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Original poster

Landlord wants to do major work to the house

136 replies

Frosty66612 · 15/05/2018 11:46

I’m moving out of my rental early autumn as have bought somewhere. My landlord has been In contact to say he is putting the house on the market but will need access to do lots of work to it before I move out (installing double glazing in most of the rooms, painting the house, changing the whole boiler system, putting new carpets down etc). This is going to be incredibly inconvenient as I run my business from home and I also have a cat who would need to be put into a chattery whilst all this is going on.
I would have to move to my mum and dad’s for a couple of weeks while he gets people in to do it all. They will be having to move all my furniture and the whole situation is making me feel stressed just thinking about it.
I’m guessing I cant really ask him to wait until I’ve moved out and will just have to let him get on with what he needs to do? Thanks

OP posts:
Chickenagain · 15/05/2018 12:40

I am certain there is a difference between repairs (which are necessary to protect the building and the tenant) and improvements. I do T think you are granted the same access rights for painting/decorating etc.
Landlord Zone is an excellent forum, so have a look there as a LL is bound to have asked the question.

AppleHat · 15/05/2018 12:40

Er RLOU88, its not his home - whilst she's paying rent its her home, duh! He can't do that OP. What a bloody cheek. He wants you to live on a building site whilst you pay rent! He can take you to court. And you can counterclaim for dodgy "deposit" - a hefty fine in your favour!

RLOU88 · 15/05/2018 12:41

Why rentfree when he could just give notice and have it sitting there rent free? Why do people want everything on a plate this is this guys home and OP is on a rolling tenancy. Ask him to wait and move out in a couple of months or come to an agreement that suits you BOTH.

HirplesWithHaggis · 15/05/2018 12:41

Given a choice between pissing off a shitty, dishonest ll and disrupting my own life massively so said ll can profit, yes I would do that for a couple of months. Exercise my legal rights...

AppleHat · 15/05/2018 12:42

You are not granted access rights for decorating and renovations without the Tenant's permission.

AppleHat · 15/05/2018 12:42

I'd do the same Hirples

MumofBoysx2 · 15/05/2018 12:43

He is unreasonable to be wanting to do all that while you are still living there! He's just being tight. I would wait until my tenant had moved out before I started doing the decorating!

RLOU88 · 15/05/2018 12:45

Apple - nobody here is saying he can come in now and do the works. I am advising the OP to negotiate if he wants to remain in the property until later in the year.

SaucyJack · 15/05/2018 12:46

"Why do people want everything on a plate"

Because she's paying rent to live there? Is your definition of her legal right to quiet enjoyment of the property really "having it on a plate"? Really really really?

These attitudes to paying customers are why people hate private landlords.

blunderbutter · 15/05/2018 12:46

If he has not secured your deposit you can claim 3 x the amount from him via the courts. Speak to Shelter, the housing charity, they will give you lots of advice about your rights and the way your landlords needs to do things legally (via the right forms etc), he wouldn't just be able to evict you if you say no to his request.

Cuppaoftea · 15/05/2018 12:48

Could your partner get the kitchen and bathroom in and a bedroom habitable in your new house in the next two months?

It probably would make financial sense to your landlord to give you two months notice if you say no to the works. You leave in July, he can get the work done and house on the market by late summer/early Autumn.

If he waits til October to do the work he'll be putting the house up for sale just before Christmas which isn't a great time.

RLOU88 · 15/05/2018 12:48

I’m NOT saying his life should be disrupted, I would never come into someone’s home and redecotate around them. I am simply saying he can apply to evict in 2 months so work out what’s best to you both. If he wants the tenant to move out to do work then why can’t he apply? There’s no more to it than that. If OP wanted the benefit of another fixed term contract, they should have sought one.

Lindy2 · 15/05/2018 12:48

I'm a landlord. I am certain you can decline his request and say he needs to wait until you move out.
There is a bug difference between essential repairs and optional improvements.
These are improvements that can wait until the property is empty.

RLOU88 · 15/05/2018 12:49

Cuppaoftea Explains everything I am trying to say. Probably a lot bloody better!

Original poster
Frosty66612 · 15/05/2018 12:51

@cupoftea the first week of October is the absolute earliest the house can be in any state for me to move in. Possibly September at a serious push but don’t want to put my OH under anymore stress with it (he works full time and is also renovating the house from scratch by himself)

OP posts:
RLOU88 · 15/05/2018 12:52

Of course the OP can decline whilst he/she/they are still tenants it goes without saying.

Dobby1sAFreeElf · 15/05/2018 12:52

I'd also be very wary of him undertaking all that work whilst you're there in case he claims damage caused by his workers was caused by you in an attempt to not give your deposit back.

Want2bSupermum · 15/05/2018 12:56

I've renovated a fair few homes. If I were you I would get your new place ready in the next month. A kitchen can be done in 5 days and if doing it yourself while working 2 weeks and three weekends is plenty of time. A bathroom is 2-3 days if done by a professional team and a week, with 2 weekends if not. If you and your partner cracked on with it you could be out of your rental by the end of July.

The LL is being unreasonable. I do renovations but do them when my tenants are away on holiday. I've redone a kitchen in 2 days because that is all the time I had. We were putting on the countertops as they parked their car! They are an amateur LL because windows is a 2 day job and should have been done years ago. Most of my places had single pane windows when I purchased them and it was one of the first things I replaced.

Original poster
Frosty66612 · 15/05/2018 13:00

@wanttobesupermum it’s not just a kitchen and bathroom needing fitted. The house currently has no flooring or ceilings, walls pulled down, plastering needing done, no electrics or plumbing etc. Basically everything that needs doing to a house needs to be done. He works full time and we can’t afford to get tradesmen in to speed things up. The kitchen, bathroom, electrics and plumbing, main bedroom and stairs can be done by Sep/Oct. The rest can all get done once I’ve moved in

OP posts:
Dontblameitontheboogie · 15/05/2018 13:02

this is this guys home no it isn't Lou. Legally it's the OP's home and the LL's business.

OP, don't stress. You don't have to let the LL in at all (except for emergency repairs). I'd cooperate with letting people come in for estimates etc, but no way would I allow any renovations before you move out, and I wouldn't move out any earlier than planned, either. You only have to give one month's notice, so even if your DP's renovations fall behind schedule you're fine (if you haven't already given notice).

You're in a very strong position. He CANNOT give you notice if he didn't protect the deposit and provide you with the legally required information within 14 days of moving in. You're also entitled to 3 x your deposit back. He CANNOT claim a penny against the deposit for two reasons: 1) non protection and 2) no inventory.

OP, just relax and enjoy peace and quiet in the last few months in your rented home.

TomRavenscroft · 15/05/2018 13:04

I'd also be very wary of him undertaking all that work whilst you're there in case he claims damage caused by his workers was caused by you in an attempt to not give your deposit back.

Yes, I agree. I don't think you ought to let him go ahead, but if you DO, do it on condition that a full inventory/inspection is done first.

specialsubject · 15/05/2018 13:06

the landlord will never get the op out. just suppose

  • op say s no access
  • landlord issues revenge s21. op hasnt reported dilapidations so may work, but..
  • sec 21 expires july. op doesnt go, as she is perfectly entitled to do. landlord applies for possession.
  • hearing in two to four months. claim fails - unprotected deposit and all the other things op will find if she reads how to rent.
  • landlord goes round again...

by this time op has left anyway. and can still sue for deposit.

Original poster
Frosty66612 · 15/05/2018 13:06

@dontblame thank you. My OH has assured me that the house we bought will definitely be properly habitable within 4 months (5 max) so I think my landlord will just have to wait until then. I don’t mind him doing minor things around the house that don’t disrupt me too much. But things like changing the whole boiler system and double glazing all the windows is a no-no. He wants to paint the outside of the house and I’m perfectly fine with him doing things like that

OP posts:
AnnieAnoniMouser · 15/05/2018 13:06

He’s got a bloody nerve to even ask after leaving you in a sub standard house for all that time. Jerk. LL’s like that give good ones a bad name.

I’d tell him a flat out ‘No’ to any work At All until you’ve moved out. Then I’d short pay the last rent by the amount of the deposit if he hasn’t put it in a proper scheme.

RLOU88 · 15/05/2018 13:08

I think we have covered the fact that the OP can get X3 of the deposit back if the landlord didn’t protect within 14 days of tenancy (30 days if before 5 May 2007 which may the the case here)
Of course the landlord can still apply to evict, else the tenant could live there peacefully indefinitely. What you mean is the Section 21 Notice COULD be invalid if the deposit wasn’t protected. Thereofe, the Lanldord would have to pay back the deposit before serving.