To ask our landlord to redecorate the house?

[CovidIsADick]

Would I be unreasonable to ask our landlord to totally redecorate our house? We’ve been in the house for 8 years and the landlord has never done any maintenance. When we first moved in the carpets were already a bit old and tired. I’m really tired of having to clean them constantly, they are dirt magnets. We need new carpets in the living room, on the stairs, landing and bedrooms. The house also desperately needs painting inside. The doors are flaking. All the skirting is chipped and yellow. It’s really depressing me and my DH doesn’t want to spend money doing it up because we don’t own the house.

If you were my landlord would you think I was a CF if I asked you to redecorate? We pay a lot of money to live here (£2k pcm) and I just don’t think it’s fair that we have to live like this.

I'm in the same position but have been renting our house for 12 years.
We pay just under 2K. The kitchen is falling to bits, rooms never painted and also threadbare carpets.
It's very frustrating.

How happy are you living there, in other words how upset would you be if the landlord gave you notice to leave?

I think the chances are 50% they'll say "we're looking to redecorate in the next six months" and then serve you notice in a couple of months from now. A 30% chance they'll give you some BS about planning to do it soon and 20% outright refusal.

Most landlords see their tenants as an easy way to make money. They want to minimise costs because it eats into their bottom line. Usually redecorating is only done between tenancies, because the point of redecorating is to attract a higher rent. If they spend money redecorating during a tenancy they will either put up the rent because you're living in nicer surroundings or take a hit.

Remember that while this is a home to you, it's money to your landlord. Most landlords would rather have another holiday or expand their property empire than sink money into an existing property.

I decorate myself and do minor repairs. However, my rent is considerably lower than yours and I prefer to decorate to my own taste in any case. (Many landlords don't allow this so I consider myself lucky in this respect) I also prefer to be left alone as much as possible

However, what you are describing is more that just decor- the place sounds neglected and for 2 grand a month that's pretty poor.
Maybe you could compromise. She/he sorts the carpets and you do the walls

The repainting could be done quite cheaply yourselves.

Perhaps ask the landlord to contribute some of the new flooring costs? 50%? He should be pleased that you're maintaining his property to a good standard. I doubt they would pay for a complete redecoration and new flooring.

Do you have a lengthy tenancy.? I've always put money into redecorating rental properties and paid for new carpets. You may not own it but it's your home. And it's making you depressed.

Christ that rent is outrageous. Sorry, not much help but can't get my head around that.

You’ll have to look at your tenancy agreement, decoration is possibly down to yourselves, however dirty threadbare carpets I’d ask about.

I’d ask for both tbh.

I am a landlord and budget for a full repaint/refurb between tenants and a rolling repair/repaint when I have a long term tenant.
However the fact that your landlord has done diddly for 8 years makes me think they're unlikely to suddenly do a huge overhaul in one go.
I don't think it's unreasonable to point out that it needs work and ask for a schedule and perhaps say which rooms are most in need.
It's a sad state that asking for something which should be being done is considered risky. Whilst rental properties are in high demand, a settled tenant paying their rent is a valuable thing!

Do not decorate, you're adding value to a house you don't own. Ask them to do it, it's really bad they haven't tbh!

In my experience, landlords only decorate when someone moves out. Once they have a tenant in there they couldn’t care less.
It’s worth asking for a contribution though which they’re more likely to accept than to do it themselves.
My rent is 1k a month and we do decoration ourselves because we know what the landlord is like. As long as it’s the same colour as they painted it, it’s alright.

I don't think you're unreasonable to ask but I'd be prepared for a no. I don't think they would do all of that in one go especially if they've not done anything for 8 years. I'd definitely ask about the carpets but painting could probably be done yourselves.

I don’t think you should have to pay for it OP and you can always ask. Bear in mind they’re likely to replace it with fairly cheap carpet/change to hard flooring. It’s frustrating when you rent but sadly that’s the deal. Every place ive rented the carpets have been falling to bits and it is so disheartening and never has that lovely clean feeling.

I am a landlord and I would expect to be redecorating and changing carpets in that time frame. Some tenants don’t want the upheaval and we always try to time these things with their holidays if we can. Our properties are only one bedroom and we only have one tenant who has stayed a long time. He’s an elderly gentleman who’s not very well and he has no friends or family it’s dreadfully sad so his doctor and the hospital end up ringing us when he doesn’t answer his phone and we have taken him food, done shopping for him and collected prescriptions. Luckily he only lives a five minute drive away.
I get very cross with landlords who don’t maintain their properties as far as I’m concerned that’s part of the deal.
It would be perfectly reasonable for you to ask for maintenance to be carried out, it sounds like it’s long overdue.

All carpets are dirt magnets.

If the landlord gave you the paint, would you paint it yourself?

-it might be the compromise they are looking for. Shifting other people's stuff out of the way while they are living there is not easy.

If you leave, the landlord will have to re carpet and decorate to get a new tenant in. Look at market rents for your area - are you going to have to pay more / is your landlord going to earn more from a market rent even taking into account a vacant month and cost of redecorating? And have you been a good and reliable tenant? Suspect the answer will be buried in all that.

We have been renting our property for 5 years. Last time the landlord was over to fix something he said that they will replace the carpet and paint the lounge next time we are on holiday if we want
The carpet is apparently 10 years old and definitely needs replacing.
I'd ask them if l was you.

Our agreement with our tenant is that they are responsible for internal decoration. They have the same carpeting as in our home which is still fine.

They wanted to replace internal doors but were happy to pay for them because there was nothing wrong with the existing doors.

In the last year we have replaced the boiler and downstairs double glazing so won't make much on it this year. We charge way below local market rent because we don't like to exploit.

It was our family home which we now rent out after moving on.

Yanbu, why would this be a problem? Most LLs are happy that you’re taking pride in the property and it’s a sign you’re treating it well in general. Just ask!

I do internal room decoration and minor repairs myself, and my ll does the rest. He's great though, very responsive and wants me to treat the house as my own. Rent is also below market rent.

My landlords get very funny about any kind of maintenance work honestly. Our toilet has been leaking for weeks, they sent out a handy man to look at who basically told us we needed a plumber, and I can't get our landlords to agree to sending out a plumber, so it looks like we'll be forking out for it to be fixed.
Also any redecorating we have had to do ourselves. However not all landlords are like ours. A friend of mine rents out a property, and they're wonderful with their tenants and are happy to do things when tenants ask. There's no harm in just speaking to them and getting a feel for if they'd be willing.

Isn't painting your problem though? Check your contract.

Carpets are their problem usually, but unless they are in poor condition most landlords will refuse....

We had this situation with our previous rental (we moved out when we bought a house after being in the rental for 8 years). Landlord never did any maintenance at all. Once the shower broke in the bathroom and was leaking water under the bath. Bath panel was tiled shut (genius) so the only way to access the leak was to smash the panel to pieces. After waiting 10 days for a plumber we gave up, did the work ourselves and didn't replace the panel. He was informed of this. He had the audacity to phone me at the end of the rental for a rant about the "state" of the house which had been professionally cleaned at the end of tenancy and that paint was faded, and carpets worn etc. What do you expect after not touching it for 8 years! He genuinely expected us to hand it back with pristine paint and carpets and no wear and tear at all. So many landlords think this way unfortunately. They happily take the monthly rent and expect to nothing at all, it's a pisstake. What are people supposed to do, float around the home not touching or using anything?!

I'm a landlord and I wouldnt think you was a CF. I might not be able to do all of that at once though. However I rent out my 3 bed eot for just under £800 in the SE on a mainline one hour from London on the train. So my house is a utter bargain and my margins are small. I think painting all of upstairs, then replacing carpets over the year might be reasonable and doing downstairs the year after.

Thanks for your input everyone! I just called our LL and he was actually really nice about it. He has said that if we do the painting he’ll do the carpets. I’m happy with that. I don’t know why I was so nervous about asking him.

I'm glad you've called him op. I was going to suggest doing exactly what you've done.

Weve lived in our home for 10years and we tend to deal with most things. Weve repainted everywhere incl doors, skirting and ceilings. When we did want new carpets we asked the LL. LL also deals with boiler stuff but most other repairs we sort. We know we dont own it but it's our home

I rent and have replaced the carpets myself quite cheaply, but that's mainly because I have cats. I have also repainted myself as well but then my landlord does all the other stuff I need doing. I've been in my house 12 years and have always done the decorating