New tenants want everything but do nothing

[frankiesamson]

The ongoing saga with our various tenants is that they want the place to be clean but don't want to clean it or pay for a cleaner. They're never happy. We went away for 10 days and they had destroyed everything, let the plants in the house & garden die by not watering even once, and the house looked like animals lived there. Literally. It was a shock to walk through the front door- the dirty body smell in the house, blocked toilet, unclean floors & surfaces..etc.

Out of 8 tenants we've had, only 1 was a relatively normal reliable responsible person.

Our latest problem is that we had to go away for a few months & one of the tenants told us the shower is broken. Apparently it's been broken for ages but none of them informed us! She wants us to get it fixed asap, so I called a few plumbers & found one. However, the tenant(s) don't want to give us any specific time they can be in to let the plumber in to the house. They want it done, but don't want to let him in.

We've even offered to pay one of the less irresponsible tenants £200 every month just while we're away, to look after the house & garden.. she agreed.. but as soon as I mentioned to keep it clean, she changed her mind- so I offered her £100 a month to let workmen in to do repairs as needed but no cleaning- she agreed- but as soon as I mentioned the plumber was going to call around, she changed her mind again.

We don't know what to do. We don't know anyone in the area & have had awful experience with agencies where they take £300 a month and do nothing.

The strange thing is- for £100 a month it would involve in average maybe 1 hours work every 6 months. The tenants are all interested when we offer them the money but as soon as it comes to actually doing anything, they don't want it anymore.

I wish my landlord had offered me £200 to clean or £100 a month to let the plumber in when I was renting - I used to do it for free!!

Wish we could just find someone reliable & willing to be paid for this simple task.

You need legal advice. You really do need legal advice.

Haddaway, I agree but it's too late. Thanks for that constructiveness

Very confusing post, sorry! Lodgers and tenants are two separate things. Tenants have a lot more rights generally. Employ a cleaner to go over weekly and keep an eye on stuff - it's always worked for me. For repairs look at rated people or even BIZZBY - I've found some of my best contractors from there - and for years now they've had keys to the properties to go in and fix stuff. Whilst it's a nice gesture offering to pay them, that's up to them to take it or not. But really you shouldn't! It's in their interest for someone to open the door for the plumber. Why wouldn't they?

If you continue as a slum landlord, running an illegal HMO you will need legal representation.

Olennas, thanks for that, I've already done that but thanks anyway & I'm sorry, I didn't realise it was my fault for expecting human being tenants or lodgers or whatever you'd like to call them, to open the front door to a plumber once in their lives & then complaining to me that I have to travel 8 hours to let him in for them because the shower stopped working. My mistake, how unreasonable of me... they agreed to clean up after themselves (which I do every day because they don't), and the moment I move out for a couple of months and the shower stops working, I'm completely unreasonable to expect them to be able to let the plumber in... and yes we all know what side you're on but thanks for reiterating it for the umpteenth time.

Also re gardening. If you want to have real plants and might be away for some time employ a gardener. If you want something low maintenance put fake plants and fake grass and then it's problem gone.

Pesty, I'm pretty sure slum landlords wouldn't care that a shower has stopped working let alone be on Mumsnet worrying about tenants happiness & asking for advice on how to get a repair man into the house asap. As for your comment about illegal HMOs, you'd need to be running a large HMO without a license in order for it to be illegal, or did you think that applies to anyone with spare rooms with lodgers?!

Surely if tenants want no commitment with gardens etc, you hRge a rent thR includes a transparent service charge so you can pY someone to do that shit.

Have you looked at the idea of a house sitter whilst you are away? Typically they feed the pets and water the plants either living in or not but you might find one of the agencies can find someone who will come in check the house, let plumbers in, water the garden etc. Also second Pimlico Plumbers. Not cheap but sometimes in situations like these you need to throw money at the problem until you come up with a more sustainable answer.

I'd also check with local council as you should have an HMO licence if it's 5 people. The licence itself is not expensive but to get it you need to fit certain criteria eg x people for x number of bathrooms / kitchens. Clearly posted fire safety escape route / property manager details etc if you have let your room to them whilst away then effectively they may no longer be lodgers as for the 2-3 months you are not living there. Fines for not having a licence are 20k plus so it's really not ideal unless you have money to burn.

OP, I was thinking less if co-host, more of this sort of service:

www.airsorted.uk/pricing/

Of which there will be loads, not all of whom ONLY do Air bnb. Ringing around will find you something.

Alternatively, tell e wry “tenant”/lodger who emails/texts/calls about the shower - we’d love to fix it, but no one will liaise with the plumber. So talk amongst yourselves & arrange it or wait till we’re back in 3 months.

Confused, "install fake plants & fake grass. Problem gone " You'd also have the problem of not being able to rent the rooms out in the first place because very few people wish to live in scally haven. So I guess it would solve the problem in a creative way.

Pick it was agreed they'd help with everything. Yet they don't follow through with their agreements.

I came on here asking advice on how to find someone willing to manage it while we're away. Your response "it all sounds terribly unprofessional and unmanaged", thanks for that.

You’re welcome. You left out the vital part- are you sure you’re in the right business? You don’t sound very good at it.

To clarify you have commented that it's not a large HMO. But nevertheless it is an HMO. From the .gov.uk site this is the definition

Your home is a house in multiple occupation (HMO) if both of the following apply:
• at least 3 tenants live there, forming more than 1 household
• you share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities with other tenants

Three lodgers is enough to turn you into a HMO. Your grammar indicates you have more than two.

Catanddog, thanks for suggesting a housesitter. Is that not another word for exactly what my op is looking for? Someone to let plumber in.

Confused you're wrong- should probably check before you post. Not all councils state 5 or more people is automatically a large HMO. There are often other requirements.

Yes, the errand services and Girl Friday PAs that have already been mentioned.

e.g. houseelf.co.uk/ (not used myself, found on Google)
www.girlfridaylondon.com/services (ditto)
www.universalaunts.co.uk/ (have been a customer in the past)
as well as the one SilverHairedCat mentioned

@frankiesamson I am not criticising here. I'm
Purely talking out of experience. I am a landlord of multiple properties, also london based. I also used to manage other people's properties as well. I have had 60 tenants at one time including two HMOs of 5 each. It's not true that you wouldn't find lodgers if it didn't have real plants - it's about how you stage the property and it's gardens. I've seen concrete gardens done up with beautiful furniture attract fantastic tenants. Of my own properties for the last two years 50% of my tenants have come from referral of previous tenants so I'm not exactly clueless. Purely offering ideas

Nosquirrels

"service:

<a class="break-all" href="http://go.mumsnet.com/?xs=1&id=470X1554755&url=www.airsorted.uk/pricing/" target="_blank">https://www.airsorted.uk/pricing/

Of which there will be loads, not all of whom ONLY do Air bnb. Ringing around will find you something.

Alternatively, tell e wry “tenant”/lodger who emails/texts/calls about the shower - we’d love to fix it, but no one will liaise with the plumber. So talk amongst yourselves & arrange it or wait till we’re back in 3 months."

Thank you!! Most intelligent advice on here so far I think. That link was exactly what I was looking for- will check it out. You're a star :)

Anyway - what do your contracts with these people say? If there’s nothing about being responsible for organising or facilitating repairs or maintenance, then you can hardly blame them.

There will be a solution, even if costly, but ultimately it’s probably “don’t let people stay in your house without a firm agreement of responsibilities”.

'Confused you're wrong- should probably check before you post. Not all councils state 5 or more people is automatically a large HMO. There are often other requirements'

No, I didn't say it definitely needs a licence. I said it is an HMO as per government standards. Whether it needs a licence is up to your local council and that is when 'other requirements come in' I said check, that's all.

"
<a class="break-all" href="http://go.mumsnet.com/?xs=1&id=470X1554755&url=www.airsorted.uk/pricing/" target="_blank">https://www.airsorted.uk/pricing/

Of which there will be loads, not all of whom ONLY do Air bnb. Ringing around will find you something."

Link doesn't work

Also tried air sorted in london - says they don't cover area yet. Any other ideas?