Candles in rented property?

[RobinsAreTerritorialFuckers]

Our landlady came round the other day for our first routine inspection (we've been there six months). She seemed very happy with everything and I think we are very tidy and careful. One thing was a bit odd - she saw we had candles and told us she hoped they were decorative, and could we not burn them because candle smoke would mean that she'd have to redecorate in a few years.

I do know that candle smoke does eventually have an effect, though I think cheap tealights are the worst for it and we don't have those. But I'd assumed it would be part of wear and tear - just like anything else you might choose to do. Obviously, the tenancy agreement doesn't make any mention of candles!

What I'm wondering is: if you're a landlord, is this something you would genuinely feel worried about, and/or feel it was reasonable to ask tenants not to do?

I own a property where the freeholder has stipulated that whilst it is acceptable to have Lino or tiles in the kitchen, there has to be a foot mat next to the cooker.
There isn't, btw.

What's that all about Cathemeral.? How weird and how invasive for a freeholder.

No idea. Even our solicitor said just to ignore that one as it was unenforceable and would be overturned by a court on health and safety grounds.
Another flat, also leasehold, had the condition that no musical instruments were to be kept in the property, with the exception of a piano. I had my old school recorder hidden in a draw.......

Oh, and another!
Not allowed to put a cat flap in a first floor external wall.
Damn.

She's very unreasonable. I once viewed a house for a year's tenancy where the landlord had stipulated we couldn't take any pictures down and he would do the gardening!

If it were a temp thing that would be fine but this was an investment property which he'd bought, decorated and expected to let long term!

Who wants a home where you can't have your own pics and the landlord does the garden!

The agent told me it had been on the market for a loooong time!

Those with agreements that say 'no candles' - surely you ignore it??

I don't remember reading that in a standard tenancy agreement. I'm a landlady - I would have to check the agreement. Don't use candles myself but I know tenants have in the past. If you're burning so many candles that the walls were blackened at the end of your tenancy, she may have a case for you to pay for redecoration. Recommendations according to my agent are walls repainted something like every 4 years. Were the walls freshly decorated when you moved in? It may say in the inventory.

I would rather my tenants didn't use candles because of the fire risk but wouldn't put a clause in. Imagine one of them lost their lives in my house, it would be horrible - awful for them I mean. My cousin ended up in hospital with minor burns and smoke inhalation from a fire started by candles. He and girlfriend fell asleep and luckily woke up before the fire burnt the house down. So I'm not a fan of candles.

My tendency agreement originally specified no candles until I pointed out that the current tenants had candles EVERYWHERE. It now states no unattended candles due to fire risk.

A friends house was burnt and tennant luckily escaped (burns unit though) due to candle in bedroom at night.

I think they now stipulate no candles...

It's not on...LLs do have some rights wrt the safe upkeep of their property but they can't go about saying "No candles" they might as well tell people they can't fry chips, or own a hair straightener or anything that's a potential fire risk!

This is making me love my rental agreement even more really

Private one who's only rule is no smoking in the house and pay me on time.

That is it. We can have pets, redecorate to our pleasure and do what we like as long as the rent is paid.

We've had to be late a couple of times and she was absolutely fine about it because she knew before hand.

We are all up to date now and will be making an early payment this week as we get paid. Rent isn't till the 15th!

Helps that my DH has been renting this place for years through the same woman and she lives so far away she hasn't got the time or patience to come and do house checks

I have a friend who rents. Her agreement says no candles/naked flames inside. I know other friends who've had this, so I assumed it was fairly common if not standard.

I've had no candle clauses for my last few rental places.
My current one the management co (not the landlord, so for owners too) sent a letter round saying we're not allowed candles, deep fat fryers, to leave toothbrushes plugged in in the bathroom or to use cillit bang to clean the kitchen.

What!?

I once cleaned a property where the previous occupant of several years had left dozens and dozens of unused candles in the rooms, so I'm guessing they were decorative only. There was no damage caused by candle use.

However, there were air freshener plugs left in the power sockets which had left an area of oil and grime around them and was quite hard to clean off and in the end the areas did need to be sanded and repainted.

At my last rental the landlord left some candles there (there was a slightly unusual amount of decorative stuff left) and ENCOURAGED me to burn them.

Someone I know received their tenancy agreement to find they were allowed to keep no pets with the exception of seven rats and two guinea pigs.

Someone I know received their tenancy agreement to find they were allowed to keep no pets with the exception of seven rats and two guinea pigs.

Did they move in and find the LL had left seven rats and two guineapigs behind?

Not from a tenancy point of view but in my first house I purchased the previous owners had used candles on a cast iron stand in the corner of the sitting room.

The (lovely fetching) dark yellow walls showed really bad smoke marks which did not wash off, plus there was wax drips all over the carpet. The wax had been hidden on viewings, I didn't notice the walls until all of their stuff had been removed.

They can make a lot of damage - a lot quicker than anticipated. I found a really good website when we were in rented about the time scales for refurbishment - ie carpet should be expected to last for xxx years so they can only charge the remaining amount of years if its damaged beyond repair.

Daft clauses are unenforceable - might as well say that the tenant is to hoover weekly, can't be enforced and can't be monitored so can be ignored.

Damage (not wear and tear) will come out of your deposit, and smoke stains from candles or wrecked sockets from plug in stinkers are damage. And of course if you do start a fire, the place will be insured but it wont be the landlord that loses everything. On that note, don't forget to insure your own stuff.

Can't remember many...
Will find it and check.

But I know it does include

No overnight visitors
Can't change gas/electric suppliers
Have to get written permission for candles
Have to keep the same people living there.
Need to inform them of more occupants
Mow lawn weekly
No pets without specific permission

And as he lives locally, he used to come round and "help" with the gardening. As he is old and doddery, he managed to spray weedkiller on my flowers.

I have now had to lock the gate, to keep the 'toddler' 'in'...

Our tenants left a candle burning in a bedroom and the curtains caught fire, huge drama, they were lucky to get out alive.

Even then I never banned candles! Ridiculous, and mean actually.

Some LLs are ridiculous. Our friends lived below their LLs, who put it in their lease that they couldn't have TV/music over X decibels after 7:30! I don't recall the exact decibels, but they had to have it ridiculously quiet to comply. I remember the upstairs curtains twitching every time we visited.

The lease on one place we had specified "no amoral behaviour" which could surely cover anything from premarital sex to god knows what. Illegal behaviour was separately covered, so...?