Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

Landlady selling our flat, discussions about cleaning and tidying

119 replies

Summerbreezes · 21/10/2019 21:13

I live in a small flat with my DH. Our landlady has been trying to sell for a few months. We've had several viewings and I've insisted that all estate agents give me notice of viewings. It's a very good flat but no offers so far, because the housing market has slowed right down. The price has been reduced but still no offers. It's the sort of flat that would've been sold within a week if this had happened five years ago. We don't want to move anyway.

Also we renewed our tenancy agreement a couple of months ago. LL wants to keep us on as tenants to get money for as long as possible.

LL phoned me this evening to say she's had feedback from a couple of estate agents to say that our flat apparently isn't very clean or tidy. I'm not sure if this is the agents' view or the viewers' view. I personally believe that agents in general have an unrealistic view of how clean people should keep their homes, plus it's none of their business anyway.

LL has now said she's coming round later this week to inspect our flat. The thing is we already know she's a bit of a hygeine freak and a minimalist and she's already commented on how much stuff we have, even though we have an average amount of stuff with no storage space so it's visible. I already said on the phone that it's not our job to market the flat or make it look perfect. We live here. She's obviously desperate to sell but also wants to keep on good terms with us so that we cooperate but this is getting way too intrusive. We pay our rent every month and we're good tenants, but at the same time I'm not about to start moving my stuff and have a spring clean just so that someone else can sell my home.

We have been more than reasonable with the estate agents and not turned down one single viewing, even though we know we technically don't have to let anyone in at all so we've been very fair and far more cooperative than we need to be.

I know different people have different cleaning standards but this is our home and I don't need to be tidying up for visitors that I don't even want.

OP posts:

StatisticallyChallenged · 22/10/2019 17:27

Exactly batvixen. You put up with it when it's your asset worth however many hundreds of thousands. Why would you pay for the privilege of living like that

PurpleCrowbar · 22/10/2019 17:32

I think I'd say 'ok landlady, neither of us are happy with current situation so here are the options.

if you want our rent, you'll need to accept that this is where & how we & our stuff live. So you'll have to hope you get a buyer despite any perceived clutter or mess.
or you can give us notice & market the flat in pristine condition once we've gone. Obviously you'll be supplying a great reference & not playing silly buggers re the deposit, as you'll want us to leave promptly & not string things out so that you have to evict us
make us an offer - significant mutually agreed rent reduction for full cooperation re viewings, cleaning standards & putting stuff in storage.
accept that the place isn't selling because of the market, withdraw it from sale & continue renting to us until the market picks up, then we can revisit options 1-3.

Over to you, landlady'

SleepyKat · 22/10/2019 17:37

While you live there you can have stuff stacked to the ceilings if you want.

If she wants to market an uncluttered flat she gives you notice and markets it while empty. But obviously she doesn’t want to lose rent. She wants her cake and to eat it. Bad luck for her.

stucknoue · 22/10/2019 17:41

Without seeing it none of us can say whether it's reasonably clean. Not cleaning the oven is fair enough but if I viewed a place with a filthy hob I would not be willing to put in an offer, it's something you clean nearly everyday if there's spillages. My house is not tidy but it's clean and not cluttered - perhaps ask for specifics from the landlady

mrssoap · 22/10/2019 17:56

@grandmatakemehomeee maybe it depends what reference agency they use? As mine has never even asked!

grandmatakemehomeee · 22/10/2019 17:58

@mrssoap no idea! Weirdly all the agents I've used wanted previous tenants ref but weren't bothered about credit checks... thank god cos my credit is awful but my references have always been positive!

grandmatakemehomeee · 22/10/2019 17:59

Sorry previous landlord ref*

crosstalk · 22/10/2019 18:22

OP Another LL and current renter. You are quite within your rights to limit viewings. Clearly people selling their own home tend to tidy to the nth degree. I suspect your LL doesn't like your "clutter" because, unless you're a hoarder, it shows what little storage there is.

I think a polite version of PurpleCrowbar's list does it

batvixen123 · 22/10/2019 18:29

Also, I find it really weird that people wouldn't buy a house if the former tenant hadn't wiped down the hob. Do they think the oven will be stained in perpetuity? Surely it's the kind of thing you just know you'll do differently.

Treacletoots · 22/10/2019 19:34

I think you've been more than reasonable to date but realistically they're right, buyers expect a pristine house now when it comes to viewings.

If your landlady wants to sell she's realistically going to have to sell it with vacant possession, which will take ages to sort.

Otherwise I'd agree a half rent discount to keep the place tidy and... Agree to her paying a professional cleaner. Win win.

Ps I am a landlord...

StatisticallyChallenged · 22/10/2019 20:36

It's irrelevant if the hob has a few splatters on it, the op is living there and for most hobs leaving stuff a day or two does no damage (we had a stupidly moody ceramic once which stained if you let anything dry, hence most!) As long as it's clean and undamaged when she leaves it's fine.

stayfit · 22/10/2019 20:41

You have the right to refuse. Don't think there is any rule about how you organize your personal things in your own house. Just to keep peace I would ask her if she can pay for a cleaner before the viewing but only if this is suitable to you and it should be someone you choose and should work per your rules. I would get it in writing that this shouldn't impact any rent or deposit.

carly2803 · 22/10/2019 21:31

shes a cheeky cow. she needs togive you notice if she wants an empty flat

simples.

ItsGoingTibiaK · 22/10/2019 21:50

Whatever anyone else thinks about your hob-cleaning habits is entirely irrelevant. You are perfectly entitled to leave the flat in whatever state of disarray you choose, as long as you are not causing any permanent damage.

If you were the owner and trying to sell, you would have a clear financial incentive and so would probably behave differently, with all the added time, energy and stress that goes into keeping a home show-ready for viewings. But you're not, so rock on as you are.

YellWat · 22/10/2019 21:59

I remember viewing a tenanted house once and my feet stuck to the carpet. It was so gross. The whole place stank.

That place was too unclean for me to consider. I can't remember anything other than wanting to leave immediately.

I'm not saying OP has a house like that (I'm assuming not!) but to those who are saying that cleanliness doesn't matter when buying... It can. It definitely can.

Dieu · 22/10/2019 22:13

I too would be embarrassed by the feedback, but then I'm a tidy person, so it wouldn't be a problem in the first place.
Why don't you work together on this; negotiate a reduced rent for you during the selling months, and you agree to keep the place clean and uncluttered.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 22/10/2019 22:49

DH and I viewed a flat filled with stuff including lots of clean underwear on the radiators. We could see past the stuff in the flat to the actual space and rented it that day.

When we were renting and the LL sold, we kept the house relatively tidy but certainly not show home condition and not putting stuff in storage. I didn't leave washing draped everywhere, but there would be clean washing in a basket waiting to be ironed for example. When we sold our own home years later, I did turn it into a show home, had a storage locker and shoved stuff in the boot of our car before the agent came around . Selling my own home for maximum profit was in my interest, selling the LL's property less so.

Original poster

Summerbreezes · 22/10/2019 23:03

I'm not embarrassed by the feedback because my home is perfectly clean enough for my purposes, and because estate agents lie a lot. As someone said earlier, they're blaming us for the flat not selling when really it's the property market that's the problem. The price has been significantly dropped but it's still not selling, and I am not going to take responsibility for this. Estate agents aren't exactly known to be a truthful bunch. Also I know for a fact that there's at least two other flats in this building which have been on the market for longer than ours and still not sold, and that's definitely nothing to do with us.

OP posts:

Misspierre1930 · 22/10/2019 23:05

I would sayyour LL is putting you out your way! She is wanting too sell and disturbing you! Everyones idea of tidy is different and it you way there isnt much storage then thats not really dirty that just not being able too store items away! You are not obligated too have viewings as you still technically live there! So 1 you are doing her a favour allowing viewings whilst your still there and you are being cooperative.
I would start looking too move as its hard too find a decent place and if you move before the house sells then it would seem the landlady would not be able too blame you if people arnt interested

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Swipe left for the next trending thread