went to get it.

Did not work with a different landlord :eek: I asked permission re something small and got abuse...

Know your landlord..

Shedite27

Brae100 wrote: »

I'm a tenant and am just wondering about who is responsible for replacing damaged toilet seats that need to be replaced after seven years of normal wear and tear.

I know, I know, it is a petty thing, but I am probably more interested in where the exact boundaries are between what a tenant should replace, eg. lightbulbs, and what a landlord should replace, eg. cooker, washing machine, etc.

Also, in the interests of full disclosure, the landlord is a corporate entity who has no problem sticking to the letter of the law with zero empathy. In previous rentals I would have had no problem in just replacing them myself, but with this landlord I wouldn't mind sticking them with the €40 bill.

I moved into a place in 2011 paying €1,100 for a Donnybrook apartment and moved out 5 years later without ever getting an increase. Went back on the market for €1,800 in 2016. Did everything from changing toilet seats to fixing washing machines (€110 plumber bill) ourselves.

We didn't annoy the landlord, he didn't annoy us.