effin smart meters

[algas]

Just got rid of tenants in one of my rentals, lo and behold no electric, they have had a pay as you go smart meter fitted against my instructions, phones up BG the supplier explains situ to someone who could hardly speak English ( not Trump ) eventually they gave me a code to take to paypoint shop to restore supply, didn't work and shop can't issue me with a card, have to phone BT again Dohhh, but had to go back as left my flask behind, gets there lo and behold a payment card in the post, great, back to shop puts £30 on account, drives back, still no power, so go home look up smart meter probs on tinternet, apparantly can take a while to credit the account but you can put in 20 digit code manually, effin smart meter bo###x used to have a little blue key go to shop put money on it plug into meter away you go, smart meters the way foreward my A##e,
Rant over.

 

[Murdochcat]

It’s up to the person paying the bill if they want a SM - not you as the landlord

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Did someone make you aware that being a landlord may come with some risks and complications, or did you think it was a guaranteed get-rich-quick scheme?

Show some gratitude for some skint youngster handing over half their wages to you for not a lot of effort.

 

[motorbiking]

You need to carefully draft this in the agreement as you can’t forbid them from having the meter changed. You can try to make them responsible for the reinstatement. Not sure how enforceable that might be.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I'm very sure you can't make someone sign an agreement, arguably under duress as their home is dependent upon it, stating something that removes their statutory rights.

The likely result would be that the entire agreement would be ruled to be unfair and therefore invalid. Including the stuff stating that you'll deduct money from their deposit for any damage caused.

This is slumlording at its finest. Rigsby would be proud.

 

[motorbiking]

I'm very sure you can't make someone sign an agreement, arguably under duress as their home is dependent upon it, stating something that removes their statutory rights.

Problems with renting and energy bills

Advice on some of the common problems with renting and energy, like gas and electricity supplies.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Seems that it's allowed, at least according to the CAB. I would personally put it in a modifications to the property clause.

The likely result would be that the entire agreement would be ruled to be unfair and therefore invalid. Including the stuff stating that you'll deduct money from their deposit for any damage caused.

A severability clause would cover that, you'd also have 95% of standard Letting Agent contracts, resulting in them ending in the bin, since all those I have seen are full of all sorts of unenforceable nonsense

 

[diy_fun_uk]

You need to carefully draft this in the agreement as you can’t forbid them from having the meter changed. You can try to make them responsible for the reinstatement. Not sure how enforceable that might be.

Less and less is enforceable when it comes to the LL side. However if the tenant feels anything is going wrong, the LL is expected to jump through hoops. Parity? Don't make me laugh.

I remember on a LL/tenant forum years back a tenant posted 'how long should I expect to wait for a broken washing machine to be fixed?' A reply came along these lines 'as long as you'd expect to wait if you lived in your own property'.

If you have decent tenants the system works fine. If you don't, you soon discover it's increasingly slanted in favour of the tenant. Scotland's worse for this than England although I think you're catching up

 

[motorbiking]

I was a LL for 25 years, even though every tenant I had, was perfect, I still found all the extra hoops and arguments with free holder agents not worth the effort. I only do holiday lets now.

 

[Old Salt]

I was a LL and as far as I am aware you can choose the energy supplier and prevent it being changed without your approval. EDF will certainly mark the account to prevent changes. BG always used to be one of the most expensive. I am not up to date on their current charges though.

Doesn't really matter what type of meter you have and the old key type could leave the next tennant paying off debt unless a new key is issued each time.