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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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ConeHat · 06/02/2021 18:01

My tennants have been in the house for ten years and the kitchen was old then. If you was my Tennant, I would do it. Unless you had a dog that would chew it ( long story). However it would need 6 months approx to sort it out and it would probably from Wicks or similar.

These things wear out. I was just wondering this morning how the house is as we have a similar set up as the tennants ask when things break but we dont do regular inspections any more as they look after it so can have their privacy.

It runs like it's their house except they cant sell it and they have to pay to fix things

Dragongirl10 · 06/02/2021 18:02

Op l am a LL and l would expect to replace a kitchen every 10 years regardless, if l had tenants as good as you are, l would most certainly put in a simple new kitchen.

think of it like this if he had a change of tenants every year he would probably have had at least 2 weeks void periods each year...tht is a lot he is saving plus you seem excellent tenants.
Put it to him in those terms..good luck

Treacletoots · 06/02/2021 18:04

There's the chance of lots of things the landlord COULD do, evict you, put up your rent, say no. But the reality is that you've been a very good tenant, and he's been very hands off, so I'd be amazed if he wanted the hassle of finding new tenants again, with the risk of them being a complete nightmare. Plus added to the fact he's very unlikely to be able to rent it out if the kitchen is as bad as you say. I've found every time I refresh tenants expectations as to the interior have risen and I'm just grateful there's already a good kitchen & bathroom in there.

If I were your landlord TBH I wouldn't have rented it in the first place in that condition, but, that aside, updating it seems like the best way forward, it'll increase the value of the house, it'll keep great tenants happy, and he can offset the cost against next year's tax bill.

Just ask him, get a few quotes in and show what you're thinking about, hopefully to save the hassle he'll just agree to what you want. Best of luck.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 06/02/2021 18:20

Personally I’d tell him about the door. It’s unsafe. You need to be able to get out in a fire. That’s basic.

Then I’d mention the kitchen. I still think it’s better to have a meeting at the property so he can actually see what you are talking about.

As a LL it would really annoy me if I found a door was knackered and I didn’t know about it. I always say to my tenant that if I don’t know about something I can’t fix it.

I don’t let tenants fix anything themselves. I don’t see why they should when they pay rent.

MatildaTheCat · 06/02/2021 18:32

I’m a LL and have just replaced the kitchen and bathroom in our property. To be honest it sounds quite like yours and was an embarrassment. The upgrade has improved the value of the flat both rent and sale wise and my tenants are really happy. They did have to move out for the duration of the works and it was a big upheaval but certainly worth it.

You must ask for the works to be done, yes, it will take time to arrange. If you moved out he’d struggle to rent it in that condition. He already knows it needs doing, he’s just keeping quiet until you make a fuss.

Original poster
Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 18:51

I'm not bothered about the upheaval ill quite happily eat in my bedroom plug kettle in & microwave haha. All of the appliances are mine so that's less cost to him. Except the hob and oven which is built in. Im going to ask him round this week. Wish me luck thanks everyone

OP posts:
Original poster
Hopingformydb · 06/02/2021 19:03

The last time he came round was a few years ago he took pics of my dining room and living room to show his wife he was very impressed and loved what we had done, mainly of my furniture which is mine the property is completely unfurnished bar the oven and hob ( i dont mind buying my own if the new kitchen layout requires it) so he can see how nice the house is and well kept/ clean I am a neat freak. I have pets but they don't damage anything he can see that he doesn't care about pets. So im hoping he realises the kitchen just doesn't look right compared to the rest of the house and in such bad condition and only fair to upgrade.

OP posts:
DobbyTheHouseElk · 06/02/2021 19:32

You obviously love your home. But don’t let the LL get away with essential repairs. You pay your rent.

If there was an oven or fridge when you moved in he has the responsibility to replace these if they break. If the kitchen needs a built in oven you do not pay for this.

Cornetttttto · 06/02/2021 19:44

A new kitchen is the least you are owed. It sounds like you've been paying out of your own pocket for the upkeep of a property.... you don't own. They're taking the p*.

PurBal · 06/02/2021 19:59

I think it depends on the landlord. But no harm in asking. Newer fixtures and fittings demand a higher rent. DH asked his former landlord for an upgrade and instead served him notice, did the work needed, and put it back on the rental market for more money.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 06/02/2021 20:25

It probably says in your contract you must tell the landlord if fixtures and fitting are broken.

He really should sort out a new kitchen..

Abd the walls... Cracked walls are unacceptable in a kitchen.

He should expect to spend money on it.. He's been having the benefit of your rent for years!

Stand up for yourself!

Original poster
Hopingformydb · 10/02/2021 16:14

Hi everyone just an update i asked he said yes no question asked he doesnt even want to see it he's sending someone on Friday to replace my door and someone weekend to do a plan of kitchen and I can choose. Including getting rid of woodchip walls. Thanks for encouraging me to ask

OP posts:
Cherrysoup · 10/02/2021 16:19

Sounds unhealthy for you with crumbling walls and a door that won’t open! Put it to him that it’s unsafe. If my tenant told me this, I’d have workmen in that week!

TartanLassie · 10/02/2021 16:20

Fantastic update :)

Original poster
Hopingformydb · 10/02/2021 16:23

@cherrysoup hes sorting it 😁
@tartanlassie thank you he admitted its been a long time overdue and whatever it needs it is what it is

OP posts:
Cherrysoup · 10/02/2021 16:25

Amazing and nice to see a decent landlord, although I would have tackled it a lot earlier!

Worried830410 · 10/02/2021 16:28

that's lovely! But I think you have been an excellent tenant and he knows this. I'm sure you will be happy with your new kitchen Smile

lboogy · 10/02/2021 16:30

@Hopingformydb

Hi everyone just an update i asked he said yes no question asked he doesnt even want to see it he's sending someone on Friday to replace my door and someone weekend to do a plan of kitchen and I can choose. Including getting rid of woodchip walls. Thanks for encouraging me to ask
That's such good news! Not all landlords are bad!
Original poster
Hopingformydb · 10/02/2021 16:31

@Worried830410 I sure will be at the minute its quite depressing and I hate cooking tea etc because it means spending a good hour or more in the kitchen which is a shame because I love cooking and I'm really good at it so a nice kitchen would me amazing defo a mood lifter

OP posts:
candide47 · 11/02/2021 00:19

@Hopingformydb

Hi everyone just an update i asked he said yes no question asked he doesnt even want to see it he's sending someone on Friday to replace my door and someone weekend to do a plan of kitchen and I can choose. Including getting rid of woodchip walls. Thanks for encouraging me to ask
Brilliant news OP! I'm delighted for you.
Aquamarine1029 · 11/02/2021 02:28

I'm so pleased for you, op! Soon you will have a fresh, lovely kitchen. It will make you feel so much better!

ThanksForAllTheFish · 11/02/2021 02:55

In my experience if you ask for anything major to be replaced then you get hit with a rent increase. I’ve rented a few run down places and every time they have had to spend any sort of money the cost was passed into us in rent.
One place they were forced to have underpinning done as the back wall was separating from the building. Our rent increased by £250 per month shortly after. We didn’t stay long after that.
Another time the ancient boiler broke and needed replaced. Rent increase of £50 per month after that. Lived in a flat, not top floor, but costs to repair roof was shared between all the flats. Again rent increased to cover the cost of fixing the leaking roof.

So yeah I wouldn’t ask for anything to be improved or updated in a rented property unless I was willing to pay extra rent each month.

Original poster
Hopingformydb · 11/02/2021 09:06

@thanksforallthefish when I had my bathroom upgraded it made no difference to my rent as it was falling apart. I already pay a decent amount PCM and have a really old not fit for purpose kitchen with walls made from asbestos. It's not an upgrade really its making it livable so a rent increase would be extortion and if he did I would simply move and he can face the risk of A) not getting anyone to pay the high rent or B) rent to new tenants and they be awful (unlike me)

OP posts:
ThanksForAllTheFish · 11/02/2021 12:31

You are lucky then. I’ve experienced things very differently. As I said any repairs always entail a rent increase.

Rentals are in very high demand when I live and there are always people desperate to move in. Rents are already stupidly high but people do pay them as there’s not really a choice. Landlords don’t care about how nice of a Tennant you are because they can find a replacement for you the next day. My last place I was in for 7 years and they increase the rent 3 times. The final straw was when they increased the rent after we got flooded from the flat above (bathroom ceiling collapsed and had to be replaced). Even though it all went through the insurance the rent still increased to cover the costs of how much extra the insurance company would charge him for his new policy. It was only an extra £10 a month but it was the straw that broke the camels back as they say so we moved. I heard (from the neighbours) the people that moved in after me were really bad neighbours and trashed the place but the landlord let them stay for as long as they wanted as they were paying him so he didn’t care.

That flat was eventually sold (for £56,000 as the whole building had subsidence issues and was unmortgageable - not a new thing and I know my old landlord paid similar amount when he bought it) we paid over 100k in rent all the years we lived there and not a single non essential upgrade was done. The kitchen cabinets were from the 70’s and rotting away in places (just stopped using those cupboards). The bath was an old cast iron and enamel bath that was lovely but had green stains from the dripping tap. It was discoloured and needed a good re enamel. The toilet was also something from the 70’s. We had wood panels round the bath (and shower) and the water got underneath and caused them to rot. The wood was mouldy and would swell with water but the landlord did it was fine and it would cost too much to tile the bathroom.

For a lot of landlords the aim of rental flats is to make as much money as possible for as little payout as possible.

MatildaTheCat · 11/02/2021 12:38

@Hopingformydb

I posted upthread about recently replacing a grotty kitchen in my rental property. I thought you might like to see some before and after pictures.

To ask Landord for a new kitchen??
To ask Landord for a new kitchen??
To ask Landord for a new kitchen??
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