To think that if you private rent your life should not be dictated to by the landlord whose mortgage you are paying

[Nursejackie1]

So many of us are stuck in private renting with no choice paying over the odds, while landlords are making a mint. Most landlords have all these rules that you can’t decorate without permission, can’t even put a wall hanging up without asking. Often can’t or need permission to have pets, have regular inspections. I pay loads for my home and due to that cannot save a deposit. My kids have never had their bedrooms decorated in the way I would like.. having to stick with plain magnolia. Why should somebody else decide whether my kids get to grow up with a family pet or not? AIBU to think that if you are paying somebodies mortgage for them then while you are in that house you should be able to treat it as your own within reason and not have your life dictated to and controlled by them?

I agree with you. There is a terrible problem with housing in the UK. There are too many hard working people stuck in private rental accommodation because the market 'value' of the work they do is so low that many will never be able to buy their own home. I wonder what will happen to them when they reach retirement.

I don't think a society can sustain so many people not having a choice of having their own home after working for decades/ all their lives. Something's going to bust!

Maybe it would be less of an issue if landlords chose neutral colours that weren’t magnolia. I wouldn’t paint my own house magnolia, why would I expect anyone else to pay over the odds to live with it?

I rent my house because I couldn’t sell it..... the rent I get on my house doesn’t come close to covering the mortgage
so you took out a mortgage on a property which then dropped in value such that if you sold the proceeds wouldn't cover the loan.

The reason the rent doesnt cover the mortgage is because you bought a place that was worth less than you paid for it

We rented our house out a few years ago. One tenant wanted to get there son a dog we said no dogs if they wanted to get a pet get him a rabbit. It was our house and we felt we could choose whether we allowed animals etc. They could decorate but had to change back to original colour when moving out.

I have rented my little 2 bed terraced house for almost 4 years.
I agree with some of your comments, as I've never been in a position to save enough for a deposit to buy.
My landlord is very amicable and fair.
It was advertised as no pets but I emailed him and asked if I could rent with my Springer Spaniel, Arnold.
I said that as I lived alone, he was my companion, extra security and a good burglar deterrent. I offered to pay an extra deposit and we agreed on £200, non returnable.
I've replaced the carpets, downstairs, with laminate wooden flooring, painted and decorated the whole house, in white paint, adding a blue denim colour to the chimney breast in my lounge.
I've redone the garden, my brother helped me lay a small patio and build a big shed. We also put 6 ft fencing all around the garden for privacy.
My kitchen had a flood from next door and has been water damaged very seriously. So my landlord is paying to rip out the kitchen, the plaster and the walls are being replastered, new floor and if the old kitchen can't be salvaged, a new kitchen.
I've been included in choosing new units, tiles, light fitting, flooring etc.
I'm paying for new roller blinds, the light fitting and paint myself. Also, I've salvaged some old shelves, am going to paint them and they'll be fitted on a spare wall.
I email my landlord with any requests I have, do not abuse my tenancy agreement and live happily.
I have 2 inspections every year and have praise for how lovely my home looks.
I am a model tenant but there are terrible tenants out there, who treat these properties with no respect or gratitude.
I know its my landlord's house BUT it's my home!
I'm one of the lucky ones.
But so is my landlord.
A few photos of my cozy room 😊

Ummmm because the landlord owns the property?! If you want to have a dog buy your own house.... why should landlords house smell of pets when he or she worked hard to buy it.

random i posted upthread that social care costs wont be able to continue to be propped up with peoples homes as more and more people cant afford to buy.

My lovely sitting room 😊

Because buy to let landlords aren’t working hard to pay for the house. The tenants are doing that.

You are confusing two issues. The first is whether the terms of your tenancy are reasonable. I would say rules on decoration and pets are reasonable and YABU.
The second issue is whether its fair that some people can afford more than one house (which they may choose to rent out).
On that issue, well, no the housing market in this country is dysfunctional and I can see why you are frustrated. So YANBU.
But that doesn’t mean landlords shouldn’t be able to set conditions of occupancy for their tenants.

By the by, I own two properties myself - a flat and a weekend home, I don’t rent it out - BUT I come from a pretty poor background - my dad was an unemployed alcoholic - I had to leave home and look after myself with nothing in my pocket. I worked like the proverbial to make something of myself. It took me a long time to stop being hard up and as a younger person I despaired of ever being able to own my own home. So don’t be downhearted, with hard work and a bit of luck you will improve your circumstances. Maybe one day you will not only have a lovely home of your own but also be a landlord yourself ....Good luck.

I am a landlord too, and I feel that the tenants should be able to decorate as they wish, it is their home while they pay rent, but if it is too loud or bright for the next tenant, the landlord should politely ask if they would please return it to a bland colour upon leaving, that way it is fair..and it is a shame they wont allow you a pet, I always do..as they have to live their lives, and happy tenants, with choices make for good tenants in my experience..Often the agreements are boiler plate issues, so if you ask your landlord directly perhaps they will be fine with decorating changes and allowing pets..most folk are reasonable I think..

Think there has to be limitations on what you can do if you’re renting- let’s face it it’s someone else’s property and they need to have it properly looked after- as time goes by landlords like and trust you more

@winniestone37 if the state wanted to buy up all the rental stock and pay market rent and keep my tenant in his home on good terms then that'd be ok. Nothing sold for 5 years where our flat is because of some local uncertainty. If someone had offered to take it at a fair price before I found my lovely tenant I'd have been happy to sell.

For a wholesale change in how rental stock is changed top down, without it all going to finance corporates, and to provide everyone with a fair equitable place to live I'd give up my landlord status. But you can't expect people not
To be properly bought out and I don't see how we'd start to finance that.

*market rate

Sounds as if there are lots of private landlords on here! Distinct lack of empathy.
I grew up in a council house. We had pets and Mum enjoyed decorating with jazzy patterned wallpaper, as was the trend in the 1970s. All of which was allowed.
I'm lucky enough to own my own house (mortgage), before you think that I'm only empathising because I'm a renter. I really pity younger people trying to get on the property ladder. And it's not because they're spending all their money on fancy coffee & avocados. Salaries have not kept pace with property prices.

I agree with you OP I don't see why you can't decorate how you like as long as you put it back when you leave.

We have lived in a few forces houses and you could decorate them if you wanted but had to re paint it magnolia when you left. Also if you had pets you had to have the carpets professionally cleaned.

In reply to your email he comment from "putthekettleon"
My home does not smell if dog!!! I keep my home and dog clean!
His insurance, Pet Plan and vet bills cost me greatly but I'm a responsible dog owner and a responsible tenant!
It's difficult for landlords to trust tenants, especially tenants with dogs.
It's a difficult world, renting and proving you can be trusted. But there are so many genuine, honest people not being able to rent, because the own a dog.

Livelovebehappy interesting that nobody's offered an answer to your scenario ... but then you risked bringing common sense into it, and that's not always welcome on a thread about landlords

Some of these comments are dealt harsh. I completely agree with OP!

• really - not ‘dealt’

It completely depends on your landlord. I bought my first house a couple of years ago and then broke up with my partner and we both moved out. We rent it out but the rent doesn’t even cover the mortgage and other expenses (can’t sell the house until the fixed terms are up or else huge fees and market is awful right now so renting was our only choice). You don’t always know the circumstances of your landlord so don’t assume that all landlords have multiple houses and are sitting back getting rich off your rent money.

However, if my tenants asked me if they could paint and/or get a pet then I would have no problem as long as they put it back to how it was when they left

I do see what you mean, I too live in a private rented house. The walls are white which I hate and I'm not allowed to change it... I have inspections every 3 months and I'm not allowed pets. It's frustrating as I'd love to make it more my home ( as that's what it is!!) but I can't.

I'd like to think if I was a landlady I'd tell my tenants to make it their home just as long as they put it back how it was.

Saying that, it's their home so we have to respect their wishes. Some landlords are ok with minor changes so it's probably better to ask before you move in, some are also fine with pets.

It doesn’t belong to you unfortunately.

The tenants fee ban is actually going to make this kind of complaint even more common. Now that deposits are capped at 5 weeks even less landlords are going to say hmm yes please bring in that dog that could cause thousands of pounds worth of damage. Could. Not will.

Being a landlord is a risk, whenever you get new tenants there's always the worry, will they trash the place, not pay the rent. The minority of bad tenants really do ruin it for the majority. It's like the bad kid at school who ruined the treat for everyone...

if you have ever seen what inconsiderate people do to someone else's property then it would become very clear why there are rules about renting. I've been shown photos of a house that was spotlessly clean, with a new kitchen and bathroom and a nicely planted garden when first let that was reduced to a filthy trashed state costing thousands to put right. This after six months of no rent being paid and a court case to get rid of the tenant. Everyone is not the same I know, and many people take good care and keep a decent standard, but sadly also many don't, and a landlord can find that thousands are needed to put things right and that it will be a year or so before there is any profit made again. Not every landlord has a portfolio of dozens of properties - some have only one or two and it is intended to be their pension.