To throw away the landlord's shit in the loft?

[MuttonWasAGoose]

We've just moved in to a nice house. The landlady mentioned that the loft was partly boarded out and that they'd left "a couple of boxes in the very back that we couldn't reach."

I just went to stow some things and pretty most of the boarded out space is full of their stuff. It's about a dozen or so cartons of crap. Mostly toys and holiday decorations.

None of this is on the inventory. I'd like to use that space for our empty suitcases, camping gear, etc. There's already a large shed full of their stuff that I grudgingly accept we can't use. But the loft situation annoys me.

DH feels it would be wrong to empty the loft. I have been in this situation before (previous landlord was much, much worse and I did throw everything away.) I just have no patience for this. I think it's infantile to be unable to take responsibility for your belongings. If they can't be bothered to move it, or even inventory it, then they clearly can't really care about it.

The first carton I looked in had what was clearly a well-loved child's teddy. Even I don't have the heart to toss that. But what about the other stuff?

I didn't call earlier because I didn't have the number, my husband did. I'll call back today.

This thread seems to have been an excuse to bash landlords, including the current one based on your past experience of others.

If you had posted the loft was full of their stuff and you'd rung the landlord who'd refused to come and collect it and clear space for you, I'd have far more sympathy. It sounds very much as though someone was meant to clear the loft but hasn't.

Moving house is tiring and stressful, but the bile really isn't necessary.

So the loft was not accessible until you purchased a ladder? So the inventory clerk couldn't access it? Does it say anything in your contract that you have usage of the loft? I think if you threw someone's sentimental belongings out, you'd find their recollection of what they verbally agreed to would differ dramatically.

I think it's just a genuine case of they forgot how much stuff they had. Call and 1/ request reimbursal for ladder - if they agreed for you to use it they need to make it accessible. 2/ take a photo and ask what date would work best for clearing their stuff, except for xx as agreed to.
I think after moving house, the idea of having to clear a loft from your last residence would fill most people with dread... So remind them it's a lot of Christmas stuff they will probably need and if they can't come up with a date before Xmas, suggest they reduced rent by X amount by year so you can rent a storage facility for all your stuff.

I don't see it as bashing landlords. I see it as understandable frustration that space OP is paying for has been rendered unavailable. And yes she probably should have spoken to the LL yesterday but I'm fairly sure she came on to vent! FWIW I have always rented due to frequent moves (career related). I am an excellent tenant- rent always paid on time and in full, house/flat always professionally cleaned leaving. However I do expect the same respect from a landlord- I expect the place to be spotless when I move in, and that all space/appliances are fit for purpose. On the whole I've had very few problems, and if I've had a good experience with a landlord I've often found them another reliable tenant to take on the lease when I leave (I generally know people coming to take my post when moving). I'm now at a stage where I can settle in one place for a few years followed by a (hopefully) final move and am therefore renting unfurnished and the lack of security really bothers me. In fact I find myself on rightmove a lot wondering if we should buy for a few years just so I can decorate my toddlers room etc.

Couldnt you ask your DH for the number then? Dont you speak?

Seriously, you spend a day here complaining about this woman who has no idea there is a problem when you could have sorted it with a simple phone call??

Obviously you might not have been able to call her/resolve it - but instead you come here and get more and more wound up

Re the TV - why didnt you just say "no thanks i dont want it, shall i bin it for you ?"

I did call once I got the number at about 7pm. I thought perhaps it was her home number, but I think it's her daytime number so I'll call this morning when I am at my office.

Of course I was just having a vent.

I haven't met her or spoken to her, and my husband has been vague about what was said. There was talk of the shed, the loft and the TV. She made vague promises to find the keys to the windows and I guess they both forgot to discuss the alarm code. She just dropped by, so it wasn't a formal thing. So I am going to call and ask about all of those things then follow up with an email. She's probably busy so needs to be nudged with specific time line or deadline dates to sort these issues.

I admit that I'm pessimistic about things, but I am going to talk to her with the tone of assumptions that of course she's as keen to sort things as we are.

Right way forward Mutton. I think all of your frustrations are absolutely understandable (although in fairness, I'd probably be having words with DH about "vague conversations". )

I think you're absolutely right about "accidental" landlords renting out their homes. There's still a connection to them. But you're not staying in someone else's home. You're living in your home and should have a legal right over the whole space.

Our wonderful tenants wanted to make some changes to the garden recently that would make it more child friendly and reduce maintenance. DH's initial response was "well I don't want them taking out this tree and that plant and it's my garden." I said, "it's not your garden any more, it's the garden of a rental property. What they're doing is eminently sensible, they asked us if they could do it and frankly, we should let them fill their boots!" It's really interesting that since that conversation, his whole attitude to the house has changed - it gave him that psychological break from it being "our home" to "another asset."

I find with most people, if you approach them in a reasonable manner, you get a reasonable response - good luck today.

Oh and that TV thing is disgraceful by the way. That's just bone idle.

We are landlords and I have sympathy with your position and understand your frustration. You are paying for exclusive use of the bits of the property not excluded by the tenancy agreement. You currently don't have that. We did rent one property where the garage wasn't initially included as we had nowhere else to put the stuff (later cleared when we had space) but we did charge a bit less than the market rent for the area.

I just spoke to her. Her husband had told her that there were just a few unimportant boxes way in the back and she sounded surprised when I told her about the teddy. (Vague husbands, eh?!) I said we'd set a time this weekend for them to come get them, and very kindly offered to bring them down from the loft for her.

She indicated that they did intend to leave the shed locked. I made some comments about checking to see if the lease specifically excludes it or any part of the property. I think they think they can simply do it without specifying. I'm not sure if we'll press the issue, to be honest.

She was surprised when I told her that the garden boxes/not quite sheds weren't empty and said we could pitch that stuff. Since it's not on the inventory, I guess we can go right ahead and do that.

The telly we are welcome to dispose of ourselves.

She says keys to windows are all lost but they'll bring the conservatory key when they come to get the boxes.

If she comes this weekend I'll be moderately happy. But moving house is stressful enough and we shouldn't have to do this.

On principle I'm annoyed about the shed but we're unlikely to be materially impacted by that situation.

Gawd. I complained once to the letting agent if a house that the shed was padlocked and also stuffed with old junk. The agent said "oh? Did you want to use the shed then?"
Well, since it was on the specs, then YES! Why would I rent a house with a garden and not want to have somewhere to keep garden tools. I was also told I could "get rid" of the rusty freezer in said shed.
Oh, can I? Gee thanks. Not sure how I would physically drag it down the garden through the house and onto the street though...or why this should be my job at all.
Hope the landlord sorts it out for you OP.

I'm assuming that the windows are all currently unlocked? If not, then you have a much bigger problem on your hands than boxes in the loft and a full shed!!

Yeah, I wouldn't be happy with that.

If I were you, I'd be doing a big list of "snags" and window locks would be up the top of that. Then I'd be offering to facilitate her getting it all sorted out by a certain date, or sorting it out myself and subtracting any cost from the rent. That's not on.

Depending on her circs by the way, it's possible she doesn't know what's in the loft. I didn't. DH assured me (and the removal people) that there wasn't much. He was mistaken. I was 23 weeks pregnant when we moved out so hadn't been up to the loft in a while but sufficed to say we had a robust conversation - and all of it went into what was to be DD2's bedroom to be sorted before it went into the loft in the new house!

You shouldn't have do it - but I think you do see things with fresh eyes when you move into a house. Our old tenants (also wonderful) didn't bother to tell me that a knob had fallen off the cooker. So I had to replace that before the new people moved in, but actually we only had 24 hours in between so they had to wait a few days. Then the boiler had been playing up, which had been vaguely mentioned by the old people, but they seemed to understand the knack of sorting it out. The new people weren't happy, so we had a new one fitted....that sort of thing.

The thing that made me the maddest (and I'm outing myself here if our old tenant is reading this) is that the estate agents told them I was dithering over giving the deposit back!! I wasn't!! I was FURIOUS when I found out the tenants had been told that for three weeks. We just presumed it had been given back as the estate agent didn't say anything to us at all! I was so embarrassed - we live in a small community and our old tenant and I have friends in common. Thankfully I get on well with her and we got it sorted quickly once we found out.

You shouldn't have to throw out her rubbish though. I can't believe she thinks it's ok to ask you to do that.

The windows are locked, which is better than unlocked. But I like to be able to air out the house. I think every window is locked except one bedroom window for which there is a key. They lost them from never using them and it's too insignificant to ask them to replace the locks/window frames. Mildly annoying but not a huge deal.

There is one thing that I really dislike about the house and I think we may sort it ourselves: the front and back doors only lock with a key and only unlock with a key. We were initially only given one set of keys and until we got copies made if anyone wanted to go out after locking up we had to get my husband's keyring. I think it's dangerous to have a door that can't be opened from inside. Personally, I like doors that only lock with a key from outside (no slamming shut and locking me out!), and can be locked from inside without a key. I think it's a fire hazard to have to use a key to get out of the house. As it currently is, we keep a spare on top of the alarm box. I'd like to leave one in the lock but that maybe could be reached from the mailbox by a thief. I think you're allowed to change the locks so long as you put them back when you move out. I may look into that.

middlings you sound like a lovely landlord. Why on earth did the estate agent say that?! That's terrible.

When I first moved to this county, I was shocked to hear that deposits weren't held in a secure account. Now that DPS has been brought in things are much better. I know a lot of the amateur landlords simply spent the deposits and then invented excuses to not refund them at the end of tenancies.

Hang on - you can't even open the windows?!

I wish more people would be angry about the raw deal renters get in this country. I wish even more that everybody knew their (limited) rights as tenants and exercised them.

Hopefully the landlady will see sense and come and get everything sharpish. If she doesn't within a couple of weeks, throw it all away with a clear conscience. None of the people in this thread would put up with it if they rented a storage box and the owners of the storage company filled it with their own stuff and expected them to keep paying.

If she doesn't come I will set aside a couple of boxes (including the teddy bear) and then pitch as much as I need in order to make space for the rest of our things.

The shed irks me. It irks me because I know that we're not actually going to go to war about this and we're just going to lump it. It would be awesome to have the shed available - I'd rather not climb into the loft when I need extra suitcases. We can probably manage just fine with the two other garden boxes for the more gardeny/tool things. But, you know, a shed would be awesome and that they simply assume they can leave things annoys me. We are paying a lot of money for this house and we did so because we wanted to rent a big house. We want the space!

I think they never bothered to open the windows themselves and so it didn't occur to them that anyone else might. On the bright side, I don't have to worry about keeping track of the keys, now, either.

the drip feed about this 'nice house' is quite interesting.

yes, use your tenant's rights. The contract you signed defines the parts of the property you rent.

What drip feed? There are always a handful of little niggles when moving in. The one that set me off yesterday (when i was tired and irritated) was discovering that the loft is full of crap. Since I was going to call the landlady I discussed all of the little niggles. While the broken telly is annoying it is pretty much what we're used to as renters and wouldn't have merited a post on its own.

And it really is a very nice house.

Have you tried the one window key in all the locks? In every house I've had the key was the same for each window.

That's an idea! She brought the window keys up, herself, so I just assumed that there was going to be an issue. I'll try that - thanks.

The windows are all locked???? Does the key in the bathroom one fit the rest?

To be honest, I would be much more likely to get my back up worrying about the fire risk that locked windows means, than whether I can use the loft or not.