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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to do any of these things re my tenant?

40 replies

TheQueenOfDeDead · 15/10/2011 06:07

This is a kind of WWYD. I'm really not sure whether any of these options are reasonable/unreasonable and knowing the vitriol often reserved for blood sucking landlords I thought I'd canvass opinions here Grin .

I rent out a property and want to get the loft converted. For various reasons it needs to be done sooner rather than later. The tenancy comes to an end at the begining of the new year. Do I:

  1. Give tenant notice, get work done, get new tenant who will pay increased rent?

  2. Get work done (realise tenant will have to agree to this) but don't charge her rent for period of work and possibly compensate her?

  3. Something in between?

My gut feeling is get work done, she continues to pay rent but gets benefit of newly converted room (which I know she really wants) with no increase in rent.

OP posts:
Laquitar · 15/10/2011 15:20

A loft convertion can take 3-4 months and its very dusty.

I would worry that she might blame you for 'unhealthy conditions'.

Does she work? If she receives benefits or she is going to in few months then it doesn't make difference to her if she pays rent or not. When is she due?

TheQueenOfDeDead · 15/10/2011 15:25

Laquitar as I say it should only take 3 weeks and dust will be minimised, but regardless I am sure I will be blamed for "unhealthy conditions". The problem is I will also be balmed for "turfing her out" whilst pregnant. I think she is about 5/6 mths, she hasn't told me herself a neighbour did.

She doesn't work but her parents pay for the house. I don't have any idea if she also claims benefits. I would be surprised if she does as she certainly doesn't appear to be short of cash.

OP posts:
Laquitar · 15/10/2011 15:38

Sorry i missed the 3 wks bit. Thats very short then and doable.

She might be entitled to benefits though.

knittedbreast · 15/10/2011 15:41

If I were you I would get the work done and not charge her any extra rent in the future. this is most fair as she does have to live with

CroissantNeuf · 15/10/2011 15:45

Firstly, do not underestimate the disruption a loft conversion can cause. Noise, dust, access, more dust....If the tenant can be a PITA at times then think about how much of a PITA she could be about this disruption.

Secondly, before you work out the options you are going to offer the tenant, work out the finances and also take into account what will happen when the project over-runs (which it is bound to!). Can you afford to give her another 2 months on top of what you had planned if it takes longer etc?

PootlePosyPumpkin · 15/10/2011 15:46

I would give her the option between 1) and 2) as skiing said. If she choses option 2 & stays in the property I would get it in writing what the exact agreement is - i.e. the length of any discounted period or the maximum length of time which you will allow her to remain in the larger property for the same rent, you wouldn't want to be in a position where you can never increase the rent would you? Also, have her sign that she accepts that any inconvenience caused during the building works is being fully compensated by the above. If she's cheeky enough, she could accept the rent-free period or lower ongoing rent & then claim extra compensation for inconvenience on top.

I would think that a tenant who looks after the property & is guaranteed by her parents is probably worth sticking with if you can.

PootlePosyPumpkin · 15/10/2011 15:47

chooses not choses - damn it!

breadandbutterfly · 15/10/2011 17:30

Why don't you ask her if she could bear to live with it? she might prefer not to live with the disruption whilst pregnant, in which case your theorising is pointless. Equally, if she's struggling to pay the rent now, is there much point offering to keep her on during the work if you are planning to raise the rent afterwards?

Also, will it really take only 3 weeks and all go though the roof? It sounds incredibly quick and easy if so, but what if the weather is bad etc?

As a tenant, our landlady wanted to replace some flooring because the insurance was paying up; it wasn't necessary to do it then, and we asked her not to. She told us it would take 1 day. In the event, because of various unforeseen complications, it ended up taking 2 weeks, during which time the entire downstairs was out of order (everything from the kitchen/utility had been moved into the living room, so we had no kitchen/utility and no living room for 2 weeks!). It was a complete nightmare and she offered us no recompense at all. I certainly wouldn't be happy if a landlord wanted to get major work done while I was in situ - it is incredibly disruptive.

I can see that having an extra room afterwards might well make the tenant view the inconvenience as worth it, though. Why don't you explain you want to get it done, don't mind if she stays (though she may choose not to for above reasons anyway), and then it's up to you what recompense you offer. Some kind of recompense for the inconvenience seems fair - reduced or no rent whilst it's being done, and/or an extra room for free afterwards.

I suppose the thing is, she is doing you a favour too if she continues to rent during the (pretty disruptive) work, as you avoid void periods and the expenses of a new tenancy. Whether you are doing her an equal favour depends on how much she values having an extra room versus the hassle of living there whilst the work is done. I suspect if you're offering her nothing more than a few weeks of cheap/reduced rent in return for major hassle, followed by an increased rent she can't afford anyway, it's not going to seem terribly appealing to her. If the rent is going to go up after those few weeks, I'd imagine she'd wish to move out anyway, unless your rent is currently very competitive. Then again, if you're happy with her moving out, that needn't matter.

Finally, as I said on another thread, I do think that where you have a heavily pregnant tenant, it is reasonable to have some (human) consideration for that - would you want to be about to have a baby whilst living in a building site? It may be she doesn't mind, in which case well and good, but I think you should consider this when deciding about timings or the need to have the work done at all.

Quodlibet · 15/10/2011 17:43

If I was a pregnant tenant I might appreciate the following agreement:
The loft is being converted.

  • if I want I can give notice or
  • the work would be done with me in situ, and despite the increase in living space, I would not have a rent increase for 12 months,
  • after that period the rent will be raised to reflect the extra bedroom.

It would leave me with a year's grace to work out if that's what I wanted. Realistically if she's having a child she's going to need to find a larger more expensive property and some point, no?

I would view that as reasonable and I am a tenant (who pays my rent on time).

lurkerspeaks · 15/10/2011 17:50

I'm a tenant. My flat needs necessary and essential maintenance work done (that should have been done IMO during a void).

I'm expecting either a rent reduction or alternative accommodation (ie hotel) during the work and them to clean professionally when the work is finished.

In your situation given that she wants the extra room I think offering her either end of tenancy OR rent reduction for duration of work and no rent increase for first year with new extension would be the way to go.

TheQueenOfDeDead · 15/10/2011 18:33

So the answer is I will pluck up the courage to ask her what she wants.

I know there is no way she will want to end the tenancy. She is an acquaintance of sorts and she knows she has got an extremely good deal because I am a soft touch Equally I know it'll be a drama because she is of the firm belief that the world revolves around her

Thanks for your thoughts Smile

OP posts:
breadandbutterfly · 15/10/2011 19:35

You sound like a nice caring landlady. Hope it goes well.

RandomMess · 15/10/2011 19:47

Hmm if she's a drama queen then I'd be tempted to tell that she can't live there whilst the work is being done.

Any chance she can go back to her parents short term???

You could then give her notice and then give her first refusal?

I just think if you let her stay the whole thing could backfire?

breatheslowly · 15/10/2011 21:22

As others have said, if you are going to not increase the rent then make that clearly for a fixed period, otherwise you could end up with an open ended agreement never to increase her rent.

MoreBeta · 15/10/2011 21:27

Frankly I would give her notice and have the work done while looking for a new tenant at a higher rent.

You are being a soft touch I fear and she is taking advantage by the sound of things. You owe her nothing.

I am a tenant by the way.

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