To think being a tenant is an absolute misery

and the inspections! I guess I am lucky that I have never had one until now. Our previous landlord never did one.

I don't really care that much, house was basically tidy but still felt like a real invasion of privacy.

The lack of security is very scary too. Love this house but I know once the year is up we could be evicted any day.

I have been both a good tenant and I was a very decent landlord. I didn't put up the rent for years as I was happy as long as the mortgage and service charges were covered. I never did inspections. I replaced anything the tenants said they wanted. I recently had to sell my rental property because after one tenant moved out, the remaining tenant was so difficult - he didn't pay for five months whereas I still had to pay the mortgage on the property. I couldn't get him out of the property and had to sell it - at a huge loss. This property was going to fund my children's uni years. I can see why so many people are leaving the market and its resulting in high rentals and more corporate landlords. I would advise anyone renting out their property not to bother.

I agree 100%, although I am not in the UK.

We were in house that we hated, and were happy to find another house that suited our needs much better. But agent said move in date was 1 week away. So we potentially could have paid double rent, although we were lucky and the previous house let us give only 2 weeks notice. (and then didn't give our security deposit back for a month or two, for no good reason, just sheer laziness)

But there is a whole bunch of work that needed doing on the house, that should really have been done before we moved in. So we had a few days of workmen traipsing through the house, and until that was done we didn't really have adequate hot water. For about 2 months. One person could take a shower at a time, just about.

Unfortuanately due to lack of choice where I live we were forced to take a furnished house. House is lovely but furniture is mostly old and breaking apart. Wardrobes that don't close properly, 2 chairs that broke as people sitting on them.

@Butchyrestingface

to be fair having been both a tenant and a LL at various times (now happily a home owner - we'll joint owner with the bank!?) it wouldn't have occurred to me to ask or be asked about a hamster (anything caged).

The problem is you're giving a substantial amount of your earnings. Maybe the highest outgoing . And you are being treated like a child. Can't decorate. Can't have a pet. Have to be tidy. I hated privately renting it felt like you got a roof but not a home as you could be asked to leave whenever the landlord decided. It is so much dead money each month for so little value. If you make it nice you might have to leave it all behind at a moments notice.

I've rented for over 20 years and have never been in absolute misery. My current flat has very low rent, which hasn't increased in the two years I've been living here and there are no flat inspections. My previous flat was actually nicer, and the rent even lower. I didn't really care about the three monthly inspections. Of course I don't like the lack of security, but I have no choice so that's that. I do like it when there is a problem and I don't have to pay for it to be resolved - my last flat had several major plumbing issues. I have cats in my current flat, and even had a dog at the previous one. Not all landlords are bad.

Because it’s an extra insult as a grown adult being policed by someone who was a child at school 18 months ago.

Yes op I agree. Thankfully we only had one inspection in three years but it was really awful the build up to it! We keep the place well but I was completely on edge😂😂😂 the cost is so tough too and the worry of it increasing with the lack of stability. We hope to buy but at the moment are waiting a bit longer as having trouble finding somewhere we can afford.

I've had good and bad - currently in a very good but expensive lovely house. Agent has just done an inspection after 18 months fixed term and asked if we wanted another year fixed but to be honest it's a posh woman in her 50s who really just came to have a quick walk through and a general chat . Rent going up 5% - but that's still quite a lot on rent at this level- still I calculated it's cheaper than moving an unfurnished 4 bed house. We keep it nice too - it really is the luck of the draw - and that app idea is bloody awful!!!

I'm sure not all landlords are awful... but I moved to the UK and was amazed at how fucking awful all the ones I've had to interact with have been. And they're renting absolutely shitty homes not like the govt assessed and moderated market I was used to in 'the developing world'...

When I left my last rental, the LL made me stroke the walls in the bathroom with him to show me that my (£180) professional clean wasn't up to scratch. I reminded him of the two days I'd spent cleaning the shithole before I'd let my kids even see the place but he still didn't return my deposit. He owns 13 properties in the town I live in and I see him smarming about everywhere 🤮

your OP reminds me of when we rented from Belviour (sp) estate agents.

they were difficult estate agents.

I rented for over 25 years before buying, from a variety of different agents in several different areas and my experiences were largely positive - and I had/have dogs!

I rented for 10 years before buying and am now a landlord.

I think the issue you've got is with the letting agent to be fair.. when I used to have inspections, he was a horrible man who always made comments while walking around, especially about the dog who was known on the tenancy.. he would put things down like 'wet pawprints on the kitchen floor', I can't tell you how much I despised him and his visits, like yours he seemed oblivious to the intrusive nature of his presence and unnecessary comments.

I never had a single issue with any of the 3 landlords though, but I think I fell lucky with long term professional landlords, my step sister on the other hand got kicked out of her houses 3 times in 5 years with landlords who wanted to either have their house back or sell the property, and she kept her house immaculate, it's just bad luck sometimes.

I have someone manage my property and they have 6 month inspections, but don't take photos. they are however constantly hassling me to put the rent up (because they make more commission the more the rent is), but as a previous renter I know how much difference that extra £50/£100 can make, so won't do it unless I really have to.

I agree with you OP. It’s the lack of security above all else. Though my current landlord is a decent person. But it doesn’t change the fact I have no security.

I used to work in property management, we used to inspect annually, and do an inflation rent increase every two years. If we acted like your agents did then we'd have a high turnover of tenants. It would keep the reletting fees coming in, but peeve our long-term loyal clients. Mind you it's about 20 years since I finished the job. We always said don't put a tenant in a property that we wouldn't have in our own house, and trust gut instincts when vetting tenants.

Re repairs and maintenance we'd comply with agreement and legislation, but wouldn't go over and above, if that makes sense.

You do realise you are the exception rather than the rule

Most tenants have a pretty thin time of it.
I loathe renting for all the reasons the OP states.

Yes agree the inspections are truly awful. Ours comes & takes a video every 6 months and sends it to the owner. I’m expected to drop everything & be available to let them in. Feels like an absolute privacy invasion

I’m a landlord. Long term tenants. I might get around to a catch up every so often but in general I leave them in peace.

It might be my bricks and mortar but it’s their home and I respect that.

I am proactive, fix things expeditiously and take care of the fabric of the building. They’ve been with me 7 years.

I am a good landlord and my tenants are good tenants. That forms the basis of our relationship. I’m sorry you’re having a tough time with your landlord’s agent. It sounds suffocating.

Agreed.

I rented for many years and it was generally awful, albeit for different reasons in different properties.

It doesn’t need to be awful though. We could legislate our way out of it.

And - I do know people who rent that have long-term secure tenancies with fair landlords and minimal rent increases.

We rented for a few years after owning and were SOOOOOO lucky with a fabulous landlord who told us to make the place our home and welcomed our pets.

It was so reassuring to have the freedom to make his home our own while we stayed there

wish the same for all tenants x

I'm lucky to have a lifetime tenancy with a HA. Been here 15 years and had a couple of inspections after I'd first moved in but that's it, can renovate, decorate and have pets.
Previously I have privately rented and rarely had an inspection, rent increases yesterday.
The laws surrounding private lets have got better recently but there's still a way to go

My experience of renting was largely okay too.

They let me bring the feathered kids, but I did ask and didn’t just secret them in or accidentally “forget” and buy a pet once in situ.

They didn’t put the rent up but did charge me £50.00 when I was leaving for a couple of drops of tap water in the bathroom sink. 🙄

I also wasn’t overly fond of the damp and mushrooms growing on the inside of the kitchen door.

But overall, could have been a lot worse.

Yanbu. Rented for 25 + years, had ONE decent landlord.
As for this: I don’t understand the relevance of the estate agent being 19
Do you really not? 🙄
Well, I’m assuming it’s a bit humiliating having a near child whose mam probably still buys his underpants walking round your home to check up on you.

I rented 3 houses between getting divorced and buying my own home and it was the worst experience. I felt on edge like you and the way that lots of LL (NALALT I know!) think your deposit is theirs to take when you move out is crazy. I left those houses better than I found them but had to go into deposit dispute every time. The whole administrative fee used to get me too. Ragged trousered philanthropist was right, with the poor pay twice ethos IME (I was made destitute by my marriage breakdown and learnt firsthand about robbing Peter to pay Paul and how soul destroying the system can be. I had to leave for our safety as exH attacked me so it was absolutely not of my own making).