Here we have a blog clinic question from Usman
I have rented out my flat for the last 14 months, the tenant is now demanding a doorbell be installed at our cost and says it is our legal responsibility. is this true?
So far as I am aware there is no specific legal obligation on a landlord to provide a doorbell.
However it seems a rather odd that you do not have one, and it something that most landlords would provide as a matter of course.
As it is not particularly expensive my advice would be to keep on good terms with your tenant and just get one installed.
We recently bought a wireless bell button with a ringer you just plug into a socket for a tenner down Rye Lane Peckham. Mind you, start a riot you’ll get one for nothing
Simply get a door knocker fitted, more cost effecvtive a lot less maintenance in the long-term, no batteries nor wireless interference etc and less headache for you the landlord too.
It’s a bit pedantic seeing as how low cost this is, but giving in to this could start an avalanche of more expensive requests.
You get what you pay for. The tenant is paying rent for a property with no doorbell.
If you fit a doorbell, then the rent should go up to pay for it.
The point is not the doorbell, but the quality of the let…. the higher the quality, the higher the rent should be.
The tenant chose to rent the property as it was and now wants more for the same rent.
I am actually guilty of not providing a doorbell (or even a knocker) for one of my rental properties (unintentionally). I haven’t had any complaints, however, as the tenants tend to be young and easy going :)
I’m generally happy to do things which don’t fall under my statutory obligations if the request is sensible, the tenant is reliable and doesn’t bombard me with non-statutory repair requests (e.g. unacceptable puddle formation on the path when it rains, inadequate size of bathroom cabinet, etc).
The fact that they have said it is the Landlord’s ‘legal responsibility’ fills me with dread – I bet any money they turn out to be very demanding tenants. I would buy the bell as a gesture of good will but make it clear to them that they are mistaken in thinking it is a legal requirement.
And do they want the doorbell to play any particular tune? Surely any decent sensible bit of law would permit a tenant to have a choice, no?