Tenant requesting reduction in rent

[TattyCat]

Just need to check whether IABU.

Our tenant has rented for around 15 months. A few months ago, she complained of a damp patch in the kitchen, so we've had investigations and this has included knocking plaster off the wall, removing the radiator and applying damp proofing. We are awaiting the plaster drying before the radiator can go back on. Just as a note, the house is REALLY warm and this radiator is one I generally had switched off, or on low when I lived there as the kitchen gets hot.

Anyway, tenant has a dog and a few months ago requested permission for a cat, both of which are fine with us and we've always wanted to be flexible. Tenant is now pushing quite hard for a £50 reduction in rent because of the inconvenience of the work being done (albeit it makes the place better!). This work is costing the equivalent of 2 months rent but clearly, we also want to maintain the property so I don't suppose this is relevant.

IABU in saying 'no'?

Having a less vile attitude towards people, simply because they are tenants.

This is why people loathe landlords. They rent out damp properties ...

I apologise profusely for not consulting my crystal ball prior to renting it out. FFS, it WASN'T damp when she moved in, or at least, no-one (unless they had said crystal ball) could have predicted it!! It's on a small wall in the dining end of the kitchen, next to a radiator and the wall is the old external wall as the kitchen was extended sometime in the 70s. It appears to have been quite ok for some 50 years.

I think the fact that no-one on the first page asked how long a "few months" was before declaring the tenant unreasonable is quite telling. Especially when it was only later you explained the second radiator.

Being without a radiator in a main room in winter for an un-specific length of time isn't an automatic "tenant is unreasonable" answer surely?

I haven't read the full thread but used to work in lettings.

I think a £50 reduction would be a very nice gesture if you value your TT and want to keep her. I remember going on a course and being taught about encouraging LLs to show such appreciation. (You could have sent her flowers, which would have been cheaper and she probably wouldn't have asked for the reduction then.)

There are many crap LLs who would have left the damp but that doesn't mean you should be like them or that it would serve you to do this.

If you're planning to sell the property, whether she buys it or you need her to show it nicely, either way, it will serve you well to put some good will in the bank now.

Even if you don't sell, it is much better to keep a good, long-term TT than to have to find someone else, who might be awful.

Overall, I think paying out £50 now is likely to reap much greater dividends for you in the long-term, than not paying it. I would also do it in a really nice way and make a point of letting her know how much you value her.

Crispsandgin My house wasn't damp when I lived in it, as I heated it and aired it. Post one set of tenants, it costs me a lot to sort out the damp problem they had created by neither heating nor airing it. At one point they wanted me to pay for the oil! Their rent did not rise in 6 years, as the price of oil can vary so much. They managed to set fire to the sitting room as well when using the open fire!

A leaking radiator can occur whether a property is owner occupied or rented out. It happens, the OP) has dealt with it. It takes time to find what the problem is, then get it sorted, then get the plaster stripped off, redone, dried and redecorated. Even if the OP lived in the house herself, it couldn't have happened much faster.

You'll see I was trying not to drip feed, but this is MN so it's inevitable that someone will find some detail that I missed! Gah.

If the council tops up the rent allowing people to live in luxury areas of London and other places, then there is something very wrong.

It's not just 'luxury' areas. People can't afford mortgages, but rent is even higher generally. But instead of letting that guide the market (ie you wont get any tenants if you charge that much) the council gives out housing benefit and rent stays stupidly high. It's not right. People are being treated like commodities. Cattle. Look at what's been said already here on this short thread: tenants who complain about damp are a nuisance. Tenants are 10 a penny and i can get more and charge more.

How many tenants are tenants because they want to be do you think? You don't think tenant = poor, land lord = rich is a typical story? Good lord.

complaining about damp does not make a tenant a trouble maker

No, it's actually something that needs to be brought to a LL's attention in order for them to maintain the property. Much of the problem is down to the fact that many Tory MPs are landlords and they vote down legislation which would give tenants more security and more rights with regard to properties being habitable. And a lack of dampness is a very basic part of making a property habitable.

Anyway, OP, I might consider a rent reduction for the period during which the work was going on and that radiator was not working. And I would definitely talk to her about the possibility of selling. She needs to know and the two of you need to talk it through. Trying to sell with her in it, on the grounds that someone might want a sitting tenant, will make the sale difficult and be unsettling for her. Giving her notice may mean the property is empty for months if it doesn't sell quickly - in which case perhaps you just cannot afford to sell it at the moment.

It's not a favour, it's a variance to tenancy that the landlord feels works for them as a commercial decision. It's not kindness.

I agree. The tenants I currently have with pets are among some of the best so I would happily continue to allow them. Furthermore, damage caused to our BTL properties by children is far, far greater than any caused by pets we've allowed.

People just like to wind up on these threads. There are many examples of landlord trying to fix a problem, and still being berated for having the problem in the first place.

Sometimes things go wrong, sometimes tenants dry their laundry on the radiator then complain about the mould.

If you are a home owner, you have to fix your own problems and wait weeks to get a decent tradesman, plumber or other, to come round. There's no fast track solution just because you are a tenant. It's is very annoying, but it's unreasonable to believe your landlord is spiteful.

tatty you might be a great land lord but sadly there's a huge amount of unpleasant ones out there. Not everyone complaining here is talking about you personally. So much misery in private renting.

(You could have sent her flowers, which would have been cheaper and she probably wouldn't have asked for the reduction then.)

I considered this! Then I decided on balance that not everyone likes flowers and some people are allergic, so thought better of it! I can't win, can I?!!

Was the damp reported by the tenant? And did she ask for it to be fixed?
Of was it spotted during property check and you decided to fix it?
Did it need to be fixed straight away or could it have waited till the tenant is not there anymore just before you sell?

I had a great attitude to tenants when I first became a landlord. Sadly, almost all of my tenants took the p*ss. Using the new carpet as an ashtray in a non smoking property; moving a dog into a property unsuitable for pets; never cleaning; stealing the mattress; stealing electricity.... The property is not damp, is well maintained and regularly decorated.

You'll see I was trying not to drip feed, but this is MN so it's inevitable that someone will find some detail that I missed! Gah.

To clear @tattycat I wasn't having a go at you at all.

I was more commenting on the people who said your tenant was being unreasonable without asking ANY questions.

Your situation isn't unreasonable imo. There's a second radiator, you are doing the work properly and it's only been a short spell of time when you include Christmas.

However, your "few" months could have been since September and could be going on for another couple of months which could have left the tenant with no heating in thekitchen the entire time. People instantly jumping on the tenant had no way of knowing that, and that is very common when it comes to tenants.

As a landlord you see the both the best and worst in people, I had to wash blood spatter off the walls of a property yesterday, caused by injecting drugs I believe. I wouldn't offer a discount, you've acted promptly and it hasn't caused real inconvenience. With the changes in interest relief it is likely that your tax bill is going up for each of the 2 years as it is.

I decided on balance that not everyone likes flowers and some people are allergic, so thought better of it! I can't win, can I?!!

Red wine is my currency of choice in these situations. But also fraught with problems unless you know the person you're giving it to and know they're OK with it.

The only question you need to ask yourself is "has the tenant been sufficiently inconvenienced to justify financial compensation (in the form of reduced rent). That will depend on how long the problem has been going on and the severity of the inconvenience (loss of heating/mess/ number of times workmen admitted etc).

The fact that you've acted quickly is only relevant when computing the length of inconvenience.

The fact that you've agreed to pets is not relevant at all.

Oh and the cost of repairs is certainly not relevant.

It's not just 'luxury' areas. People can't afford mortgages, but rent is even higher generally. But instead of letting that guide the market (ie you wont get any tenants if you charge that much) the council gives out housing benefit and rent stays stupidly high.

I agree 100% with this. Rents are eye watering at the moment. DP and I rent, we are both higher rate tax payers so know we earn more than average in our area. We can afford our rent but it isn’t pain free! Makes us wonder how people on an average wage can afford rents... but of course it’s because the council tops rents up to help line the landlords pockets!

I really wish they’d let rents fall to market value instead of offering these top ups.

And to answer the OP, you sound like a great landlord! A bit cheeky of tenant to ask for reduction however I would give it to her as it’s all give and take and you might need her to make you a favour one day.

I have had bad experiences with tenants and use a letting agent now so I don’t deal directly with them.
I would not give a rent reduction for ever more - why would you for a few months inconvenience (if it is even that). I would give her a one off voucher or money for the difficulties she chas had - prob 100£.

I don't think you are being unreasonable but a little bit of goodwill goes a long way. I was a tenant who asked for a reduction in rent and got it.

We had young children when we moved in and she did not tell us that ndn were music tutors and am dram enthusiasts. All very well, but after you have listened to violins and piano playing for hours and hours on end followed by late night parties involving loud operatic type singing and Ying tong yiddle I po at 3 am it becomes slightly draining - particularly when dh had 5 am starts some mornings.

I would sometimes see her staggering around her front garden and falling into the rose bushes at 4 am in the summer. She would then go back inside and treat us to a rendition of the latest "show" she was appearing in.

We contacted landlady who had a word. Neighbours were furious with us for complaining. I also forgot to mention the constant stream of cars that would block our driveway so we couldn't get in and out.

I think they had run the business whilst the house was empty for a long time, the actual owner was in a care home and I always wondered why she chose to sleep in the small box room away from a party wall. A few weeks there told me why.

When we bought, she asked me not to tell anyone who was viewing. I told her if I was asked directly I would be truthful so she better show people round herself.

I think in the scheme of things, I don't really think she should be entitled to a rent reduction. Maybe you could have reduced £50 as a one off as a gesture but certainly not long term.

You sound like a really good sort op. Don't let CF tennant abuse this.

I apologise profusely for not consulting my crystal ball prior to renting it out. FFS, it WASN'T damp when she moved in

probably why I wasn't talking to you, but the person I quoted and responded to?

Christ this thread is depressing.

I agree and applaud Laiste That is all.