So a plumber has forced access into a flat I own because of a leak downstairs.

Instead of lifting the floorboards in your house why didn’t he get access through the ceiling of the flat he was in!?
Edit:
And while I’m at it what about your ‘fully managed’ letting…. sounds like your agents need to be earning their fee!

Letting agents are up there with estate agents and recruitment agents in my book…..
I like secret agents though.

At this point I would be contacting the police [ or demanding the letting agency do this] and reporting the braking and entering of my property without lawful authority

They cannot just kick your doors in and they must have know this.

So latest update is Ecosse “whatever” who are the letting agents for the flat below are actually the owners of the property too. They contacted my letting agent this afternoon to contact them about the situation. The report they have is the leak was caused by a faulty lead pipe to copper fitting that can’t handle the pressure or heat coming from the hot water supply in boiler through the flat , even thought it’s worked ok for 10 years. I’m guessing the part has just failed. Their plumber removed the part last night and readjusted it and re fitted it and now it’s not leaking but they have suggested I have all lead removed and replaced with plastic piping.

The letting agent/owners couldn’t provide a phone number for the plumbers only an email (weird) and the person who instructed them to go to the job wasn’t in the office today. My agent guy has emailed them looking for redress for the damage that they caused, but it does look like Police were not present. I asked my agent guy what the other letting agents said when he accused the plumber of unlawful entry, they seem very surprised this was the case.

I still feel I should report this to the Police, whether the plumbers pay me redress or not.

I’d be cross with the plumber but as long as they paid for any damage I’m not sure I’d want them to have a criminal record for breaking and entering?

(I feel all dereknightrider saying that).

The report they have is the leak was caused by a faulty lead pipe to copper fitting that can’t handle the pressure or heat coming from the hot water supply in boiler through the flat , even thought it’s worked ok for 10 years.

So, at the end of the day, was this leak from your flat, or from elsewhere? I didn’t quite understand …

burnsybhoy – Member
The letting agent/owners couldn’t provide a phone number for the plumbers only an email…

It would be worth doing a google search of that email address – if it is the plumber’s trade email, it might lead to name / phone etc.

The plumbers reported is came from my flat and it was a faulty lead to copper fitting. Doesn’t justify breaking in tho.

I still feel I should report this to the Police, whether the plumbers pay me redress or not.

Doubt they will be interested. What crime has the plumber committed? The only crimes anyone has suggested are “breaking in” or vandalism.

Vandalism doesn’t apply if there is a reasonable excuse. I’d guess stopping a leak when the occupier can’t be traced is reasonable. It’s certainly arguable enough that I doubt anyone has been charged in these sort of circumstances.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/39/part/VI/crossheading/vandalism

Housebreaking only applies if there is an intent to steal.

As long as you are reimbursed for any costs I think that’s the end of it.

Housebreaking only applies if there is an intent to steal.

So I can just mosey in to someones house and have a pee and watch the telly? Sweet.

report the breaking and entry end of when the police find the culprit sue him for costs etc. we never enter a property without a plod and we take stills and video evidence on our phones before and after of any repairs damage etc.. simples..

Well, regardless of what the letter of the law says, your bad plumbing has caused damage and inconvenience to the folk downstairs. I would say you should leave it at that

Plumber should have turned water off at mains outside, to stop water, rung police and asked for a police presence.

No way should a proffesional tradfesman force entry to an occupied flat without police in attendance, something could have been stolen etc,and if police force door then they pay for damage.Unless they have a warrant to search.

^^This is all they had to do and get a joiner/locksmith to attend.

Agreed. They made a mistake in a moment of stress.

I hope the plumber never removed your faberge egg whilst in the property without police being present…

Sancho – Member
why not look on here
http://www.property118.com/category/property-forum/

its full of rich landlords yacking on about their worries

isnt this a bike forum,

No it’s a chat forum, hence ‘Chat’ at the top. Ill informed and chip on shoulder, poor you.

OP are we talking about Scotland here?

If so then it’s pretty much what irc says.

OP are we talking about Scotland here?

Yeah thegreatape it’s in Glasgow

I don’t see any criminal offence then. Liability for the costs of fixing any damage I wouldn’t know.

That’s not to say he’s gone the right way about it. Up here one of the shift cops would attend at the councils request if they need to force entry in this scenario, and that’s for their sake as much as the occupiers. I would think that the same would apply to a commercial tradesman.

Their plumber removed the part last night and readjusted it and re fitted it and now it’s not leaking

Assume he didn’t do this repair from inside your flat, in which case, presumably not your plumbing?

Yeah thegreatape it’s in Glasgow

In which case your details, downstairs owner and letting agents and contact details are all on web, a matter of public record as a registered landlord.
Get this handed over to your landlord insurer now, and get them to sort it out.

In which case your details, downstairs owner and letting agents and contact details are all on web, a matter of public record as a registered landlord.
Get this handed over to your landlord insurer now, and get them to sort it out.

You can really tell from that post you are really hoping he’s not properly registered as a landlord or doesn’t have proper landlords insurance 🙂

We normally use this big red key

then discover the door wasnt locked 😳

Merseyside police now use chainsaws and Still saws for gaining entry, while shouting repeatedly POLICE, as if when you hear someone using a chainsaw Against your door, you dont think its the Milk man.

Merseyside police now use chainsaws and Still saws for gaining entry, while shouting repeatedly POLICE, as if when you hear someone using a chainsaw Against your door, you dont think its the Milk man.

Of course it’s not the milk man, it’s your friendly plumber come to fix a leak.

In which case your details, downstairs owner and letting agents and contact details are all on web, a matter of public record as a registered landlord.
Get this handed over to your landlord insurer now, and get them to sort it out.
You can really tell from that post you are really hoping he’s not properly registered as a landlord or doesn’t have proper landlords insurance

Sorry to disappoint but I’m fully registered and have proper landlords insurance. To be honest after the mortgage, agents fees, factor fees and landlords insurance has been paid from the rent a tiny bit is left over which goes into a pot to cover any works that need done. The flat is self sufficient. I’m hardly Donald Trump. The person I’m more concerned about is my tenant and how he feel as it’s an intrusion into his private space.

Burnsybhoy – my statement wasn’t a dig, it was meant as a statement that all the contact info you needed (bar the plumber) was on the web. I presumed you also had tenants details, as these would be on the tenancy.
I too am a landlord in Perthshire, and am fed up and want out as well. I too have had issues with other building tentants and landlords (leaks) as well as a tenant we had to get all legal with and we have seen no money out of (-£4.5k)
Good on you for sorting out direct, been there myself at midnight with tenant away, and me on phone to her asking to get in her home…

Sancho – what’s your line of work?

You bastard! How dare you CARE about your tenant. Don’t you know you’re meant to be parasitic scum?

Sancho – Member
yes boblo i do have a chip on my shoulder, from my experience I consider landlords a set of ****, a bunch of parasites.
but if you had read the link, the op would have got far more information from a forum for landlords, you dickhead.

Parasites? Presumably if you’ve been in rented either you couldn’t or chose not to buy. In which case, it’s lucky these parasites were there to allow you to make that choice.

Not sure who you’re calling a dickhead but it’s a bit unnecessary when everyone around you is being reasonably polite.

Didn’t mean to come across as defensive matt_outandabout. 🙂

Not read the entire thread, and my following comment is useless information for you, but, from experience, Ross & Liddell are a shower of incompetent twunts who made owning/letting a flat a complete ball ache.

ive had leaks from tenants above in the past. Me and housing association contacted landlord and tenants and got it fixed…but in an emergency if it was serious enough i would contact all parties let the polis know as best as possible put the water off and forcd entry if necc. The housing assoc would probably arrange on my behalf. i think you just have to be reasonable.. with any flood, fire or gas incident that causes problems for other people you just have to deal with it. Insurance will sort it out after. Thats what its for.

Not read the entire thread, and my following comment is useless information for you, but, from experience, Ross & Liddell are a shower of incompetent twunts who made owning/letting a flat a complete ball ache.

After 12 years I know this only too well. You should have seen my face when I moved house into a newer housing development in Ayrshire. Guess who organises the contract for the maintenance for the communal landscape areas and park? If I move again I will not buy a house if they are involved in anyway.

Here’s a question; do you have the contact details for the flat above yours should they have a leak?
Can’t help but feel that a bit of forewarning would have gone a long way here (if possible).

Likewise. Never before have I paid so much money for so little in return. Don’t get me started on sinking funds, it boils my pee just thinking about it. They’ve still got cash from my flat I sold 12 months ago!

Here’s a question; do you have the contact details for the flat above yours should they have a leak?
Can’t help but feel that a bit of forewarning would have gone a long way here (if possible).

Yeah I know the owner from when I lived there. I lived in the flat for 11 years before we had to move. My partner and I had twins so we outgrew a 1 bedroom tenement flat pretty quickly.

Not read the entire thread, and my following comment is useless information for you, but, from experience, Ross & Liddell are a shower of incompetent twunts who made owning/letting a flat a complete ball ache.

Just to balance this out: R&L are also a shower of incompetent twunts if you’re a tenant too. They were the agents for my old shop, and I dread to think how much their incompetence and belligerence cost me.

You could have asked where your nice shiny “expensive” bike was, as you were sure it was there before the plumber went in 🙂

Mmmmm .. Don’t think anyone is whining about unfairness. The OP is angry about his property being entered by a third party – unreasonably in my view, but not whining. As someone else said, renting out property provides a service to people who for whatever reason don’t or can’t buy themselves. Personally I sold my buy-to-let flat because the ratio of rent to value was so low that I was better off putting the,money in the bank. It’s not the licence to print money that you imagine.

Ross & Liddell should have contacted you directly to let you know your flat had a leak, and should have been able to send someone to turn a valve off in the stair, I’d be holding them partly responsible as well. Afraid to say there are few decent factors out there, they’re as bad as each other.