Do we pay or does landlord?

Bananaleaf

For chimney sweeping.

I guess it would be us, as it is upkeep needed because we are using the fire. But just double checking, in case we don't have to pay which would be a bit of a bonus!

Thanks

Zulu

I'd say it's ll who paya

Bananaleaf

Zulu wrote: »

I'd say it's ll who paya

Oh really? Hmm, that would be great. I don't know whether to ask the agent or not because she seems less of a middleman between us and landlord and more on landlords side about things. Is obsessed with upping the rent as much as she can get away with each year and doesn't put pressure on landlord to do repairs and actually only recently told the landlord that we "weren't pushed" about a particular repair being done, which is not true at all.

Seems to want to save landlord money at every turn, so may not be honest about whose responsibility it is.

O.A.P

Bananaleaf wrote: »

For chimney sweeping.

I guess it would be us, as it is upkeep needed because we are using the fire. But just double checking, in case we don't have to pay which would be a bit of a bonus!

Thanks

That's your look out (I always did it anyway)
He don't call around to clean the kitchen when you have finished dinner .

Bananaleaf

O.A.P wrote: »

That's your look out (I always did it anyway)
He don't call around to clean the kitchen when you have finished dinner .

Hehe, that's what I was thinking! But I just wanted to be sure because I didn't want to end up paying for something I didn't have to.

Mrs OBumble

However the LL is responsible for keeping the boiler serviced, and I 'd see cleaning the chimney as preventative maintenance in much the same way.

FWIW, Mr O'Bumble cleans chimneys and in rented places it's almost always the LL who requests his services and pays him.

Bananaleaf

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

However the LL is responsible for keeping the boiler serviced, and I 'd see cleaning the chimney as preventative maintenance in much the same way.

FWIW, Mr O'Bumble cleans chimneys and in rented places it's almost always the LL who requests his services and pays him.

Thank you for that.

Actually this is something else. Sorry now, I'm derailing my own thread!

How often should a boiler be serviced and how do we know when that has been done. Is there a booklet that should be left with us or do we just ask the agent? I think it is every 3 yrs, is that correct?

Zulu

should be done every year. christ we wouldn't risk the carbon monoxide!

Bananaleaf

Zulu wrote: »

should be done every year. christ we wouldn't risk the carbon monoxide!

Oh! Ok.

pwurple

Zulu wrote: »

should be done every year. christ we wouldn't risk the carbon monoxide!

Every second year is what our boiler serviceman tells us.

But we have a very modern boiler. It's also in a boilerhouse, about 10m from the house, so I don't think CO would get to us.

Pawwed Rig

I would have said every year too. Our boiler is in the kitchen so we invested in a carbon monoxide alarm which I would recommend.
OP it depends what rent you are paying. I am in a situation where I am paying probably 2-300 euro below market rent so am happy to replace things like toilet seats, press hinges and other minor repairs and maintenance rather than ask the landlord. I would agree that chimney sweeping is their responsibility but in my situation I would pay it.

Tarzana

Toilet seats - ours just broke. TBH we're just going to replace it ourselves. Are they expensive and are they easy to install?

Pawwed Rig

Tarzana wrote: »

Toilet seats - ours just broke. TBH we're just going to replace it ourselves. Are they expensive and are they easy to install?

We paid €30 or so for ours as it was an exact replacement of the one that was there. You can get a cheap one for a tenner though. Easy to install

ABajaninCork

We call out the chimney sweep and pay her. That reminds me. Must give her a call soon - time for the annual clean!

Bananaleaf

Yeah, we pay the standard amount of rent for the area we are in. Maybe slightly less this year because we negotiated on the rent increase as there are still jobs needed to be done which haven't been.

I don't mind the chimney sweep. I would have thought that we were supposed to pay for that anyway. But the boiler thing - I hadn't considered this and that is more of a concern for me now.

I think I'll get on to the agent about that one - no doubt that is their issue and not ours.

Thanks

hfallada

Does the LL know you use the fire? Most rental properties arent covered by insurance for open fires due to the higher risk

Bananaleaf

hfallada wrote: »

Does the LL know you use the fire? Most rental properties arent covered by insurance for open fires due to the higher risk

She does know, yes, but this raises another question.

If a fireplace is there, surely it can be used, no?
We weren't told we couldn't use it so just assumed that we could.

Now she does know we are using it because it came up in conversation when the agent was inspecting the property. More of an "oh, I see you are using the fireplace. That's nice". The comment left me wondering about whether we were meant to be using it or not, but surely if she didn't want us using it, it should be written into the contract or we would be told?

NSAman

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

FWIW, Mr O'Bumble cleans chimneys and in rented places it's almost always the LL who requests his services and pays him.

Does that make you Mary Poppins?

I would have thought it was also the Landlords duty, but it depends on the lease.

drumswan

Would also say that its the landlords responsibility to have the chimney cleaned as part of preventative maintenance. Failure to do so puts his property at risk of a chimney fire.

Tarzana

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

We paid €30 or so for ours as it was an exact replacement of the one that was there. You can get a cheap one for a tenner though. Easy to install

Thanks! We are most definitely paying market rate but I just could not be bothered going to the landlord for something so minor. A tenner is, like, two pints.

Zulu

Zulu wrote: »

should be done every year. christ we wouldn't risk the carbon monoxide!

I wouldn't have thought boilers need to be serviced more than every couple of years. The sticker on the boiler in my place says last serviced in 2005..... I wonder if its accurate. I've been living in the place a year and it hasn't been looked at in that time anyway, only spoke to the LL once on the phone for 5 mins and and have never met him so have never asked about it.

That said the thing gets very little use. Should probably get in contact with him and have it serviced before the winter.