Toilet repairs rip off?

[annie13]

Hi - my tenant is a plumber. He has two toilets and has reported four faults in one year. I was so busy I accepted his quotes but have just retired and have time to look at what he's charged me. They are, excuse the pun, bog standard Ideal Standard toilets installed by the house builder about ten years ago. He deducted the following from his rent for the work:
Supply & fit 90 degree pan connecter. £20 parts & £45 labour
Remove cistern & syphon & supply new syphon £30 parts & £45 labour
Supply & replace toilet filler, fit new toilet flexi £83.50 for parts & labour
Supply & fit new syphon £80 for parts & labour.

He also told me the washbasin needed new taps. I supplied them but he charged £36 for a new flexi whatever that is, £14.75 for a pop up waste, £5.35 for a "new compression straight on waste", I don't know what this is either, and £65 labour.

Could someone tell me if I've been taken advantage of. I have three other properties and have never had to have toilets repaired so often. As he lives in the property he has no travel costs other than to go half a mile down the road to the supplier.

 

[jase158]

Right prices but he is taking you for a ride, 2 x syphon's in ones year?? you need to check that there is a problem before you accept the quotes, very unusual that the pan connector will go, then the syphon, then the float valve, then the syphon again all in 1 year!! My guess is that they were on there way out, he tried his luck and got lucky!! brand new parts, all function a lot better and he got paid for the privilege. I am a plumber in a rented place and if I want to change things I just do it as I know the landlord will say no or take forever to get it replaced!!

 

[village idiot]

Agree. The labour aspect of it as well as ''some'' of the materials are ok. Trouble is, he may have found a means of reducing his rents indirectly by doing jobs for you? I would have charged more for the labour aspect.

If I have to change a dump (flush) valve, I change the fill valve as well, just so I don't get a call in 4months that fill valve needs replacing. Charge an extra £20 for the extra valve replaced, but at least both valves are now new. If I have to change the fill valve, then I just stick to that.

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

I agree with the above, I live in rented accomadation and have completed repairs to the property but only when they absolutely need doing, it does sound like he likes to keep busy at your expense, next time maybe get a quote from a recommended plumber to see if the works need to be carried out.

 

[lame plumber]

pricing is ok imho but at least its all done for another 10 years

 

[johnnyplumb]

he's taking the pyish. I think you need to be a bit stronger with this guy, tell him your getting your own plumber to do any work in the future. when's his lease up ? i'd be looking to get him out of there asap

 

[REDSAW]

dont forget, there is 2 toilets and yes, these things can go easily!.
my price would be simular, but with no travel so cheaper?

look on the bright side, you have them covered under supply and fit for a few years.lol

 

[annie13]

Thanks for all your replies. I'm retired now and have the time to be more aware. You probably won't be surprised to know he is in arrears by one month. I don't know much about the parts but by googling them I'm thinking he's described the same part differently on the different invoices to cover his tracks ie a flexi is the same thing as a pan connector. Maybe I'm wrong? Also they look to be £5 in Wickes just around the corner from him and he's charged me £20.

 

[basildog]

Parts do vary in price massively for example you can buy a cheap fill valve for about £2 or buy a decent one that could be the best part of £20 !
My advice is always use a tradesman you have built up a working relationship with and you trust ?
When I ran my building firm Most of my regular clients hardly ever asked for a price on small jobs and normally asked for the tradesman they wanted by name .

 

[annie13]

Thanks for that. Is a syphon at £30 a good quality one? Seems odd, as a previous poster has said that two have gone in the space of 12 months.

 

[jase158]

TBH some of the parts are a lil expensive, £36 for a flexi!! they are about £5 maximum!! but most plumbers do charge about the prices he has charged!! you have to take into consideration cost of fuel to get part, time to get part, having it on van for when needed etc all adds up but if he is doing it at his own home then he shouldn't of charged extra IMHO and definetly should of done it all in one as previously mentioned, new syphon and float valve at same time etc. flexi is the bit that connects the water to the toilet, you can also get a flexible pan connector but more then likely he means flexi tap connector!! £30 for a syphon had better be good quality, usually £10-15.

 

[SimonG]

I live in a rented house. As far as repairs go, and especially on the plumbing, I don't want anything to do with it. Landlord can get somebody else in. Stops any urine extracting and posts like this. Prices are what i charge or slightly cheaper. Don't forget he'll be charging out materials as he would for any job, which for me is cost + 30%.

 

[REDSAW]

could always challenge him, call him a rip off artist...
then wait 3 months for a new tenant ?

one way of looking at it!

and these are cheap!!

Toolstation > Plumbing > Pan Connectors > Flexible WC Connector

Toolstation > Plumbing > Toilet Fittings > Turbo 88 Duoflush Syphon

go to bnq or wickes cost you shed load more.

 

[Howsie]

He's probably factored in his travelling time.

 

[tomplumb83]

Whilst those prices do seem expensive I cant imagine you'd have saved a fortune by getting somebody else in. Who knows, might have cost you more. I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Be glad its sorted and if anything else goes wrong make sure you have a good plumber in mind for repairing it. One things certain, you wont be getting any more problems with the toilet!

 

[annie13]

Thanks for all your replies. It just makes me mad with myself that I've let him rip me off. To make matters worse I've discovered he failed to report a fault on the oven. Excessive heat has been escaping and melted the pvc wrap on the doors and drawers either side. He seems to think its wear and tear rather than neglect. Also I found out today he has a dog there too when the tenancy agreement specifically states no dogs. Hey ho at least he's happy as he's reduced his arrears because of all the faults he finds with the toilets!

 

[PlumbBobBob]

evict him as he has broken the tenant agreement by having a dog

 

[Sag]

So he potentially makes up jobs that need doing, is late on rent, has not reported a fault causing damage to your property and broken the agreement by having a dog there.

Why are you not asking how to get rid of him instead?

Do you have a deposit to cover the cost of any damage and a good clean once he & his dog leave?

 

[annie13]

His arrears are only for one month (last December!) which he is reducing by regular work on my toilets! Am going to ask him to sign an additional document ie a pet agreement. He might decide to leave anyway as I told him I wanted to increase the rent by £25 per month ( first increase in two years). He told me it's not worth what he's paying at the moment! I own the house next door too which has just gone back on the market. I told him I would not increase his rent if I couldn't achieve the higher price for next door. If all these issues can be resolved amicably I would prefer them to stay as the longer tenants stay the better it is financially ie agents fees etc. On the other hand he's got up nose so much I'd really like to see the back of him!

 

[AWheating]

any future work needs to be done by a tradesman of your choice, this then removes any issues between you and your tennant. Keep the two things seperate.

as regards the work done, you dont seem to know enough about was has been done to make a judgement. So whats past is past imo.

 

[deandive]

Prices seem ok to me, if he is not gas safe registered he may not know about the required clearances around the cooker, either way that is your responsibility and as his landlord could be endangering his life by allowing him to continue to use the cooker.Get a gas safe registered plumber around there pronto to investigate further.

 

[deandive]

assuming its gas of course

 

[annie13]

It's an electric oven and I've told him not use it until the door is fixed. After reading the posts on my thread I really think his prices are high as he lives in the property and only had to go out to buy the parts.

 

[solutions]

He has not overcharged imo. As the majority of replys confirm. Of course you will never know if the work was truly required. How often do you or your agents inspect the property? In the future as others have allready suggested get a local trusted independant professional to diagnose, price and repair the faults that your tennants report or that your inspections detect. If you agreed he undertake the repair was price not mentioned?

 

[JAH HEATING]

Wait till he says he's got no hit water, rips boiler out, upgrades gas, power flushes, new stat an trvs, boiler...

You won't be getting anymore rent out if him in 2013