Would you expect to pay?

[daydream**believer]

So my tenants rang me last week to ask if my electricity was on.

I said it was and they tell me that theres isnt.

They said the safety switch is off and when they try to flick it back on, it goes straight off again.

I asked if they had unplugged appliances and was told, yes, they have unplugged everything.

So, i call our electrician.

He says, due to the torrential rain we had had, there may be water damage in the roof or something similar.

He goes to the house, has a look around. Goes in the garage and sees a power board has been left plugged in, switched on and sitting in the garage doorway which is a big puddle of water.

He switches it off, goes inside, flicks the safety switch and it stays on.

He checks out in the roof just to be sure and checks the power board readings and sees nothing else that would cause the power to go out.

He says he will wait a few days to send the bill as we were expecting more big rain and if the power goes out again, then we know there is another problem.

Well, we had more rain. They had no black out and ive now got an electrician bill.

So, as a tenant, would you expect to pay this bill? It was completely their fault after all

Im taking it over to them tomorrow and i expect them to not be happy and i am ready to put them in their place if they have a whinge.

And if they winge too much, the next form they get will be to tell them get out

[izabsmiling]

I'd think you'd have trouble proving that it was their fault,that it was deliberate and intentional . If it hadn't rained and all that water gotten in the doorway it wouldn't have happened. If it's the house next door I'm glad that you didn't investigate as you may have gotten electrocuted (as could your tenants if they weren't on the ball..which btw some people aren't by nature)

[izabsmiling]

edited to delete double post

[*elizabeths-mum*]

I think it would be the tenants responsibility to pay the bill and I wouldnt expect the landlord to claim it on their tax (which has been known to happen)

[*pepe]

---

@izabsmiling wrote:

I'd think you'd have trouble proving that it was their fault,that it was deliberate and intentional . If it hadn't rained and all that water gotten in the doorway it wouldn't have happened. If it's the house next door I'm glad that you didn't investigate as you may have gotten electrocuted (as could your tenants if they weren't on the ball..which btw some people aren't by nature)

---

if what she has written is accurate it is completely the tenants fault and what the electrician found supports that.

if a tenant chooses to use a powerboard its their responsibility to ensure its used safely.

Whether deliberate and intentional or not its still the tenant's fault.

[the_hawk*]

Amy I would expect the tennant to pay the servive fee as it was there person electrical item that caused the issue.

Perhaps next time if they have to pay they may make the effort like normal people would to unplug all electrical items when ask to do so.

[*pepe]

yeah i wouldn't consider leaving a powerboard plugged in in a puddle of water as being 'on the ball'

[izabsmiling]

I would be kicking myself as a Landlord if I hadn't thought to ask my tenants if they had remembered to check the safety switches/appliances plugged in in the garage as well as the house before I called an electrician .

[izabsmiling]

---

@*pepe wrote:

yeah i wouldn't consider leaving a powerboard plugged in in a puddle of water as being 'on the ball'

---

__________________________________________________________________________________

wasn't the water a result of recent heavy rain ?

[the_hawk*]

---

@*pepe wrote:

yeah i wouldn't consider leaving a powerboard plugged in in a puddle of water as being 'on the ball'

---

There is always a down side to protecting people from themselves with things like saftey switches.

[youcandoityoucandoityoucandoit]

---

@izabsmiling wrote:

I would be kicking myself as a Landlord if I hadn't thought to ask my tenants if they had remembered to check the safety switches/appliances plugged in in the garage as well as the house before I called an electrician .

---

OP: ddb asked if they had unplugged the appliances and was told 'yes, they have unplugged everything '

Regardless of where the appliances and plugs were situated that means ALL of them.