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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To feel confused about our responsibilities as tenants?

59 replies

CallMeExhausted · 04/06/2015 02:46

DH and I rent a lovely house and pay rent that (to us) is very reasonable. We have been here for over 4 years and intend to make this our home long term. Our LL has said that this is our home for as long as we would like.

Because of this, we treat the home as our own. Basic maintenance (plumbing, appliances, finishes etc) is managed by us , and we don't ask for reimbursement - although major repairs are supposed to be the responsibility of the LL. haven't dealt with any yet aside from a new roof, which was already planned when we moved in

A friend recently commented about how often she is calling upon her LL for issues, requesting things as simple as filters for the furnace or a plumber for a slow running drain - things that (for my family) are our responsibility.

Are we out of our minds to be managing these things ourselves when we are paying rent?

OP posts:

twinkletoedelephant · 04/06/2015 13:20

Our LL said out place was our home for as long as we wanted... We spent lots of money re decorating and over hauling the garden it took hours and hours of our time ... She then Gave us 4 weeks notice to leave.....

maninawomansworld · 04/06/2015 13:30

My family own quite a lot of properties in our village and almost all of them are rented out to long term tenants.
Most are happy to unblock sinks / fix a broken window that their kids smashed with a football, clear the gutters and replace the odd roof tile that gets blown off but anything more major, or any routine stuff like boiler servicing and I get my regular tradesmen to do it.

A couple of our tenants (old couple) have been in their home over 35 years and they usually choose their own bathroom / kitchen / cooker / boiler when they need changing and we just get them put in for them.

They moved in shortly after I was born when my parents had just bought the place, they now have a lifetime contract on the place.

NickyEds · 04/06/2015 13:36

We were in our last place for nearly 9 years and treated it like our home. We did minor repairs and decorating but when we did decorate it was like for like so more smartening up than major changes. We carpeted a floor that wasn't carpeted when we moved in. The rent was very cheap and I think it was seen as a bit of a quid pro quo that we didn't bother LL for every little thing and she didn't bother us for more rent. When we needed a new shower and oven Ll replaced them but light bulbs??? That would be crazy!!

We've recently moved somewhere much bigger and much more expensive and we've come to some agreements with the LL about what we'll do. Obviously general "taking care" of the property is standard but we've discussed things like the garden-we've asked that she trim the hedges for us as 1) We don't drive so clearing loads of hedge trimmings would be a night mare 2) We have an 18 month old and I'm 34 weeks pregnant so just doing it will be a pain (dp is just shit at everything like this!!). We'll do weeding, mowing and so on. LL has also agreed to provide us with some bits of gardening tools etc.

I think the important thing is communication and agreement. if you and your LL are happy then surely that's fine??

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 04/06/2015 13:46

We have had tenants who do stuff themselves (often people who have owned or lived somewhere long term) and those who expect the LL to sort everything, even down to lightbulbs. We prefer the former, and have been the former when we have rented. Our current tenants are the latter (literally asking for a new 75p radiator cap to be fitted)

BarbarianMum · 04/06/2015 13:58

As a landlord I expect my tenants to undertake very basic repairs/DIY (think trying drain unblocker, changing fuses or lightbulbs, tightening a loose screw). Beyond that, I pay for repairs or do them myself.

I did have one tenant who took the piss (constant calls because things were broken when she'd not read the operating instructions, replaced the battery or switched them on at the wall). After she blocked the sink outflow with fat twice in a month she had to go.

As for DIY, I tend to rent to young singles/couples who move on after a year or two and I decorate b/w tenants. Anyone wanting to redecorate would need to run it past me first as I don't want to be left w bright yellow walls and floral carpets when they move on.

OP, in your position, I would do what you can reasonably do yourselves and ask the landlord to provide plumbers etc for everything else.

DoughDoe · 04/06/2015 14:25

A lot of landlords will turf you out after 6 months or jack the rent up 25% in a year. You can't assume that your nice landlord is representative of others' experiences.

notinagreatplace · 04/06/2015 14:34

I wish you were my tenants!

The tenants that I've had for my flat call the agents for what seem to me ridiculously trivial issues - e.g. "the washing machine door won't open" "have you tried turning it off and on again at the wall?" "oh, right, that's fixed it" or "there is no manual for the immersion heater" "here's a link to one online"

No tenant I've ever had has never so much as lifted a sink plunger, as far as I can tell.

When I was a tenant myself, I would do any task that could be done by a non-professional (i.e. me!) in 20 mins or less, anything more complex, I'd call the landlords.

LazyLouLou · 04/06/2015 17:25

DoughDoe, in over 25 years of renting, in towns, cities and out in the sticks, I have never met a landlord who did that.

So I can and do assume that my nice experience of a wide variety of LLs is as representative as anybody elses experience.

The opposite experience also possible, neither is mutually exclusive.

I think I am trying to be too polite. Methinks you are talking crap!

Dowser · 04/06/2015 18:46

Sorry for hijacking your thread OP

I'm going to ring her and say that ' our' plumber had mentioned the new doors so I would like to pop round and see how nice they look.

Then we can discuss the bathroom.

The rent has been £600 for three years and as they are improving the property I'm inclined to leave it. I probably could get £650. There are some three beds that get £700 but I'm inclined To leave it.

DoughDoe · 04/06/2015 23:31

"DoughDoe, in over 25 years of renting, in towns, cities and out in the sticks, I have never met a landlord who did that."

Well good for you.

I had one landlord try to foist a 25% rent increase on me. Eventually he got new tenants, great for him. Except they turned out to be using the house to grow weed.

Another landlord tried to blame me when his estate agent lost the keys for the house (we had handed them over) and it flooded in the winter, months after we moved out.

Another one I had to take to court to get over his ridiculous deposit deductions.

LazyLouLou · 05/06/2015 10:33

Oh dear! But that still does not make your previous statements universally true.

My experiences indicate that a lot of landlords will treat you well, keep the house in good order and won't rip you off for the deposit when you leave. It is safe to assume that there are good and bad landlords out there and that everyone has different experiences.

specialsubject · 05/06/2015 10:37

I'm a landlord. I fix what I own - which is the property and anything in that I provided, UNLESS damaged (not worn and torn) by the tenants. So for example the cooker and boiler are for me to fix, but the tenant provides other appliances and he fixes them. And of course takes them with him when he leaves.

that's the deal with renting - no maintenance for tenants. You can get insurance for accidental damage (scribbles, foot through windows etc).

landlord-haters; would love to know where I can buy a property that I can rent out at a 25% rent increase per year and still get tenants. But you don't know of any such place because you are talking bollocks.

GlitterNails · 05/06/2015 11:51

I wouldn't do major repairs - that's the one bonus of renting, that you don't have to! We do things like pay for someone to unblock the drain, and paid for an outside tap to be replaced as the original one broke before we moved in.

We don't do things like the gutters as the landlord said he would (and neither of us physically could anyway). We've actually had someone out today to unblock them, and it's turned into a major job as some pipe has got blocked and garden needs digging up to do it. So glad we didn't get someone to do that ourselves, only to find that out.

Athenaviolet · 05/06/2015 18:16

This is how renting should be in the UK.

However you are taking a big risk.

It isn't your legal responsibility to do anything that isn't caused by your own negligence/misuse.

It doesn't matter how good a tenant you've been you can always be evicted for no reason at 2 months notice. What if the LL dies?

It sounds like it works for you though. I just hope you are paying under the market rent.

FlabulousChix · 05/06/2015 19:01

I'd i can fix it at no cost or minimal i do. I'm long term renting. The ceilings were awful with a patch of art ex missing I fixed it myself and paid a decorator to paint it. My home so I paid

MrsNextDoor · 05/06/2015 19:11

Flabulous but it's not "your home". You live there...and of course you call it home but it's not yours. As a long term renter I find it's better to think this way...I've had some real shock notices given....totally out of the blue. We're very good tenants too...we do small repairs and things such as a fence blown down...DH fixes it....small plastering jobs...broken tiles...we do all that...but paying for decorators? Nope!

GymBum · 05/06/2015 19:31

I am a LL and all maintenance or repairs are paid for by me. Unless the damage was caused by tenant then this would be reviewed. Unavoidable accidents will also be paid for by me. Avoidable accidents are paid for by tenants.

Outside of one tenant that trashed a property and another that was in arrears I have never given notice to a tenant. It's so hard to get good long standing tenants.

specialsubject · 05/06/2015 19:37

sign up for a fixed-term tenancy and provided you don't breach it, you can't be evicted until the end. Even if the landlord does die. There's no maximum term on tenancies and even the most awkward mortgage/insurers will take a year.

boring old facts again, ruining the landlord-hating fun.

GymBum · 05/06/2015 19:40

25% rent increases. PMSL. Better returns than my financial advisor and separately my current property returns. Please tell me where I sign.

specialsubject · 05/06/2015 19:47

it's great, isn't it? Shrieking landlord-hate and fact never go together.

MrsNextDoor · 05/06/2015 21:33

Special hardly any LLs want to do that in case the tenants are shit.

Why would they? There are MILLIONS of people with excellent references desperate to get a nice rental and who will happily sign to a rolling contract.

DoughDoe · 06/06/2015 00:55

"landlord-haters; would love to know where I can buy a property that I can rent out at a 25% rent increase per year and still get tenants. But you don't know of any such place because you are talking bollocks."

Fuck off.

That happened to me, the landlord decided he was renting below market rate and wanted a big increase. I didn't say it happened every year.

Original poster

CallMeExhausted · 06/06/2015 01:22

Wow. I didn't start this thread with the intent of it turning into this.

We have had some great LLs (actually, small private LLs have been our best experiences) and try our best to be good tenants. I heartily believe the majority of small LLs are doing their best, as are the majority of tenants.

Of course there will be this who take the piss, on both sides, but is it necessary to paint them all with one brush?

OP posts:

Sassyk · 06/06/2015 06:53

So we are renters and landlords. I've just paid a decorator to repaint the downstairs, it hadn't been done for over 7/8 years and was looking dirty. We checked the landlord was happy and we could extend for another year. It cost £350, we pay under market rate for the property and the landlord is very nice (leaves us to it).
In our rental property, the tenants asked if they could convert the garage into a room...that was over stepping the mark! In fact they started drawing up plans!
So it's a balancing act, I know our landlord will sell at some point but I want to stay as long as possible while we save, I want to live in a nicely decorated house til then. I also know we'll sell our rental property or move into it ourselves and the tenants, no matter how open we are, think they can stay forever....

CasperGutman · 06/06/2015 07:28

Different people renting a house choose to do different amounts of work towards maintenance and minor repairs, but how much they are required to do is a matter for the law.

In England and Wales, as emwithme says, the position is as in Warren vs Keen, though the specific examples used (draining the boiler etc) may sound odd to us six decades later.

OP - what country are you in? Talk of "filters for the furnace" suggests to me that it's not the UK.

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