Taking items not on the flat inventory

[MoralQuandry]

We currently rent but are lucky enough to be buying our first property. We've lived in our current place for two years and have done a lot to the place including tidying up the very overgrown garden, re-painting the bathroom and replacing the bathroom cabinet, all at our own expense. We're going to be cash-strapped once we exchange and there are a number of items in our current place which are not in the inventory, as they were left behind by previous tenants, including an old microwave and two seater sofa. Would we be unreasonable or even committing a crime to take these items? I can't help feeling a bit guilty but on the other hand, we could really do with these items and they don't appear to belong to anyone.

I think they'd be considered a gift from the previous tenants, surely?

If the landlord wanted to retain them, s/he would have added them to the inventory.

Good luck with your move!

I thought you were going to say it was a couple of mugs & a baking tray. If you desperately want them, ask the landlord. Otherwise it is theft, pure & simple.

As a landlady if I didn't pay for it, I wouldn't care if you took it.

It's not on your inventory so these things don't exist really anyway do they

I'm not sure I would take them. Were they advertised as part of the deal when you rented?

No Believeitornot , they weren't advertised, and when we were shown the property the letting agent told us that they belonged to the vacating tenant so we would need to get another sofa if we wanted one in addition to the one on the inventory.

Theft from whom?! The tenants from 2 years ago?

Oh and thank you MrsHathaway

Another landlord here. I'd be happy for you to take anything that isn't mine.

I'd take them if they're definitely not on the inventory as if you leave them then you'd possibly opening yourself up to a rubbish disposal fee from the landlord/letting agent.

Take them or the landlord might charge you to dispose of them

If they don't exist on the inventory they don't exist

Theft?! Oh behave

Thanks all, especially to the landlords for giving me their point of view. I felt guilty as future tenants won't get to benefit if we take them but I think that's something I'll have to wrestle with!

Would the microwave not need to be electrical tested and the sofa have fire safety regs met if belonging to landlord?

The past tenants left them there for their own convenience, not yours. If you had had a microwave, you would have had to dispose of the one left behind and the landlord couldn't expect to find it there now. Just because the items turned out to be useful to you doesn't change this. So I think it's fine to take them. If the landlord says 'where's the microwave' you can always bring it back.
I left our tenants some of my MIL's crockery 3 years ago and don't even remember what it looks like or how much of it was there. Th tenants are free to take it if they want.

We took a stool from a loft once. Nothing in said loft was on the inventory and nobody ever said anything. It wasn't intentional, we were using it and it just got packed. I felt awful. Has to be nearly 9 years ago now and we still have said stool in the bathroom

Yet another landlord here. I'd be delighted honestly, its quite common for tennents to leave stuff and properties get cluttered over time.

Another landlady here - if they are not on the inventory, they are yours. Indeed the landlord might be entitled to ask you to pay for their removal if they are not on the inventor)! Given all the wear and tear depreciation etc, they might not be 'worth' much anyway (should that be concerning you), but that has nothing to do with how useful such stuff is.

Namechange have you actually just changed name to admit accidentally purloining a stool 9 years ago?

Agreeing with all the other landlords. They should have been disposed of before you took the property on. However, as they weren't and you want them, I'd take them as rightly the ll could charge you disposal costs. Not that I'm saying they will. If you hadn't wanted to take them, you would have had to ask for an amendment to be made to the inventory at the beginning of the tenancy.

I've always dealt with this the opposite way - I make a list of everything that's not on the inventory when we move in and say to the agent or landlord "this stuff has been left, what should we do with it" and they invariably reply "whatever you like". So I usually chuck it but occasionally there's been something nice that we've kept.

Also while there are landlords in this thread: why do you randomly purchase kitchen equipment for unfurnished flats? We own our own bed, why would you think we need you to buy us a kettle?!

Or do you actually get tenants that have their own furniture but then whinge when there's no plates in the flat?

Another LL agreeing with PP. Also, get yourself on Freecycle - lots of household items going spare, to get you started in your new place.

No, Barbarian another thread and haven't bothered changing back for this.

why do you randomly purchase kitchen equipment for unfurnished flats?*

I don't. One place has a fridge/freezer as the space is unusual.

When we moved into our old house the tenants had left a freezer behind. The house only came with a fridge with the tiny freezer compartment at the top. We would have had to buy a freezer, but was very pleased they left the freezer behind. We took it when we left that house, and still have it now. He landlord never expected for it to stay in the house, and wasn't put on the inventory. It's essentially yours now, so not theft .

@Mummyoflittledragon See that's sensible: I look for unfurnished flats with white goods (common in London) because often kitchens are a little oddly shaped in small places.

But I think the last... three? landlords we've had have advertised the flat as unfurnished, we've had detailed conversations with them as to what that means, and then they leave a kettle for us and get narked when we ask them what they'd like us to do with it as we don't need it. It's baffling.