Is this something I could be kicked out over?

[bluedonuts]

My tenancy contract is due to end in November. We were asked whether we wanted to renew and we said yes. I haven’t heard back from the landlady but the estate agent said she didn’t think there would be any issues. My landlady is lovely. I haven’t met her, but we had our babies around the same time and when I applied for the house, I wrote her an email personally to tell her about myself and why I wanted to rent the house.

We have had no issues at all bar one complaint from neighbours for having a couple of bin bags outside our back door for a few days due to the bin being full and bin day being two days away. But the estate agent didn’t have a problem.

My house is immaculate right now as I spent all day cleaning and sorting. However, there are some stains around the bath from recently dying my hair. It’s along the sides and back. I have tried to get rid of it but it won’t come off. Of course when we do move I will get it professionally removed because nothing else seems to be working but we can’t afford it right now.

Given the house is immaculate, the landlady has had no issues with us and we have never missed a rent payment - is this something I could be kicked out over? I would be gutted for my tenancy to end because I can envision myself spending a good few years here.

I’m just anxious because our inspection is tomorrow and I’m worried that’s a deal-breaker.

Not in a million billion years.

Also, legally, you don’t have to agree to any inspections. Even if they’re in your contract.

I wouldn't have thought so.

@Tippexy I did ask whether it was possible to instead to a video tour and take photos of the house and anything specific they wanted to check as I was worried about having people in the house but they said it would be fine and they’re wearing masks so they want to inspect. The estate agent is lovely but I did feel a bit uncomfortable about it. Ah well!

Can it not be bleached off?

I doubt it very much.

@slipperywhensparticus This will sounds really dumb but can I use pure bleach? I have sprays but I was worried about having bleach on the bath panels because we bathe my baby in there. Sorry if that sounds dumb!

No, landlords like to keep hold of good tenants who treat their property well and pay on time.
Maybe something has changed in their circumstances resulting in the slow response.

You won’t be kicked out for that. There is a lot of cost to removing a tenant, as well as having to turn a property around to re-let to someone new.
And good rent paying tenants aren’t the easiest to come by... especially in these times of financial crisis.

They won't kick you out, if they even notice it, the worse that'll happen is they'll keep some of your deposit when you do eventually move out - that's if it's still there.
Accidents happen x
My sisters puppy chewed through walls of her rented place but they didn't evict her

Legally you could be evicted under Section 21 (as no reason needed) but that would take at least 6 months to go through and that’s only if the notice is valid (it often isn’t issued correctly)

I think it’s a non issue though. It might be something that could be deducted from your deposit, but your landlord can’t better themselves. So they can’t charge you for a brand new, fancy bathtub if the one you had was 10 years old and already suffering from normal wear & tear.

@Tippexy that's not true. The landlord and tenancy act 1985 allows landlords to inspect the flat if they give 24 hours notice and go at a reasonable time. They have to have a good reason, but it is the landlords legal responsibility to maintain the property and if access is not allowed after repeated requests they can get an injunction, and if they can show the tenant has refused entry, in particular to carry out maintenance and repairs, the tenant can also be responsible for any costs associated with this (injunction).
As the OP has a good relationship with the landlord, refusing entry because they have damaged the flat in some way is hardly a good path to take, let alone a legal one.

@bluedonuts put some neat bleach (like the toilet stuff) on the stain, press a pad of toilet roll onto it if it’s on the side to keep it on. Leave it for as long as you can be bothered. Rinse. Wash with normal bath cleaner to be sure all residue is gone. Promise it’ll go.

But no I doubt your landlady will care about that.

Have you tried these?

www.amazon.co.uk/Flash-Magic-Eraser-Extra-Scrubber/dp/B00J7OAPO6?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

You can get them in the supermarket - they really are magic!

You've got this the wrong way round. YOU are the one with the power in this relationship, not your landlady.
There is no shortage of landlords advertising for tenants: it would probably take her months to find one as good as you and she would be thousands out of pocket in the meantime.
Don't worry.

Try the pink stuff!! This gets everything off! Only about a £1 in BM bargains

[quote bluedonuts]@slipperywhensparticus This will sounds really dumb but can I use pure bleach? I have sprays but I was worried about having bleach on the bath panels because we bathe my baby in there. Sorry if that sounds dumb![/quote]
its not dumb just make sure you wash it off afterwards what I tend to do is bleach rinse then soapy wash too it was a habit I got into as my (now 11 year old) son has super sensitive skin

I accidentally dyed my painted windowsill. Straight bleach lifted it when nothing else would. I left a little puddle on it on for a few minutes and then washed it off. I've done the bleach on loo paper thing in a shower to get a persistent mould stain off too. Probably best to do a test spot first to make sure you won't make it worse. Just make sure you wash it down thoroughly before you use it again.

Speaking as a LL. good tenants are like gold dust and most LL will want to hang onto tenants that look after the property and pay their rent regularly.

Can't imagine any LL would ever consider trying to evict you for what you describe.

Unless there's something else going on with the LL, which I think you'd know about by now, I would think you're pretty safe.

I'm a LL.

I would say that if I do evict a tenant then 99% of the time it is for non-payment of rent or persistently paying late. The remaining 1% of the time is for anti-social behavior and willfully wrecking the property. One extremely minor complaint and an isolated bit of accidental damage from an otherwise good tenant would barely register with me.

Magic eraser!!!

I’m a ll. It would be bonkers to end the tenancy for this. If the stains are very noticeable, just explain these are very recent and you will source someone to remove the bath stains get once restrictions have eased. If they suggest sending someone in at your expense, waffle about not feeling easy about having strangers in your home due to Covid risk. Don’t tell them money is tight. None of their business.

@bluedonuts

Just use flash spray bleach! It’s what i do!
Cif also useful

There is absolutely no way a decent LL would evict you for a few stains around the bath- honestly that’s totally normal wear and tear. You sound like the perfect tenant really!

However, please don’t block the LL’s inspection visit because you’re worried. Quite frankly, that’s more likely to ring alarm bells than if you just co-operate.

It’s worth pointing that out because this sort of thread can get hijacked by the ‘all LL are evil’ militants who’ll tell you how dare the LL want to do an inspection visit and doncha know you don’t have to allow them blah blah.

It’s entirely reasonable for a LL (giving correct notice) to want to inspect a property not simply to check that it’s being looked after but also to ensure things are in full working order for the tenant’s benefit. God knows the anti LL brigade are the first to complain if there are problems in a house which aren’t being dealt with, so it’s ridiculous to also complain when a LL wants to do their regular check that things are ok

Another dangerous bit of info spouted sometimes is the people who tell you the LL can’t evict you and that you should always sit tight and make them go through the whole legal process of an enforced conviction. That’s such stupid advice - a tenant is never going to get a decent tenancy again with no decent reference and CCJs against their name for eviction costs!

As a tenant, it’s your home and of course your rights should be respected but it’s the LL’s property and if they want to end the tenancy and go through the correct procedure then they aren’t doing anything wrong.

Long post, but it’s worth pointing out the reality of the situation because so many threads about tenancies include misinformation which is really unhelpful.
In your case OP I honestly can’t think of how you could be a better tenant- you sound great! Please stop worrying about a few normal marks. If the LL wants to continue renting their property then honestly there’s no chance they’d evict you.

Try flash with bleach