to find it extraordinarily intrusive for a LA to take photos of the interior of my home?

[CotesDeGroan]

Apparently this is a thing. I Googled and it appears to be legal and fairly commonplace

I've been renting my current home for a couple of years now. I keep it clean and tidy enough, but not show home pristine. Previous inspections have been quite cursory, no problems.

This time however, and without warning, the agent explained that they are now taking photos of every room in every rental to accompany the report they send to the LL. I refused to allow them to take any of the bedrooms.

AIBU to find the thought of strangers zooming in on mine and my DCs stuff unnerving? I get this happens all the time on Rightmove but at least then you get to double check you've hidden anything embarrassing before photos are published!

Not sure if it's the same thing, but when I've had inventory photos taken, they have been "detail" shots - a close-up of, say, a scuff on the floor. No photos that take in the whole room.

Could be the same here?

YANBU

I receive photos of my property taken my the LA during inspections but they are of current problem areas or areas that I've had problems in in the past and want to keep an eye on. I couldn't imagine them taking photos of the whole room. What would be the point.

A landlord must allow a tenant quiet enjoyment, which usually means minimum 24 hours' notice before entering a property, and even then only with permission.

We've just had our first LA report and I was shocked to receive photos of the interior. Kitchen, bathroom and living room (not bedroom), plus photos of things that need minor maintenance. They were low res photos so pretty much useless to me in terms of actual condition or cleanliness anyway, so I really don't want/need to see them.

I am happy for them to take photos at relevant intervals but I'd rather the LA kept them on file than photocopy them and send to me. I don't want to invade someone's privacy - it's her home and I'd hate the idea of my landlord anyone seeing my private space uninvited.

The LA are quite slow in getting the necessary quotes and/or things fixed that we've agreed to (which is everything on their list) so I'd hope that the tenant doesn't think we're dragging our heels. We're not and I want to her and her four legged friend to be happy there for as long as she wants.

to

Thanks everyone. I think I get a copy of the report too, which I await with interest.

I had warning of the inspection, just not that photos would be taken.

I think I probably need to email them and explain about the bedrooms. It just seemed a (massive) step too far.

I would find this very intrusive.

I can see how there might be advantages to it - particularly if there is an issue e.g. when we were renting and the seals around one of the windows leaked and let in rain, I can see why a landlord might like a picture of the offending window and any resulting damage from the rain.

But pictures of whole rooms with all our stuff on display as a routine thing regardless of whether there's problems highlighted or not? Not happy with that at all.

If that's a requirement of inspections, they should have made it clear before you signed the tenancy agreement so you could decide whether you were happy with this, not just spring it on you.

It's awful. When we rented, the letting agency did inspections every three months, and took photos 'for their files'. I'm an intensely private person, and it always made me feel nauseous that we'd be sitting at work whilst strangers were roaming around the house taking photos.

Then there was the being shivved for assorted fees every six months, not being allowed to put up pictures, not being allowed to have pets, etc. Oh, and having short notice to find somewhere else if the landlord decides they want to sell.

I fucking hated renting.

Then there was the being shivved for assorted fees every six months, not being allowed to put up pictures, not being allowed to have pets, etc.

This is a massive issue to me, as a landlord. Firstly, I wouldn't expect you to have ANY expenses other than the rent and am really pissed off that LA charge to renew (need to have a word with ours so that we absorb that cost and not the tenant, if that's possible). Secondly, it's your HOME - you should be allowed to live, whether that's putting pictures up or having a pet. For goodness sake, it's hardly a bit deal to fix a tiny hole in a wall made by a nail or screw, unless you're an idiot and therefore shouldn't be a landlord!

Unfortunately, I think the pet thing has been caused by a combination of 'accidental' landlords being a bit precious and some tenants being scabby. Most things can be fixed and if, as a landlord, you can't afford to fix them then perhaps it wasn't such a bright idea to rent out your house.

My tenant has a dog. I can only hope that it's a nice, well behaved, dog but if not then I'll fix it when or if she moves on. Otherwise, it's her house and she has to live there.

*big

I expect photos of damage/condition. I think it's normal. It's once annually, during th full inspection. I think it's fair enough to see what my house looks like and to be sure that it's being taken care of. I don't want pictures of underwear and I'd hope that a tenant would care enough to tidy up before the LA inspects.

This happened to us recently. Luckily I arranged to be home for the inspection and had a huge tidy up beforehand. I wasn't happy about the photos, however, I had put all personal items in wardrobes /cupboards etc.

TattyCat you sound a very nice landlord. We paid over £100 to renew our tenancy agreement last summer (surely all they do is click a button?!) , plus our rent was increased. Random extra charges from the letting agent was a major factor in us pushing on with saving and our plans to buy a house.

We are small landlords.
We have just taken back a flat thqt was rented to a young couple for two years. It had new carpets and bathroom when they moved in. When they moved out the bathroom was black with mould. The kitchen was covered in grease. The carpets (80% wool) had been eaten by insects.. (remember two years).

I can understand where the LL is comming from. At the same time it is the tennants home. They should expect privacy. But the LL should also expect his property to not be damaged.,This is not an easy one to deal with.

£100 to renew an ongoing tenancy?! Christ - I'm going to be checking because our tenant has just requested a 12 month secure tenancy - I don't think she should pay for that, quite honestly.

I'd like to think I'm a nice landlord but I think I'm just fair and I think there are too many restrictions on tenants. Many people now are renting 'for life' whether they either choose to or not and if someone wants to stay for their lifetime then they ought to be able to. It's reminiscent of the 50's (not popular in MN world, I know!) where the rules were different and tenants had more 'rights'. But we live in a different world now so that model wouldn't work.

Yes, it's my our house, but it's the tenants home and therefore he/she should be accorded some level of autonomy without some poker faced precious 'owner' sticking their oar into the way they choose to live every two minutes. If my tenant wants to decorate or change something then fine... I don't mind as long as it doesn't affect the structure of the house. Everything can be fixed.

I fully expect to have to renew carpets and deep clean when or if our tenant moves on. The cost of that will be commensurate with the rent, so if we don't have to do that it's a bonus, but I'd expect it in any case.

I'd be disappointed if the house is wrecked, but disappointment is experienced in direct proportion to expectation, so I'm okay!! Other than knock down the walls, there's not much she could really do - it can only be cosmetic.

I refused to allow the LA to take pictures in a previous property. it didn't impact on our tenancy agreement as it wasn't in there that they could take photos. I also think it's incredibly intrusive and an excuse for LAs to charge more.

This doesn't seem to allow quiet enjoyment of the property - I'd argue they're on the verge of breaching the lease like this. I lived somewhere once with endless inspections. I moved. I haven't heard of photos being taken and this seems particularly intrusive so I would separately notify the landlord that you feel this is disproportionate, you are a good tenant, allow access and comply with inspections regularly however this is a step too far and encroaches on the terms of the lease

Private renting is the worst isn't it?!

My neighbour used to rent privately, and the Letting Agent took over 50 pictures inside her house once 'for their files.' Roughly 6 or 7 in each room from every angle, encompassing every bit of each room from top to bottom and side to side. Including photos in her bedroom, and her child's bedroom.

She said she found it grossly intrusive, and a ghastly invasion of her privacy. It's not that there was anything sordid that she needed to be ashamed of, it was more about the gross invasion of her privacy.

Social housing or owning is the best. Private let is awful. Intrusive letting agents and landlords, 3-monthly inspections, exorbitant rents, can't fart in case the LL deducts something from your deposit, can't have pets, can't decorate, can't hang pictures, and you have no security of tenure. And all the pictures being taken (by perfect strangers,) inside your home, (often against your will,) is the final insult!

I think if a LA is doing their job, a quick walk around every six months or so should be enough to check that tenants aren't subletting to a dozen illegal immigrants, haven't turned upstairs into a cannabis farm or are allowing the kind of damage described upthread (black ceilings, insect-infested carpets).

There is no need for photos unless of specific structural problem areas, discussed with the tenant.

I would refuse. Inspection, fine. I am not obligated to comply with photography of every room in the house. If the LL doesn't want to take their word for it that nothing has been damaged, why hire them? Just say no way.

We're in the process of finding a new rental flat at the moment, I'll add this to the list of questions I ask at viewings, it would unsettle me to be honest especially as my partner has a large collection stored in one room, seems unnecessary that they'd need photos.

We've been in our current property 14 months and just received notice that the LL is going to sell up, we've never had any inspections, though in the contact we were supposed to have some, we have had several major issues and I've taken photos to send to the landlord (bathroom, when one room flooded via the recessed lights, report for carbon monoxide leak etc) but they were of specific problems and taken by me.

So far we've found the search for a new place to be ok, the ones we've viewed via the LA's seem to be pended by owners like TattyCat who are happy to let us make slight changes (handrail if necessary) and get a dog, hopefully it continues

My agent has done this for a long time....for a short time they had commissioned an external company to undertake the inspections, and one of the independent reps started looking in my fridge and went to take a photo! He said he thought it belonged to the LL (it didn't). They also tried to look inside wardrobes, bathroom/kitchen cupboards etc. That all stopped pretty swiftly. They used to take lots of photos, including of the bedrooms, which I wasn't overly comfortable with but didn't say anything. I think people must have complained as they no longer do that. I don't mind the rest, I get that this is a useful monitoring tool for them, and they use an APP on an iPad which I guess makes it quicker for them. they often focus particularly on the grouting between tiles, etc. The one thing I do find rather odd, is they always take a photo of my dog?? And yes he is listed on my tenancy agreement so they know he is there!