Just got to keys to rental house in awful state...

[ParkingFeud]

I've just got keys to a rental house and popped in on my lunch time. There is junk, overflowing bins and old garden furniture all over the Garden. The property was marked unfinished and we verbally checked it would be when looking round but there are 4 large pieces of awful furniture left in which are not to my taste at all. The kitchen is still full of appliances and all sorts else so definitly hasn't had cupboards wiped out or anything like that. The walls are COVERED in filthy marks. I have not been given an inventory, what can I do?! Awful posters left on wall etc.

@wandawombat

It should be clean and tidy with a proper check-in & inventory.

Don't accept it in this state.

If this is how they present the property, I'd be very wary of them as landlords.

Is your deposit protected in the Deposit Scheme?

This

This happened to me. We took photos if EVERYTHING then emailed the agent and confirmed that we would clean the place but that when we moved out we would not get it professionally cleaned as this was not the condition we moved in with. Agent emailed back confirming this was OK.

Fast forward 2 years when we moved out. As agreed we left it in a tidy state but did not clean it top to bottom. Agent tried to take some of our deposit for a professional clean! Thankfully we had kept all the pictures and the original email from the agent so we were fully refunded. Otherwise I think we would have lost our deposit.

@ParkingFeud

To add to this, an upstairs window doesn't close, I've asked the landlady and she sent me a text saying she has always had good relationships with tenants. I don't know what to do as we have paid a month up front and don't have anywhere to go. But terrified to stay with such a bad landlady. Going to try and attach a picture of how open the stuck window is. So terrified.

That is really bad, and that is years of dirt around the glass. Photo everything and get a video. Are they direct LL or is there an agent?

Eckhart
I did not have an inventory and I still had to battle to get my deposit back. Some was taken for cleaning when the place was very very dirty when I moved in. I cleaned before moving out but landed still maintained some areas were not pristine enough and was given some of my money. Admittedly, not a huge amount but he shouldn't have got a penny. He had previously rented it to some friends and hadn't done a thing when they moved out in terms of cleaning and decorating. The place had not been decorated in twenty years. An inventory with photos stating the condition would definitely have helped me.

I wouldn’t even move in. I’d demand your deposit back immediately and look for an air bnb or a cheap travelodge until you get something longer term sorted out

This ⬆️

That's awful. My new tenant wanted to move in quickly so I've given them the first month rent free to compensate for the cleaning, clearing & painting they're doing.

Have you actually got a proper tenancy agreement?

This LL does not sound above board. Have you been given the How To Rent booklet which is a legal requirement?

Who did you make the rent money payable to?

Ensure all communication is either by email or if by phone, that you confirm what was said by email after and date the time the calls happened.

You need to say the property is not fit to be moved into and you cannot start the tenancy until it is. Make a list of things which need doing, which should I clue the window being fixed, rubbish removed, furniture you don’t want removed and property clean. It is up to the LL whether they choose to clean it themselves or employ people.

Be clear the tenancy cannot begin and rent cannot begin until these things are done to make it first to live in and if these things cannot happen you will need to pull out if the tenancy because the LL has not met their obligations to provide the property as agreed. I would give them a week to do it all.

To be honest, they sound like cowboys and it probably would be best not to move in as you will only have trouble with them.

Once you move in, it will be difficult or impossible to pull out as the tenancy will begin.

Sorry this has happened. Did you look at it first?

That is bad and the landlord likely does not care.

I would try to back out of this rental. The landlord clearly is going to be a difficult person.

This may seem unrelated, but given the landlord's cluelessness, if I were you I would read up on the deposit protection law and what you can do if she hasn't protected your deposit.

The reason I say this is that she may well have failed to protect your deposit promptly, in which case you could use the courts to obtain compensation from her of one to three times the deposit amount. You can do this up to six years later.

If you eventually manage to get some money from her in this way, you might privately view it as compensation for the trouble she has caused you by leaving the property in such a state.

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/tenancy_deposits/tenancy_deposit_protection_rules

I would be asking for my deposit back and to try and find somewhere else quickly.

This LL doesn’t sound a good one.

Take photos and complain asap.

Just from that photo it’s clear the windowsills are rotting. It’s insecure if you can’t shut the window.
You poor soul, it’s so frightening when you don’t have money to resolve things temporarily.
Ideally you need to ‘insist’ that LL pays for somewhere until it is cleaned properly. I know it’s hard to be assertive when you feel vulnerable.

I rented in London for 30 years, always employed professional cleaners myself when I moved out, with paperwork from them to avoid any messing about with the deposit by landlord. The last property we lived in before leaving London was not cleaned to a professional standard when we moved in. I told them I would tolerate this (it was not filthy, apart from the oven), but it would also just be done to normal daily cleaner-standard when we moved out. Which it was. I would not have agreed to move into a property in the condition you describe, OP.

so theyre trying to guilt you into accepting it all by saying we always have a good relationship with tenants and its not that bad

i wouldnt even move in -i understand you probably dont have anywhere to go though

When you raised the issues, the LL has shown clearly they will be terrible by not actually responding to some of the issues you raised and simply saying they always have a good relationship with tenants. Telling you that you can decorate isn’t good enough if it is filthy.

OP, without being rude, you sound as if you haven’t really known your rights or what to do before handing over money, and have been taken advantage of by an unscrupulous landlord who has spotted your inexperience. They will be the kind of person to try and exploit you and fob you off and this will be a nightmare.

Do NOT move in. I hope you haven’t done so.

Speak to Shelter who will advise and not charge you NOW for help in drafting letters or emails if you need that help.

Check any contract you have is legal and that you have had the How To Rent Booklet. I would probably expect NOT to be moving in here or the issues to be resolved, so start making emergency plans. Speak to Shelter about what to do if you now have no money as you have given it to the LL.

You should email the LL listing the things that are unacceptable.
You should say that you cannot start the tenancy or move in until those things are sorted and the property is in a habitable state and they have bet their side of the agreement to provide a habitable, unfurinished property in a clean and functional state.
You should say you can wait 7 days for them to do this, but if it is not done by then, you will need to look for alternative accommodation and that the contract will be invalid as they have not provided what is required and you will expect all your money back.
You should say you are talking to Shelter and if necessary will be speaking to the local council. If you need someone to help you write the email, find someone to help you.

DO NOT move in if these things are not resolved.

Really sorry this has happened. Just out if interest, was this a seeming bargain of a property?

Horrible these things happen and it is an outrage, but all LLs are NOT like this.

Eugh I had this when I moved into my last rental. It was disgusting, crud in the drawers, dust bunnies everywhere, ripped wall paper, chunks of plaster off the wall, painted to a very poor standard (blue paint on the ceiling where obviously not used masking tape around the edges). I took photos of everything and sent it to the agency to complain. Did nothing but at least when we moved out I didn't bother with a deep clean.

I would not move into this property.

You don't normally need an inventory in an unfurnished flat.

What a lot of rot!

There is a whole industry that deals with rental inventories and the vast majority of the property they carry work out for is unfurnished

@ParkingFeud get the landlord round and get them to agree to an immediate professional deep clean, fixing to he window and a proper professional inventory.

The law needs to cover this in the same way sale of goods act does
You should have the freedom to walk away if it’s not handed over in an acceptable manner
Kick absolute arse with the letting agent over this

Fundamentally though, you only have to return this property in the condition you receive it in. Photograph it, photograph everything and notes on condition and what’s not working

Email this to the agent and yourself as it serves as a time stamp.

That window- all the black stuff is mould.

It probably doesn't close as the damp / condensation has swelled the wood.

You poor thing. If you have ANY other option I would take it.

We also private rent. I hate it😢

"You don't normally need an inventory in an unfurnished flat.

What a lot of rot!

There is a whole industry that deals with rental inventories and the vast majority of the property they carry work out for is unfurnished"

They're using the wrong word then because inventory means a list of items.

DO NOT MOVE IN!!
Get your deposit back.
Sorry but how come you didnt inspect view property before give deposit.
Never give deposit without viewing first.

They're using the wrong word then because inventory means a list of items. I did explain that

@TinkerPony

DO NOT MOVE IN!! Get your deposit back. Sorry but how come you didnt inspect view property before give deposit. Never give deposit without viewing first.

Maybe Covid rules? I can also imagine that a lot of people do viewings and are told it would be cleaned out before they move in. You can even view when the departing tenant is still there so you obviously can't know what state it will be in when you move in.

@CuriousaboutSamphire

They're using the wrong word then because inventory means a list of items. I did explain that

That was to MzHz

I’m ex inventory clerk, know what an inventory is and isn’t.

Not my problem if people are ranting about stuff on here they literally don’t have the first idea of