Tenant? Need input

[aurora]

I would at the very least ask her why she is billing you for a hotel after telling you she's out of town. If her answer makes sense and you decide to pay it, I would make very clear to her that in the future if she needs to stay at a hotel due to a rental problem that it needs to be arranged with you first because you have arrangements at specific hotels.

How many days was she without the water heater? Honestly, as a tenant I wouldn't expect to stay at a hotel for a broken water heater at all, so I'm giving her some side-eye from the start.

[imojoebunny]

It is silly that she is billing you for a hotel, when she wasn't even there. I would give her the money out of her rent, but only because it has continued to be an issue (never had a hot water heater take more than 2-3 days to fix/replace). I would make it clear that a hot water heater being out, is not a crisis worthy of a hotel bill, and emphasize that her lease requires renters insurance (standard leases usually require this), which generally, covers hotel, if the apartment is unusable.

Sorry you have this weird issue. Could you put some sheet tin around the pilot light, but not close enough to get hot, until you work out the problem? Seems weird, it just started blowing out.

[shopgirl07]

Yes you should just pay it. I know that there are tenants who are very entitled and do ridiculous things, but from your posts, you seem to be very reluctant to pay for legitimate things.

[Deleted]

Nov 28, 2015 18:31:22 GMT -5 @rennido said:

Her hot water heater pilot light has been constantly blowing out all week, which is because of where it's set up. Wind comes in and blows it out. We've been trying to get it fixed, but ultimately, the solution will be getting an electric water heater which we are talking to the owner about. Meanwhile we are running over there to light the pilot light every day.

I'm confused...her water heater keeps going out and you have to send over someone to relight it? I'd be fvcking pissed and would be making you pay for a hotel room until its fixed. Taking more than 48 hrs to fix something basic like having available hot water is ridiculous.

[gogreengowhite]

What do you mean wind is coming in and blowing it out? Like there is a draft from outside? That just seems odd, I don't know a lot about water heaters but is it actually fixed? Could there still be an issue that is putting the pilot out?

[Deleted]

We rent from a property management company. When our hot water heater rusted through last year, we were without one for maybe three days before they replaced it. I didn't shower one day (weekend) and then I showered the next two days at the gym at the university where I worked. It sucked, but I never asked for a hotel since they kept promising they'd come replace it "that day."

In your case, she better have a darn good reason for wanting a hotel when she was already out of town. I'm also confused about her pilot light. I might be willing to reimburse her hotel costs due to the pilot light pain in the ass, and if she's otherwise a good tenant. Either way, this issue needs to get fixed ASAP because no tenant should have to go days without hot water.

[aurora]

Nov 28, 2015 20:19:46 GMT -5 @fox123 said:

Nov 28, 2015 18:31:22 GMT -5 @rennido said:

Her hot water heater pilot light has been constantly blowing out all week, which is because of where it's set up. Wind comes in and blows it out. We've been trying to get it fixed, but ultimately, the solution will be getting an electric water heater which we are talking to the owner about. Meanwhile we are running over there to light the pilot light every day.

I'm confused...her water heater keeps going out and you have to send over someone to relight it? I'd be fvcking pissed and would be making you pay for a hotel room until its fixed. Taking more than 48 hrs to fix something basic like having available hot water is ridiculous.

I may have misunderstood, but I read the OP to mean that the delay was because the tenant said she was out of town. Honestly, if I were renting and traveling for a week I wouldn't really care if my heater was fixed on day 1 or day 7, and I would fully expect the landlord to pick the cheapest day to fix it. Very different from if I was there and the broken appliance was causing regular inconvenience. Which is why I said the first question should be to clarify the "out of town" statement.

Although, I still wouldn't stay at a hotel for a broken water heater. Having to sleep elsewhere would be way more inconvenient for me than having to shower elsewhere.

[sparkythelawyer]

No, I would not be paying for this. One night without water is not the end of the world

[gogreengowhite]

Nov 28, 2015 22:36:53 GMT -5 @rennido said:

Nov 28, 2015 20:26:21 GMT -5 gogreengowhite said:

What do you mean wind is coming in and blowing it out? Like there is a draft from outside? That just seems odd, I don't know a lot about water heaters but is it actually fixed? Could there still be an issue that is putting the pilot out?

It's a trailer and what my repair guy said is because it's located outside. With the weather the way it has been its what's causing an issue. You have to go under the trailer to light the pilot. Sometimes it holds. Sometimes it doesn't. Which is why an electric water heater would be a perfect replacement if the owner agrees. 

We thought we got it fixed but it went out Friday and again this morning. 

We are going to try and fix the thermo coupler on Monday. 

Oh! I didn't realize that a water heater was ever placed outside. No, I wouldn't pay for a night in a hotel. We went without a furnace in Michigan in January overnight a few times in college and received nothing from the awful landlords.

[v]

I would ask for more info about the hotel, and would be reluctant to pay for it. But the rest of this sounds pretty ridiculous and you need to get it fixed quickly and permanently. Don't be a slumlord.

[littlemisssunshine]

Oh heck no I wouldn't pay it. They said they were out of town and didn't clear it with you. I would however ask the owner for permission to put in an electric one and give the tenant a clear time line of a resolution. It would be annoying to have it go out all the time. Is the owner paying for all those service calls for the guy to go out and re light it? That has to be getting expensive

[UnderProtest]

Can you ask for the receipt for the hotel and push back when it isn't in your town?

[orangeblossom]

Hell and no, to paying for the hotel. I mean, really. What is she trying to pull, if she wasn't in town to be inconvenienced by the hot water issue. Even if she wasn't in town, she should have asked first, unless it was an emergency, and this wasn't an emergency.

As to the pilot light, that needs to bs fixed ASAP.

[Deleted]

I was going to say no, don't pay for her hotel.

But at this point I'd pay it to keep the peace, because if someone had to come light my pilot light everyday for a week with no end in sight I'd be raising hell.

[calico]

So, did it break late before going out of town, so she just got a hotel room to get a hot shower and decent nights sleep before hitting the road? That seems the most logical from what you say happened. Hell, if my HW went out the night before a trip, that's what I'd have done. Tenants are entitled to use of things like appliances/hot water/heat 24/7 during their rental period. Pay the bill.

[salejolie]

So what was the reason for her wanting you to cover the hotel?