Who Picks the Contractor and Who Pays for It
Massechussettes
When we moved into our new rental property, we told the landlord that we had an electric dryer (she was only equipped with gas) & she said that she would have a 220 volt plug put in for us. We had a contractor that we wanted to use (because it was a friend of ours that would do a good job & give everyone a good deal), but she said that she would take care of it (she wanted to use her brother's friend...) The guy NEVER showed up. He would set a date & time with me & never keep it. After nothing happening for two weeks, we were a bit upset & told him not to bother (he was VERY rude and abusive to my husband over the phone, but okay when speaking to me). My husband told the landlord that he would not permit such a person near his family (my husband felt a little threatened, I think.) So, she found a different contractor, who did come out the very next day.
But now, a few weeks later, we are given a $300 bill for the plug installation!!! We were not expecting it to cost even half this much, and we really didn't think that WE were paying anything since she said she "had it". Are we really held responsible for this bill? And if we were going to be expected to pay for the contractor, then shouldn't we have had a say in who it was? Will we be allowed to refuse contractor work in the future if we don't get to pick who he is?
Thanks!
Re: Who Picks the Contractor and Who Pays for It
the contractor is the LL's choice. After all, it is his property. He has a right to determine who can and cannot perform work on his property.
If you disagree with the billing, then ask the LL to review it with you. as to responsibility: how you stated your situation, it is not possible to determine what understanding there might have been between you and the LL. Apparently the LL saw this as a request from you to have a receptacle installed.
the fact that you had a contractor that you wanted to use leads me to believe you did in fact intend on paying for the installation. If you had no intention of paying, why would you care who did the work? What this appears to be is; you did not get to use your contractor so you did not get the discounted installation you were expecting and as such are now arguing your responsibility for the bill.
Most LL's offer you the residence as is. If you want work to be done (other than legally required items), it is generally going to be on your dime.
Re: Who Picks the Contractor and Who Pays for It
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Mazy5
Massechussettes
When we moved into our new rental property, we told the landlord that we had an electric dryer (she was only equipped with gas) & she said that she would have a 220 volt plug put in for us. We had a contractor that we wanted to use (because it was a friend of ours that would do a good job & give everyone a good deal), but she said that she would take care of it (she wanted to use her brother's friend...) The guy NEVER showed up. He would set a date & time with me & never keep it. After nothing happening for two weeks, we were a bit upset & told him not to bother (he was VERY rude and abusive to my husband over the phone, but okay when speaking to me). My husband told the landlord that he would not permit such a person near his family (my husband felt a little threatened, I think.) So, she found a different contractor, who did come out the very next day.
But now, a few weeks later, we are given a $300 bill for the plug installation!!! We were not expecting it to cost even half this much, and we really didn't think that WE were paying anything since she said she "had it". Are we really held responsible for this bill? And if we were going to be expected to pay for the contractor, then shouldn't we have had a say in who it was? Will we be allowed to refuse contractor work in the future if we don't get to pick who he is?
Thanks!
The first thing I would check is to see if your lease has anything to say about it.
Generally, at my rentals, if the tenant needs to have electrical outlets added, such as for an electric dryer, it's at the tenant's expense, and he must use a licensed professional, in this case, an electrician. This is because when I rent you the house or apartment, "what you see is what you get", and I see no reason I have to make capital improvements because you happen to own an appliance that I don't have a hookup for.
What is STANDARD in all leases is you need the landlord's permission in order to make any alterations, and here, it appears you got the permission. At my rentals, permission is only given for "licensed insured professionals", so if they cost too much, then, I would tell the tenant not to bother with the job.
Same deal if there is no washer hookup. You are not going to tell me now that you now have a washer, I have to pay to run hot and cold water, sewer lines, and in some cases, obtain plumbing permits, get proper inspections done, just because you want a washer. I would say, "go to a laundromat". If this was important, then rent a place with a washer hookup. You could've rented a place that has a 220 outlet too, and the landlord could've rented the place to someone with a gas dryer.
I can't comment on the $300.00 cost because in some localities, to do the job properly means you need permits and inspections, and that tends to run the cost up. And I don't know if this "friend" of yours is a licensed electrician either. I was surprised at a rental I own, now for over 20 years, changing a hot water tank now requires a permit, and inspection, which was not required years ago, so "an unlicensed friend" doing it would not do.
Sorry if there are miscommunications with the landlord, but I'm just telling you what the deal is at my rentals. I have the same situation with people wanting roof antennae and satellite dishes installed. They have to get a professional, not a friend who can "drill baby drill".
And you would have to get a professional installer, and I don't want my roof or siding ruined, costing me thousands, to save the tenants a few dollars. Of course, you would have to pay for it too. As far as I'm concerned, you can always get cable, and the law is the landlord cannot prevent cable companies from doing instalaltions. However, these people are licensed and insured.
And usually, what adds to the problem is when someone needs something done CHEAP, yet wants someone to drop everything and hop on it NOW. My experience is CHEAP and NOW usually don't co-exist.
Re: Who Picks the Contractor and Who Pays for It
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SChinFChin
. My experience is CHEAP and NOW usually don't co-exist.
well, they do but it is generally along with CRAP WORK.
Re: Who Picks the Contractor and Who Pays for It
Thanks for your reply. We told her about the electric dryer during a walk through, before a lease was signed. I'm not complaining about the work...I'm just a wee bit peeved that I had no choice in who came near my family if I was required to pay. Our friend is a licensed professional electrician (he was going to come do it on a weekend, on his own time for us/her). Permits were not obtained for this work...
There isn't anything in the lease about repairs & who pays what, but today I did recieve a certified letter from the LL which was an "addendum" to the lease saying that all repairs that we requested at move in are at our cost. I guess now, after two months, we finally know!!
Re: Who Picks the Contractor and Who Pays for It
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.I'm just a wee bit peeved that I had no choice in who came near my family if I was required to pay
I suggest you get over that attitude until you buy your own home. While I understand it is your home, it is still the LL's property and as such, s/he has full authority to say who works on his property. It is his investment that is at risk.
the LL cannot simply attach an addendum and have it mean anything unless, of course, the original contract allows such. As such, you are still at the point of who did you understand to be liable for the installation.
Re: Who Picks the Contractor and Who Pays for It
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Mazy5
Thanks for your reply. We told her about the electric dryer during a walk through, before a lease was signed. I'm not complaining about the work...I'm just a wee bit peeved that I had no choice in who came near my family if I was required to pay. Our friend is a licensed professional electrician (he was going to come do it on a weekend, on his own time for us/her). Permits were not obtained for this work...
There isn't anything in the lease about repairs & who pays what, but today I did recieve a certified letter from the LL which was an "addendum" to the lease saying that all repairs that we requested at move in are at our cost. I guess now, after two months, we finally know!!
Just for future reference for this thread.
Before the lease is signed, you should inquire about improvements you need, and who pays. In fact, this should be done at the original showing. Often I show the place to over a dozen renters in a weekend open house, and people would ask me if I would do this, that, or the other thing for them if they take the place.
This is the point where I would agree or not agree to pay for anything.
For instance, once I had a very nice retired lady and her husband wanting the place, I just rehabbed the place, and we didn't yet install a range hood in the kitchen, nor done anything for the shabby lawn. And it sounds to me she wanted me to get these things done if I was going to rent to her.
My answer was "I'll take care of it if we rent the house to you, but I still have a long list of people scheduled to come".
Then, an hour later, another renter who came by, loved the house, and had relatives in town, asked that if I can rent to him, and he would install a range hood at his expense, but with my approval, and he would at his expense, fertilize, seed and cultivate the lawn, making it look like the well manicured ones across the street.
I thought to myself "well, that's cool".
A few days went by, I was still showing the place, and a local real estate agent said she knew of a nice elderly couple who really wanted the place, they in fact saw it themselves, and asked her if she can find out why we haven't gotten back to them. So I told the agent that if it's this same couple who wanted the range hood installed, and a new lawn put in, the reason I haven't gotten back to them is I already have a few people really wanting it bad, but they were going to pay for the improvements if I rented the place to them.
The agent called me back to say that it's the same couple I mentioned. I asked this agent that if it was her, would she rent to someone where I had to make a bunch of improvements in order to rent the place, or instead to a number of others who volunteered to do the improvements, on their dime??
Her answer was "of course, I would rent to those who's going to put some money into the place".
Bottomline is, negotiations for improvements takes place early on, and it give the landlord the opportunity to select someone where I don't have to make expensive improvements to make them happy, but to those who can spend some money on the place to make me happy.
As an example, in your case, I could've rented the place to someone else not needing a 220 line, had I known early on that you expected me to pay for one.