To not want to pay for new curtains in the flat we rent out?

[kbird]

I moved in with my partner a few months ago, and so rented out the flat I had been living in - nice Victorian one bed, large living room, designer bathroom etc. Quite nice but not in perfect nick. I had whole living room redecorated. I agreed to insulate bedroom windows as v draughty. Now tenants are asking for insulation plus heavy weight curtains in bedroom and living room! Ceilings are 3m!! I said no.

The loo seat was a bit broken, so I have replaced it at the not so tiny cost of £80 - stupid designer bathroom put in by previous owner.

The door to the living room doesn't click shut and now they are asking for that to be sorted.

I really feel like they are taking the piss, as there are blinds at all windows, plus lightweight curtains over the living room windows. I said they would be welcome to buy own curtains and take with when they go but there is a definite frost in the air now!

Frankly, I hope they give me their notice after 6 months and I will sell the bloody thing.

Is it unreasonable to say that the flat is rented as seen at viewing? I agree that the insulation should be done, but not the rest...

I rent nowadays, and like to use my own curtains - makes it feel more like home to me. I would never expect the landlord to replace them for me. However, the door and insulation is your responsibility.

I think it depends on the flat. Top end flats around here are expected to be decorated and furnished top end but the tenants pay top end rents to match.

Slavetofilofax, maybe it was:

www.landlordzone.co.uk

Door & insulation your cost.

Curtains - a bit of a middle ground really. Would it help to keep the house warm or does it just look cosier? If you think the blinds & light curtains keep the heat in then I'd say no, if you think it would keep it warmer then I'd say you should probably agree to go halves - but they stay in the house when they leave.

You really can't complain about things like loo seats, doors not closing & insulation - it's part of being a home owner - you aren't doing the tennants any favours.

No to curtains. What happens when you say yes, spend a fortune
, they move out and next tenant hates the colour and wants them replaced?

There is no obligation on you to insulate the window, other than the fact that you've already agreed to it.

You need to sort the door - maintenance is your problem.

You certainly don't have to provide heavy curtains.

Bottom line is are you bothered if you lose these tenants or not? It sounds not. It is generally a good idea to try and keep things amicable - if they leave the place in a real state because they are pissed off it could cost you a lot. Personally I would do the insulation and the door and tell them they are very welcome to hang their own curtains, but unfortunately you wont be providing them. Always think - would my behaviour be considered "reasonable" if I ever ended up in a dispute.

This is the landlord forum I find useful, even if they can be a bit sharp sometimes. www.landlord-forum.co.uk/
I provide floor coverings, window coverings (normally blinds) and a cooker. The tenants provide everything else. What you provide you have to maintain and replace. You maintain anything faulty, like the door. You decide if you want to improve the property, like the insulation, although as you've said you'll do that then I'd do it.

If tenants pay rent regularly on time and look after the property then, in general, keep them.
And, as I always say, get some landlords insurance. Look at the site I linked to above for recommendations.

Would it be helpful on threads about rented accommodation issues if people mentioned whether or not they are landlords or not? If so, I'm a landlord. Sometimes it's hard to tell if people are speaking of what they hope would be the case, rather than what is normal practise.
It's normal for tenants to provide the furnishings for their rented property unless it's a furnished let.

When I've rented places in the past that have had rubbish curtains (the ones that had a foot gap in the middle spring to mind) I've just taken them down, bagged them up, put my own up and swapped them back at the end of the tenancy. Haven't ever expected wonderful curtains in rented houses - just something up to stop me flashing the neighbours and if I wanted anything better - I provided it myself.

I'd have expected things like the door to be fixed, but apart from that - nope. Draughts - nice if you can get them sorted, part of life's wonderful tapestry if you can't (worth looking to see if your energy supplier are doing subsidised insulation if you can have it in as well - lots of them are doing loft/cavity wall at the moment).

They sound like decent tennants... would you rather they didn't flag up anything and your house slowly fall apart?

I don't think YABU by the way, but you must sort out either some draught excluding curtains OR insulation pronto! I would go down the insulation route personally, then its done, can't be nicked by future tennants and could help with any future sale.

But you need to do it now. AND sort the door out!

We rent, and general stuff inside is our responsibility, but window insulation is definitely our landlord's. You have reminded me to get in touch with them as our window actually hangs on one hinge so we can't really open it without risking it fall off altogether (the insulation is fine though lol)

The curtains are there responsibility if you ask me and I am a renter. I replaced ALL the curtainsin our home...never even thought to ask the landlord.

The door, toilet etc though.....they are not bing U to ask about those.

Good tenants are worth pleasing. Get some neutral curtains for them.they are paying off your mortgage.I speak as a landlord and tenant.

Sort out the insulation. Then see if the curtains are still an issue. Curtains are cheap as on ebay.

I rent out a house (unfurnished, but with nice curtains on all windows because I didn't see any point taking them with me - unlikely to fit).

IMO, if you have good tenants like I do, that you want to keep (because getting new ones is a pain, and can easily lose you a month's rent) then I would take the hit and get curtains. I have a really good agency and I check with them, and they check with the tenants in case there's anything that needs doing and I can't think of anything bar wanting a complete kitchen refit that I wouldn't do. The house needs to be maintained anyway, so doing it in such a way that the tenants are happy is good sense to my mind.