Was I unreasonable to redecorate?

[wlevrta]

We have been in our rental property for almost three years.

However, we will be moving out in January/February.

We have redecorated the rental and I'm just hoping the landlord is going to be okay with it.

For context. The landlord bought the property as it was and made no improvements himself when he purchased it. The dining room wall was bright green! There was gaps between the laminate and the skirting board in the hallway. The bathroom taps were rubbish and water didn't come out very well. The toilet flusher didn't work properly.

It's not his home that he rents. He has numerous properties he rents out and it's his full time job.

Everything we have done to the property, imo, has improved it and everything has been done neutral.

We have put in a brand new bathroom and flooring.

Painting in the rest of the house, etc.

Do you think this will be a problem? He seems like a reasonable guy

I think you should have asked but most of the comments are out. I think he will be okay after he sees it and if he isn't then he's a dick.

So are the pp saying they would sue. Yes the op should have got permission but seriously you would sue for an improvement.

Wow. Some crap pp on here.

If the taps didn't work and the toilet didn't flush then you've done him a favor providing the bathroom you put in actually works.

Oh my god how much was the bathroom?!

Ajas what part of my response was unreasonable? I don't think I was overly harsh, I didn't swear or call the OP any names.

OP asked for opinions, I offered mine, and I mitigated with different outcomes saying they might get lucky and it will all be ok.

Seems like a perfectly normal response to me and certainly in keeping with other responses to this thread

As another landlord, who has been through tenants redecorating (badly) without permission, the TDS gives no fucks. The entire deposit got returned to the tenant as we had supposedly suffered 'no material losses' despite the paint just being slapped on over light fittings etc.

In order to keep the deposit, the landlord would have to present receipts demonstrating the actual cost of restorative work. So, if he wants to claim for the bathroom replacement, he would have to actually replace it.

I reckon he won't care OP and will be fine with it. You've improved his property and saved him the bother of painting it all neutral.

I threw away a washing machine at one place I rented. It was old, yellowing, and just generally rank. I just left the (brand new in the January sales indesit) washing machine there when I left. Landlord thanked me for replacing it.

We maintain our properties well. If a tenant needed a new bathroom we would put one in. I would not allow a tenant to do it themselves as I would have no control over the quality of the fittings or the standard of the workmanship. Keep your fingers crossed that the work is good or you may have some deposit withheld. I am not too precious about decoration if it is neutral and well done but have had some bad experiences with slapdash work and colours the next tenant would object to

My dad is a LL and this has happened surprisingly often to him. I can’t understand it at all, but people have put in new kitchens, fencing, flooring etc. Crazy.

Thing is OP the LL probably will be thrilled. But he also now has a legitimate reason to keep your deposit so it's win win isn’t it? He gets a new bathroom and your deposit.

Doesn't sound like the landlord cared how awful the property was before so he will probably be over the moon at what you have done for free. Of course you are a bit crazy wasting money on a property you don't own but at least you have managed to live in a better property for 3 years due to the work you have put in. If he complains he is a CF if it was as bad as you say it was!!!

So are the pp saying they would sue. Yes the op should have got permission but seriously you would sue for an improvement.

But my idea of an improvement may be painting all walls Orange, for a 'll to then cover over the lovely Orange means three coats of paint and a lot of time. And the bathroom could well be badly fitted. But it could take years for the slow drip to become apparent. By which time it's too late to get the tenant back to pay the damages.
Bearing in mind a slow drip can cause mould and make paint or wallpaper flake off, requiring new plastering, possibly more.

Anyway OP do you have an inventory from when you started the tenancy? What does it say about the bathroom? Does it have pictures?
Can you get away with saying it's the original?

They won’t sue. It wouldn’t be worth the cost or hassle.

IzzyGrey I am not so sure that posters here are being dramatic. Until recently I worked as an inventory clerk. I cant think of many landlords that I dealt with would have been happy with this and a number of them would have reacted with considerable anger.

I can think of one example where a tenant changed a very manky hall/cloakroom carpet for new high end solid flooring. The landlord insisted on the flooring being taken up and replaced with carpet and the deposit service supported her claim. I thought that was harsh but under the terms of the tenancy agreement the landlord was within her rights.

The OP may be lucky and have a more reasonable landlord than this but at the very least the landlord could quite reasonable ask her to pay for a plumber of their choice to check the quality and installation.

Tenants who make changes always think they have improved the property. Landlords do not always agree!

We had a tenant who did things like that. The first time she asked, but thereafter didn't. She was with us for 6 years. When she went and we wandered in, we hardly recognised the place! It was fabulous! We were happy with the things she'd done, would have done them ourselves if we'd had enough dosh.

One observation we did make was if we'd known she had that much cash spare we'd have increased the rent!

Well, the new bathroom we put in is a complete dream and the whole family have enjoyed using it since we replaced it.

The old bathroom was so awful we all dreaded having to use it!

In order to keep the deposit, the landlord would have to present receipts demonstrating the actual cost of restorative work. So, if he wants to claim for the bathroom replacement, he would have to actually replace it.

Not true, he would have to show quotes to prove how much it would cost to replace.
In this instance though would he get new for old?
As usually the deposit scheme will reduce the amount by how old it is, but this is not the usual.

Surely the landlord buys these things for you? In the past I've asked for new kitchens and bathrooms and the landlord has paid.

What a waste of money.

I sympathise- I've immediately replaced unsavoury bathrooms in places that I have bought. I have managed to restrain myself in rented ones, but every bath or shower was torment.

They won’t sue. It wouldn’t be worth the cost or hassle.

I don't know how much you may pay for bathrooms, but ours was 2k without the fitting charge. Add fitting, tiling, time spent etc I bet it's another 3k.
It's a slam dunk, of course 'll would sue.

@AllViewsMyOwn In the past the LL has been reluctant to send anyone out to look at the boiler when it's had problems. He wanted to try and sort it himself

So I highly doubt he'd pay for a new bathroom or kitchen when he doesn't even want to pay someone to look at the boiler

Does the bathroom still have the original components, you didn't replace the bath with a shower cubicle?

This can't be real, no-one would replace a bathroom without speaking to the LL first.

@wlevrta we had that but went through the agency

The old bathroom was so awful we all dreaded having to use it!

Are there pictures of old bathroom in inventory?

@BrendasUmbrella it was like for like
Bath replaced with a bath (same style, same style mixer taps, etc)

Same for toilet and sink.