To not put the house back to what it was?

[QuantumDog2]

I've rented the house I live in currently for nearly 9 years. When I moved in it was a new build and we were the first to live here, so obviously a buy to let. The walls were all trade paint magnolia and the carpets were cheap, exactly the way new builds are presented as standard.
Over the years I've decorated it and made some improvements like extending the patio and I spend £1400 on new flooring for the lounge because the carpet was worn out by that stage and looked grotty.
Now I'm leaving as I've bought somewhere with my partner, but contractually apparently I have to return the property the way I found it. I'm 6 months pregnant now and don't fancy donning my overalls and climbing ladders to paint. What would you do? I feel like after 9 years here and the time and money I've spent on the place (although my choice totally) I shouldn't really be penalised, but I expect I will lose my deposit?

I would have thought you’ll be charged part cost for the painting. However getting a decorator in is expensive so won’t be a small bill. Is there definitely nobody who could help you repaint? If the LL is annoyed that you’ve done a U turn on the original agreement they might charge you for everything.
Have you replaced carpet with laminate flooring? I would have asked for written approval as that’s a big change and not to many peoples’ taste. Carpets are expected to last longer than 9 years.
You see the changes as improvements because they are to your taste and meet your needs, they won’t be improvements to everyone.

I think the thing that will be on your side if they decide to take your deposit is if they actually rent it out as is. They might try and keep your deposit and do no changes.

So take a snap shot of the listing too, and maybe pop round and see if the new tenant has magnolia walls.

Just seen the post about the colours you have painted. Totally justified if they charge you to repaint back to something neutral.

But they don't want me to take the floor or the various other improvements. confused
But they couldn't stop you if you took up the floor and replaced it with cheap carpet if that's what was there originally. Your agreement is as leave it as you found it 🤷🏻‍♀️
Flooring is slightly different to dark blue walls.

@DeepaBeesKit

Renters are treated terribly in this country. How is it fair that they can’t make their abode a ‘home’ even when living there for 9 years. With all the money the landlord has made over that time they can easily pay to cover it

Yeah, because the landlord is a charity and can just give their income away

You can make a house a home, you just return it to the state it was in on leaving because you don't own it.

But I'm not a charity either. My partner is a landlord and has mused a few times that he feels a bit guilty about using those less fortunate to get a leg up financially. I don't know if I'd feel the same, but I certainly wouldn't be insisting everything was painted back to magnolia after a 9 year tenancy in which I've done no maintenance whatsoever.

Since I've lived here I've paid almost 100k to them in rent. And I've massively improved their property, at their prior agreement. It's now on the rental market hugely inflated in price, way more than in line with other rent increases in the area. Because it now looks nice.

If they think I'm going to use my last few weeks here climbing ladders and putting the place back as it was (with unpainted magnolia coloured walls, cheap carpets and bare swinging lightbulbs) they can shit off.
So if they must they can take my deposit. As I set out previously, I'll take that hit, provided it's reasonable and I see receipts that the work has been done properly.

They don't need to repaint. The house is clean and smart now and will let easily. Whereas if I hadn't painted and sorted the flooring out etc, they'd be looking at the cost of a full redecorate and new carpets. It just sticks in my craw a little that I'm expected to keep putting money and work in to their property when they haven't lifted a finger. And further work will just make it look back to the boring shoebox it was.

DD2 had a shared student house in her final year, three studious and careful young women, and when they were leaving they were reminded about returning it as they found it.

I shared photos of the state of the back garden before DH and I spent a weekend on it before DD moved in and told the letting agent we wouldn't be able to get the old bricks, immersion coil and and rusty shopping trolley back from the tip (junk or junk sculpture, we were never sure!) and we weren't sure there was time for getting any weeds into the tidy back garden and growing them as high as the outhouse as shown in the photo. 🤨

They got their full deposit back with the comment that they'd never had a student let back in such pristine condition.

@BungleandGeorge I couldn't claim for carpets after 4 years (2 tenants) as the damage was considered fair wear and tear, even though their dog had destroyed carpet in 2 rooms. 5 years is the lifetime (so I was told) of carpets in rentals, even though they may last 20 years in a private home.

@TheWeatherWitch

Paint it beige, get cheap beige carpet laid. Rip up the expensive flooring and patio. Job done.

If your pregnancy prevents you holding a paintbrush, get your husband/partner to paint.

I've considered this, yes.

Obviously my pregnancy doesn't prevent me from holding a paintbrush, but SPD makes it hard to be up and down ladders and painting stair wells etc. Unfortunately DP can't help me as he's working solidly at the moment and we don't currently live together. I'm moving to a new county with my children to start a life together in our new home, so the travel alone for him to help would be mental. Plus, he's crap at DIY.

@quantumdog2 then you shouldn't have decorated, and instead asked them to maintain it. You clearly didn't want it magnolia, which the landlord has chosen because it's easier to source, touch up and cover. He's said he's happy for you to change it with x conditions- you agreed. In his case it's not betterment, whatever you think, as it's something that will cost him more time and money in the future.

You've paid rent, so what - sorry you couldn't afford your own house for whatever reason, and instead had to pay to borrow someone else's house. That's not his fault.

That's hellishly dark paint on the walls.

Like others have said, I wouldn't have spent money redecorating etc a rental property.

We lived in a rented house for 18 months. The only time we painted anything was to deal with a scorch mark on a kitchen tile which was our fault.

We purchased some white tile paint and carefully painted over the lightly scorched tile so it was unnoticeable. We were certainly not going to let the Letting Agent take the cost out of our deposit i.e. pay for a professional to do it and then bodge it himself. (Shitty Letting Agent, shitty Land Lord, shitty house which we were so glad to leave. We got our full deposit back FWIW).

You aren't expected to keep putting money in & improving the property. You chose to paint it denim drift & put wood flooring in. Magnolia is not "unpainted". Its painted cream.

I (and many other people) prefer that "boring shoebox" decor.

If you don't like it, save up and buy. Or live in the property your partner owns instead of renting it out.

Don't acquiesce to the landlord. They will need fight to keep your deposit and you can dispute it. Especially if they have done nothing in 9 years. Just because a landlord says they are keeping your deposit doesn't mean they are entitled to. Don't give in until the arbitrator says you have to.

[quote KnobJockey]@quantumdog2 then you shouldn't have decorated, and instead asked them to maintain it. You clearly didn't want it magnolia, which the landlord has chosen because it's easier to source, touch up and cover. He's said he's happy for you to change it with x conditions- you agreed. In his case it's not betterment, whatever you think, as it's something that will cost him more time and money in the future.

You've paid rent, so what - sorry you couldn't afford your own house for whatever reason, and instead had to pay to borrow someone else's house. That's not his fault.[/quote]
Wow. Living up to your username there, Knob Jockey!

I'm a landlord. You cant just take a tenants whole deposit, only the amount needed to rectify damage /repairs (in this case redecoration of areas not painted neutral).

Neutral colours are favoured in the rental market because they're inoffensive. Bright colours, fashionable colour schemes can be a bit marmite, or date, or both.

Home improvements are also tricky. An extended patio might be a bonus if it helps secure another tenant, or it might be neutral. If the work is done badly (not saying that this is the case in this instance) then it can be a liability.

I will say that in many years of renting I've rarely had a tenant wanting redecorating work done whilst in situ - too disruptive. I've replaced a few carpets, bits of furniture etc but generally people have preferred to have me supply paint and materials for them to paint themselves. Or I arrange redecorating bw tenants.

@Svalberg 4 years from brand new? I’m very surprised, that seems very unfair. If you’ve replaced carpet with laminate id expect a bill though. Even if it’s just for taking it out as laminate is more time consuming to take out and more difficult to dispose of. Likewise painting over coloured walls.
If OP is adamant I suppose it’s a case of wait for a bill and see how much it is. Could be lucky but could lose full deposit

But you weren't expected to put money into their property. You chose to do that. No expected it of you, or asked it of you or forced you.

You chose to do it. And you've have years of enjoyment from it.

Now you're leaving, you must return it to the neutral colour it was. Just because you decided to add expensive features (you were not made to do that) does not mean you can ignore the contract you have, and were reminded if when you asked if you could decorate.

And the rent you've paid... so? You were paying for a place to live. You had that place. You got everything you paid for. You are not entitled to more, you are not entitled to decide to ignore your contract because you paid rent for years. You've already received what you paid for (living there). You dont get to use that as an excuse now for more.

We lived in a rented house for 18 months. The only time we painted anything was to deal with a scorch mark on a kitchen tile which was our fault.

Can posters not understand that someone who has lived somewhere for 9 years is vastly different to a temporary 18 month tenancy? This was the OPs home for a huge portion or her and her children's lives. It's very different and I can completely understand wanting to make it home. Not everyone can afford to just buy a house of their own. Landlord law with good tenants for close to a decade should be reasonable if the house if left in good condition.

@DeepaBeesKit

You aren't expected to keep putting money in & improving the property. You chose to paint it denim drift & put wood flooring in. Magnolia is not "unpainted". Its painted cream.

I (and many other people) prefer that "boring shoebox" decor.

If you don't like it, save up and buy. Or live in the property your partner owns instead of renting it out.

No, it was actually unpainted. As in freshly plastered walls that had a watery layer of paint on them. I lived with that for a year because I was told that the plaster needed to dry completely, then I requested permission to paint, which was approved.

You might think it was a boring shoebox, but now, a new tenant moves in and finds a problem with the patio- he has to fix it, as it's on the tenants inventory. The paint has started bubbling in the corner- he's got to source that paint or pay someone to do the full area, as he can't just touch up. The flooring you laid starts lifting- hes got to find the same flooring or replace the lot, rather than contacting his carpet supplier for the same stuff he's got in several properties.

@Stuffin

Just seen the post about the colours you have painted. Totally justified if they charge you to repaint back to something neutral.

Totally agree with this. Sorry OP but YABU. Not everyone will share your taste and think it's "smart". I have two teenage boys who wouldn't want a pink bedroom and neither would I for that matter.

What you call "boring" I call stylish, and the landlord doesn't want to limit themselves to the pool of tenants who happen to share your taste.

sorry you couldn't afford your own house for whatever reason, and instead had to pay to borrow someone else's house.

What an absolutely disgusting attitude towards renters. Tenants are not "borrowing" someone else's house. They are paying huge sums for "quiet enjoyment". This is one of the ugliest comments I've seen on here in a long time.

@KnobJockey

You might think it was a boring shoebox, but now, a new tenant moves in and finds a problem with the patio- he has to fix it, as it's on the tenants inventory. The paint has started bubbling in the corner- he's got to source that paint or pay someone to do the full area, as he can't just touch up. The flooring you laid starts lifting- hes got to find the same flooring or replace the lot, rather than contacting his carpet supplier for the same stuff he's got in several properties.

There is no problem with the patio. The paint will never bubble and the floor is excellent quality and professionally installed. He's saved on new carpets for years to come.

You do have to return it as they ask in the contract. Or lose your deposit

Ask them to let you do something you want
They agree as long as you put it back before you leave
You agree to the terms
Actually, I don't want to put it back, so screw you.

As I said, it's morals. And I'm normally the first to stand up for people getting their full deposit back, and have helped several people do so.

[quote BungleandGeorge]@Svalberg 4 years from brand new? I’m very surprised, that seems very unfair. If you’ve replaced carpet with laminate id expect a bill though. Even if it’s just for taking it out as laminate is more time consuming to take out and more difficult to dispose of. Likewise painting over coloured walls.
If OP is adamant I suppose it’s a case of wait for a bill and see how much it is. Could be lucky but could lose full deposit[/quote]
@BungleandGeorge I know! I had the feeling that the managing agents were taking backhanders from the tenants (not really)
On the other hand, the previous tenants painted all the hallways before leaving and the carpets were pristine