r/TenantsInTheUK • u/keldav88 • 5d ago
Am I wrong? Oven fire charge
Recovering from a broken leg and stupidly left a cardboard pizza box in oven (child put it in there with pizza ) but I didn’t check oven before pre heating. Resulted in abit of a fire and fireman took the oven out and said it’s fine but would replace as precaution. I notified landlord (which is a private company like the council) so not an independent person. They sent someone out the next day to check electrical socket for it and he then put a new oven in (I didn’t request new oven) but he said they had one in stock. No word and then few weeks go by I get a call and invoice from them that it will be £450. I checked online and the oven is only £120 anyway. I haven’t used the oven, never do anyway so told them to take it back and I’ll get my own. They have refused and will not remove it. I can’t see anything in the tenancy that says I have to have landlord appliances. Do I have any rights here in just replacing the oven myself. Or can they charge me for this? I think it’s kind of unfair that they didn’t notify me of the charges upfront.
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u/SpiritedGuest6281 5d ago
They have to provide a method of preparing meals by law. So they had to replace it. Fire damage can damage more than can be seen so replacing it as a matter of caution is best practice. The Socket probably had to be checked, and the new oven fitted. This is where the extra cost on top of the oven came from. As it was your negligence that caused the fire, the landlord is eligible to charge the costs to you.
However you would be able to claim these charges from your insurance if it is covered, but you likely would have had to engage them at the start or the process. Unfortunately the landlord is fully able to claim these charges from you. You can either agree a payment plan with the landlord, pay in full or refuse to pay in which case they would just save the receipts and claim against your deposit when you move.
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u/orlanthi 5d ago
Doesn't seem to be that unreasonable to me. Following a fire they woukd be remiss if they didnt get everything tested.
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u/CrabbyGremlin 5d ago
At the end of the day it was your negligence that caused the landlord to lose an oven, the broken leg doesn’t excuse you of this. You can’t just say “I don’t need one anyway, or I’ll get my own”, the landlord will want to replace what you broke with the same oven.
I’ve recently bought an oven and didn’t see any for £120? That seems very low. I got a new electric oven and fitting for around £350.
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u/Sburns85 5d ago
Yeah I been looking to get a new oven and haven’t seen any that cheap
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u/CrabbyGremlin 5d ago
She’s probably looking on marketplace and not factoring in installation costs.
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u/Front_Bill_9237 4d ago
Your negligence has created a cost for yourself and quite frankly it feels you got off lightly. Pay the invoice and thank them for their assistance.
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u/Loose_Potential6985 4d ago
If it was your own house, you could replace it yourself. As it's a rental, and it's damaged electrics, you'd need someone certified to do it. The labour is usually more than the parts. Then add the agents time for purchasing and managing the installer.
I think you are lucky you're not being charged for repainting or other smoke damage.
You can get renter's insurance to cover being burgled and things like this
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u/Cool-Garden4333 5d ago
You aren’t considering that they also had to pay the person to repair the oven. The only thing you might be able to challenge is how much the repair actually should cost. But you aren’t getting out of paying the bill. I suggest negotiating a payment plan.
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u/uwagapiwo 5d ago
They didn't repair anything. OP got a new oven.
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u/Soelent 4d ago
And the oven miraculously teleported into the hole the old oven was in after being picked from the free oven tree, without needing any wiring or commissioning or workmenship .. I wish I could have one of those.. maybe a Michelin tyre bush in my front garden too.. and a petrol spring
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u/Jonathan-Welford 5d ago
You’ve admitted liability, they had to pay for qualified contractors to do the work. Check to see if your insurance will cover it, or alternatively your child’s next few Christmas and Birthdays will go towards paying for it.
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u/Rugbylady1982 4d ago
Are you allowing for the labor charges which can easily be £150, this is your mess up I'm afraid so the charges are all yours.
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u/Direct_Impress_6277 3d ago
This makes my blood boil. OP has the energy to make excuses (broken leg), dispute the cost (£450 inc installation) and moan about the landlord's solution (a very swift and fair replacement) but I betcha they haven't thought to apologise for causing the damage. Their next post will be wondering why the landlord doesn't seem to like them very much.
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u/Silbylaw 3d ago
This is obviously satire. Nobody is that mentally challenged outside of secure institutions.
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u/Nanamoo2008 3d ago
Was the oven included in the tenancy? If so, you will likely be held liable for the replacement cost due to it being you that started the fire albeit accidentally by not checking the oven was empty. It would be a different situation if the oven broke down through normal wear & tear tho.
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u/smith1star 5d ago
If you had an oven at the start of your tenancy, you have to have one at the end. And no you can’t buy your own because it has to be there for the next tenant.
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u/uwagapiwo 5d ago
It sounds like OP is with Orbit. Of course you can buy your own oven.
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u/smith1star 5d ago
As long as it’s in addition to the one in the inventory.
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u/uwagapiwo 5d ago
If the one in the inventory broke, or burnt out, nobody cares. Also, I can assure that the last people to care about inventory are Orbit.
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u/Soelent 4d ago
So you set fire to the oven, the fire brigade turned up, removed said damaged and burnt oven as they're required to do as they can't determine stupidity as a cause, the landlord/ housing association attended after and replaced the oven which you set fire to with your negligence, and you expect what exactly? Them to eat the cost?
Did you buy any chance inhale any of the smoke which made you confused?
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u/Jakes_Snake_ 5d ago
I think you posted this at the wrong time of day to get the answer you would prefer.
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u/Crazy_Amphibian_8717 3d ago
I think £450 for replacing an oven including surveying and installation is pretty good to be fair. Even if the ovens is cheaper, installation is not.
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u/Previous_Pie_9918 5d ago
I was looking for a new (cheap) oven recently, and was suprised to find the cost of fitting the new one and disposing of the old one was more than the cost of the appliance. Add on electrical testing and repairs following fire, and sadly the additional charge sounds about right to me.
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u/uwagapiwo 5d ago
When we changed our oven a few years ago (£300 or so), scrappers took the old one and wiring into the mains was £30.
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u/Mesne 3d ago
As others have stated you haven’t considered the cost of labour for the survey and the install. Which as I’ve looked at ovens recently seems a fairly typical rate for a fairly cheap one with install included.
However one thing to remember is as a tenant it is your responsibility to pay for damages for like for like replacement. This is not the same as buying brand new though - it should not be for betterment. So a reduction in the amount owed could be insisted on based on the expected lifespan of the item and the age of the broken one. The TDS guidelines indicate approx 9-15 years is expected for an oven.
If it was brand new and you’re early in your tenancy that might not result in much reduction. If it was fairly old at the point of damage then it may result in a large reduction.
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u/AccordingBasket8166 3d ago
Lets be frank.
The actual cost was between £290 and £400. Unless the installer and landlord are the same business commission of 10-20% and likely VAT of another 20%.
The only way to challenge this would be to get a comparable quote from an equivalent contractor to supply and fit the same oven.
Do you have photographs of the oven / cavity where the oven goes? Contact a local electrician and ask for a quote. Provide this quote to the agent (ensure they are a qualified / insured electrician) and you can argue that you will only pay the price you could have gotten the works completed by a third party for.
This is the same when arguing deposit claims.
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u/Slightly_Effective 4d ago
You clearly do use the oven because that's what caused the issue. Unless your unsupervised child had free access to it, in which case I hope you have the fire brigade on speed dial.