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Original poster

Giving notice on my tenancy with a social housing landlord - can they do this?

58 replies

StormyLovesOdd · 30/09/2020 22:04

Just had the pre assessment check done as we've given notice that we're leaving and buying a home.

The house has been well looked after, all nicely decorated etc.

Our landlords have told us before we leave our tenancy we have to change the nice light fittings in the kitchen to fluorescent strip lights, there are 2 lights so this is going to cost about £60.

We also have to change all the crome light switches/plugs to white plastic ones - this will cost about £50.

Take up and dispose of the perfectly nice carpet and strip the perfectly fine and neutral wallpaper off the walls.

They are also going to charge us for missing skirtingboards behind our fitted wardrobes. These skirtingboards were not there when we moved in (20 years ago) as there has always been fitted wardrobes there.

Can they do this? I think all of this work and the recharge will end up quite expensive and we frankly can't afford it.

OP posts:
OddBoots · 01/10/2020 09:38

@Snugglepumpkin

I have had this conversation with my HA in the past.

The reason they want it done is because if a new tenant moves in & there are fancy light switches, doors, carpets etc... then they are required to replace with same/similar (as in not the cheap bog standard stuff they put in normally) if they get damaged or need replacing for any other reason with the new tenants who would move in & find them there.
If you don't strip them out, they will.

That's why you move into basically a shell of a house with the cheapest things possible in it.

This kind of makes sense but there must be a way to get new tenants to sign to say they understand that there have been upgrades to fixtures and fittings that will not be maintained during any future work.
Camdenish · 01/10/2020 09:41

@luckystarmaking

You're crazy for giving up the tenancy. You should have rented out the other home. Residual income and an investment for your future.
You can’t do this!

But yes pretty standard. You could try asking the Housing Officer to just bull you for the work that needs doing. Agree a price of course. That way they probably never will and the property stays in a decent state for the next tenant.

Original poster
StormyLovesOdd · 01/10/2020 12:51

Thanks for all the replies - sounds like it's standard practice then and yes it's stupid. They've told me if we don't do all the work they have requested they will do it themselves and then bill us for it. They also said if they bill us it will likely cost more than if we do it ourselves Angry

Unfortunately we don't have a copy of the tenancy agreement so I can't check the terms, we had one 20 years ago but I think it must have been thrown away.

We only brought the fitted wardrobes a few years ago, they are lovely Ikea ones and were quite expensive so I want to take them with us rather than leave them. The wardrobes that we're there before we're falling apart when we moved in but the skirtingboards was always missing, I have no proof of this though.

OP posts:

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Marisishidinginmyattic · 01/10/2020 12:55

I'm pretty sure it's the landlords who need proof rather than you. If they can't prove that the skirting boards were there when you moved in, then they can't charge you to replace them.

Original poster
StormyLovesOdd · 01/10/2020 13:00

Maris - thank you, I will ask them to show me proof re the skirtingboards.

I know we're very lucky to be able to finally buy our own place, we have inherited a large sum of money and without this we'd never have been able to afford to buy somewhere but this doesn't mean we have lots of spare cash to spend on our current home making it look worse.

I hate our housing association and can't wait to move

OP posts:
NorthDowns · 01/10/2020 13:31

That’s standard practice I’m afraid.

CremeEggThief · 01/10/2020 13:41

This is the sort of thing that is going to have to change, sooner rather than later. It is so wasteful and unfriendly to the environment. Angry

Berthatydfil · 01/10/2020 13:46

They should hold a copy of the tenancy agreement and if you ask they should give you a copy.
It is standard practice to remove flooring and fitments etc. Not sure about wallpaper - that might vary with HAs. If you aren’t going to use any of the items you are being asked to remove perhaps you can remove them and sell them. Otherwise they will strip it all out skip it and charge you.

2Kidsinatrenchcoat · 01/10/2020 13:50

@Snugglepumpkin

I have had this conversation with my HA in the past.

The reason they want it done is because if a new tenant moves in & there are fancy light switches, doors, carpets etc... then they are required to replace with same/similar (as in not the cheap bog standard stuff they put in normally) if they get damaged or need replacing for any other reason with the new tenants who would move in & find them there.
If you don't strip them out, they will.

That's why you move into basically a shell of a house with the cheapest things possible in it.

This, and also it’s unfair if one new tenant gets provided with all that when they move in, but another gets a bare house.
StellaGib · 01/10/2020 13:51

Standard to have to strip everything back to the state it was in when you moved in. I would push back on the skirting board/fitted wardrobe though.

DorotheaDiamond · 01/10/2020 13:56

Is it worth you taking up the carpet and hanging onto it then offering it to the new tenant? Bit of a faff but at least then it’s not wasted!

SBTLove · 01/10/2020 13:57

Everything they’ve asked could be done in a few hours for less than £100 and done by yourself, get it done as they’ll bill you triple that, they’re minor easy wee jobs.

CherryRipe1 · 01/10/2020 14:06

I helped a friend move two years ago from a HA property owned by London's biggest social l/l. She left it clean & tidy but the HA made no mention of removing the kitchen she'd installed, ceramic flooring or taps. They just changed the light fittings at no charge. She had inherited a property and the rules were she could still keep her HA flat as the property was gained AFTER she had obtained her tenancy but had it been before then would have been fraud. She did the right thing by moving out. Your HA must have different rules on fixtures and fittings which is quite unfair tbh so don't think you are being unreasonable.

pantsville · 01/10/2020 14:08

When my relative moved out of their council house after a similar amount of time, the council worker was really happy that the property had been maintained well, improved and kept up to date. All the improvements were left in place. I don’t think it’s unfair on people who move into properties with the basic fixtures, it’s simply a small bonus for those who get the improved properties. Not many properties are totally equal anyway, they will all to an extent have minor differences whether that’s the view out the window, shape of the garden etc. I doubt anyone given a safe, suitable home would kick up a fuss that next door has got nicer door handles on.

tabulahrasa · 01/10/2020 14:14

“We only brought the fitted wardrobes a few years ago, they are lovely Ikea ones and were quite expensive so I want to take them with us rather than leave them. The wardrobes that we're there before we're falling apart when we moved in but the skirtingboards was always missing, I have no proof of this though.“

If you’ve replaced fitted wardrobes with your own - then tbh you should consider it good luck that they only want skirting boards replacing and not fitted wardrobes...

PaperMonster · 01/10/2020 14:26

Our HA doesn’t require you to rip out flooring etc. We’d made some minor improvements to our old HA house and received £30 when we moved out as we’d left the house in good condition. However some neighbours had done a lot of structural and electrical improvement work and had to pay a fortune when they left. That was to do more with the electrical work - which was all safe under IEE regs etc but not not permissible under social housing rules.

pusspuss9 · 01/10/2020 14:42

here in Bavaria you have to leave any rented house in exactly the same condition as you started in, i.e. there are exact rules laid down . It is inspected and if there is any deviation to the rules then that has to be put right.

Lemonylemony · 01/10/2020 14:47

Do you mean fitted wardrobes? Surely you can’t take fitted wardrobes with you because they’re....well, fitted!

It sounds supremely daft but if them’s the rules then you should comply really. These aren’t massive jobs. And then you’ll have the nice switches for your new place, so that’s a bonus.

Carpet and wallpaper is a massive shame & waste tho.

DizzyPigeon · 01/10/2020 15:11

Imo you are getting off lightly if they want you to replace the skirting boards, rather than leave a fitted wardrobe, in that case.

Technically you should be leaving a fitted wardrobe. You just have to hope they don't figure that one out.

safariboot · 01/10/2020 15:50

Request a copy of your tenancy agreement. Make sure it's what you signed, not any "standard" agreement that was written later.

They can't expect you to pay for changes from its original state.

Removing carpets is standard and understandable due to pest concerns. Removing wallpaper seems unusual. And again, if they originally let it with poor decor they really have no grounds to demand it be left with good. For example DM moved into a house with peeling and gratified paper.

user1471538283 · 01/10/2020 16:20

Yes they can because they don't want to be responsible for it all. You can change the light switches quite easily yourself. You might find a local handyman rather than an electrician to change the light fittings for less. You can pull up the carpets on the day you move and your movers or you can take them to the tip. I would argue the point about the skirting boards though if none were there. When we moved out of social housing years ago I was told that if I left the carpets I would be charged £100. So I gave the £100 and the cost of tipping to the movers

Original poster
StormyLovesOdd · 01/10/2020 16:32

It gets even more stupid, they also want us to dismantle and get rid of the perfectly fine shed at the bottom of the garden too, there's nothing wrong with it !

I'm going to have to get a skipAngry what a waste !!

OP posts:
HunterHearstHelmsley · 01/10/2020 16:40

Was there fitted wardrobes when you moved in?

DizzyPigeon · 01/10/2020 16:45

You've already been told why you can't leave things.

Sheds can be sold.

DizzyPigeon · 01/10/2020 16:46

Was there fitted wardrobes when you moved in?

Op has only made 4 posts. It's not hard to find that information.

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