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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask Landord for a new kitchen??

105 replies

Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 15:20

Sorry long post... I have been in the property for almost 8 years.. I love it here and I want to stay. I have been an ideal tenant my house is like a show home in other rooms I decorate and upkeep myself and some minor jobs i'll just do myself. Never ever missed rent. In the 8 years I've probably only contacted my LL 3 times and that was due to a boiler leak, window leak and roof leak. All done no question asked. I've never even met him hubby has. About 3 years ago LL agreed to upgrade the bathroom as it was falling apart from age. It was like a 60'/ 70' bathroom (house is old.) All done and dusted cost about £1100 all in (tiny bathroom)

When I say the kitchen needs updating I'm not just saying cosmetic wise i'm not just after a new kitchen to look pretty. All the walls are old woodchip so hard to paint and look decent and always crumbling even when I clean looks dirty because of this. If I stripped them the walls would come with it or i would have stripped it myself. Literally holes/cracks in walls and ceiling cracked and bowed from water damage from bathroom. Cupboards from 60s all uneven and jagged edges etc no worktop is level. I've painted cupboards white because they were brown and tarted up as best I can. Fablon the worktops etc just to make it look half decent. But it's a joke now especially the walls they just crumble everyday. drawers don't open and pretty much off the hinges anyway. I've kept my mouth shut for a long time but now I think its only fair to have an upgrade. Its the only room in the house that just looks horrible. He did agree a few years ago to it but then said can you just tart it up for now. And we haven't mention since as we don't want to mither him. All appliances are my own so I just require new worktops & cupboards/drawers and plastered walls. Again I'm not after high gloss with an island i just want decent cupboards and walls AIBU to ask??

OP posts:
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15
CakeRequired · 06/02/2021 16:00

Definitely ask.

If he threatens to kick you out, I'd be telling him good luck getting any new tenants that will be decent and put up with that kitchen. I wouldn't even consider a house with a kitchen that bad. A bad tenant would though and destroy the rest of the house.

And do not spend your own money 'tarting' it up. His house, his bill.

Original poster
Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 16:00

@charlotterose90 I think it will be asbestos its very old. I've never attempted to strip nor would I not only for that but because its holding the wall up. Its not like its anaglypta wallpaper ( which is in the hallway) but I have overlooked that defo being cheeky to ask him to strip that 🤣🤣 woodchip should be banned in all houses its horrid!

OP posts:
thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 06/02/2021 16:02

I think he's taking the piss. When did he raise the rent? After you did all the decorating?

CharlotteRose90 · 06/02/2021 16:02

[quote Hopingformydb]@charlotterose90 I think it will be asbestos its very old. I've never attempted to strip nor would I not only for that but because its holding the wall up. Its not like its anaglypta wallpaper ( which is in the hallway) but I have overlooked that defo being cheeky to ask him to strip that 🤣🤣 woodchip should be banned in all houses its horrid![/quote]
Sounds like it could be but if it is he needs a professional in which could be expensive. I tried it on one of our walls and couldn’t even get one of the blobs off haha. If there’s a risk it definitely needs removing. It’s absolutely vile stuff and so dangerous.

Original poster
Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 16:02

@dobbythehouseelk the door is horrendous! No one can open it except me and hubby you have to yank on it loads and it hurts your hand and arms. If there was a fire we would be buggered

OP posts:
SeasonFinale · 06/02/2021 16:08

Why not get a quote for what it would cost so that when you go to ask him you would be able to present the quote so he can see what it would cost?

DobbyTheHouseElk · 06/02/2021 16:11

[quote Hopingformydb]@dobbythehouseelk the door is horrendous! No one can open it except me and hubby you have to yank on it loads and it hurts your hand and arms. If there was a fire we would be buggered[/quote]
Make this a priority. This is a fire hazard. Your LL must love you, you aren’t costing him any money and you are making his property nicer.

Please contact him ASAP and tell him about the door. There is so much legislation for LL’s to make things safer, this is unforgivable.

Have you had regular boiler services? You should have had a electrical safety check recently. Have you got the booklet on how to rent? These sort of LL’s give everyone a bad name.

Original poster
Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 16:13

@seasonfinale I could do i just would'nt know where to start as it'll require plumber/ gas engineer/ plasterer on top of the actual kitchen

OP posts:
Original poster
Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 16:15

@DobbyTheHouseElk Yes we have just had a boiler and gas safety check. That's what triggered my thought process on new kitchen as his handy man/gas engineer said its about time he put his hand in his pocket. We had no smoke alarms so we got them ourselves too.

OP posts:
DobbyTheHouseElk · 06/02/2021 16:24

Have you got carbon monoxide detectors? Your LL needs to wake up here. Not fitting smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors is illegal.

Have you had an electrical safety check? These are new but you should have one. They came in last year. They check all the electrics to make sure it’s all safe.

I can understand that you are happy where you are, but your LL is not being responsible at all.

I wouldn’t get quotes for the door or kitchen. This is not your job. Your LL has to wake up to his responsibilities here.

The galling thing is if you did leave he’d have to get all of this fixed for the next tenant.

SeasonFinale · 06/02/2021 16:29

The reason I suggested she get a quote was because then the quote would be for the type of kitchen she might actually like and the landlord might agree. Otherwise if she just asks for a kitchen upgrade she might end up with something cheap, nasty and to the landlord's taste not hers.

OP some places will give an all in price for electrics, plubimg, tiling etc if you ask a builder to quote rather than a kitchen co.

Original poster
Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 16:30

@DobbyTheHouseElk yes I have carbon monoxide because I bought it with my smoke detectors. No never had an electrical safety test just gas.

OP posts:
Original poster
Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 16:33

@SeasonFinale I think if he agrees he would let me pick colour style wise (within a budget) as he did with the bathroom he told us his budget and to go out pick one then put money in my bank when I saw the one I wanted. Yeah I'll see if I can get quotes all in thank you 😊

OP posts:
springdale1 · 06/02/2021 16:38

Removing woodchip is a big job and likely to need the walls taking back and replastering. Replacing a kitchen and redoing the walls is realistically going to cost thousands, I’d be prepared that he might say no or find it easier to just sell the house.

murbblurb · 06/02/2021 16:55

England rental law - some bullshit up thread, here's the truth.

  • carbon monoxide detectors are NOT a legal requirement unless there is a solid fuel appliance. Good practice for landlord to provide them. OP can buy one for not much.
  • smoke alarms ARE mandatory and have been for a while.
  • electrical check will be mandatory once every five years after 1st April this year.

Sounds like the kitchen is well beyond 'a bit dated' and is now 'knackered' and a door that doesn't work certainly isn't on. Contact landlord, send photographs, open discussions.

you aren't being evicted. No-one is whatever they do.

HotDiggidy2017 · 06/02/2021 17:00

Worth asking but if he agrees to do it he’d also be within his rights to request a rent increase (in line with contract terms of course). It would increase the value of the property and therefore the rent he could achieve. Worth bearing in mind.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 06/02/2021 17:07

@HotDiggidy2017

Worth asking but if he agrees to do it he’d also be within his rights to request a rent increase (in line with contract terms of course). It would increase the value of the property and therefore the rent he could achieve. Worth bearing in mind.
Why? The OP has been there for 8 years so the kitchen hasn’t been renewed since then. It wasn’t new when she moved in. Why should maintaining the property cause her rent to increase? It doesn’t decrease when the fixtures age.
bp300 · 06/02/2021 17:25

Have you had rent increase in the 8 years you've been there and are you paying the current market rent for that property type? If you are paying full market rent you are justified in asking for the kitchen. If you are not paying market rent I would not ask. If he increases the rent it may be cheaper to buy the kitchen yourself.

Original poster
Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 17:40

I am paying a reasonable amount for property in my area yes its cheaper than some at £800pm but they have new kitchens and no woodchip walls if I was being really picky the whole house needs stripping back to brick ideally but its livable and unnoticeable unless you know and are looking. I wouldn't be very happy if an upgrade meant an increase my rent goes up each year by £50

OP posts:
DobbyTheHouseElk · 06/02/2021 17:42

You need to tell your LL about the door. He can’t put your rent up for fixing the door. It’s not an expensive thing to sort.

Original poster
Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 17:45

@DobbyTheHouseElk yes regardless on if he agrees the upgrade or not I will be insisting about the door we've put up with it for far too long it cause arguments lol because the hubby can open it with one swift hard yank whereas I have to constantly yank the handle and it shakes the whole frame. So we do bicker about it 🙈🙈 1st world problems

OP posts:
SeasonFinale · 06/02/2021 17:47

Personally if I had a tenant who was as good a tenant as OP, who had paid her rent on time and looked after the place I would replace the kitchen and not increase the rent as she may then leave and I would have the hassle of finding a new one who might actually be a nightmare. The landlord will be able to offset the cost of the kitchen against his property income so he pays less tax.

Original poster
Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 17:53

@SeasonFinale it would make sense wouldn't it but some people don't think like that. Again one of the reasons why I have been reluctant to ask.. eviction.. rent increase etc. I dont want to put the kitchen in myself even if if worked out cheaper because A) he could increase the rent anyway B) sell house and id be out of pocket any which way you look at it catch 22 situation. Only thing I would agree to is a rent holiday if he doesnt have the initial chunk of money for kitchen

OP posts:
Original poster
Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 17:54

If only it wasn't woodchip paper if it was just ugly id have sorted it myself like everything else. But woodchip can open a can of worms

OP posts:
Mydogisagentleman · 06/02/2021 18:00

I’m a landlord.
I would be more than happy to consider upgrading your kitchen.
Good tenants are hard to find. We are fortunate enough to have great relationships with all of ours.
It’s in the LL interest to ensure that the property is kept habitable