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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU-Leaving Property

220 replies

Wingingit202122 · 06/11/2021 08:33

I’m currently in the process of completing a mutual exchange (house swap for council/HA tenants) and was wondering if IABU
i found a couple (mid 60s) who are downsizing to my flat and i am having there’s so we then filled all forms and had to send in proof of passport and address
We have had all of our inspection checks done and everything was ok so now we have been given a date to sign new tenancys
When we looked at each other’s property we were discussing what things we would leave behind and what we would take but agreed nothing to be certain until we had approval swap was actually going ahead
The husband emailed me last night with a list of things they were leaving in property and things they were expecting me to leave
They are leaving- carpets throughout the house also in bathroom and kitchen (31 years old which stink of dog), old curtains, lampshades, old fridge freezer and even older cooker, wardrobes and old bed frames
They are requesting i leave the same as a like for like swap so that none of us have the ‘stress of moving these heavy items’
I reply saying I will not leave any of these items as ive only had all of my items for less than 2 yrs as i got everything brand new when i moved to this house as had been in a shelter before this so had nothing. I had anticipated having to leave The carpet as don’t know how i would move this but wasn’t planning on leaving my living room wood flooring as i can use this in new house
Also my beds and childrens furniture i want to take, also my kitchen stuff!

He has replied saying they will now have to rethink the exchange as they don’t have the money to replace anything
I don’t understand as they can just bring there stuff with them and only thing to replace is the carpet

OP posts:
Original poster
Wingingit202122 · 06/11/2021 11:59

@godmum56

does your HA have a view about leaving flooring and carpets?
@godmum56 yes typically they would insist on them all being removed so that there are no come backs to them as legally once i move out and anything still left in the property when the new tenants move in are then the responsibility of the landlord to fix/replace.

Most HA/councils will have bare floors and no furnishings or white goods as they take no responsibility for these things if they need repairs.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 06/11/2021 12:01

I would tell them your white goods and furniture are on HP therefore you can't leave them behind as technically you don't own them yet.

BackBackBack · 06/11/2021 12:05

@Aprilx

You are being ridiculous over carpets and flooring, nobody takes these things when they move. Curtains are often left behind too as they don’t always fit new places but it is also fairly normal to take them as well. I wouldn’t leave white goods behind unless they were integrated ones.
@Aprilx It's the norm in social housing to take your flooring with you, as you have to pay for it yourself, and when vacating a property the council/HA normally strip the flooring away so when you get to your new property, you have no flooring and have to arrange for your own to be laid.
Lemonsyellow · 06/11/2021 12:06

You are being ridiculous over carpets and flooring, nobody takes these things when they move.

That is not the case in council/HA properties. You must remove the flooring. It will be scrapped if you don’t.

TheDuchessOfBeddington · 06/11/2021 12:06

If they back away then it's their loss not yours, because they are incredibly unlikely to find anyone who will agree to their terms

What nonsense! Not if the local area has a shortage of family homes. They may have a queue of people wanting to swap, and who would be prepared to invest a few thousand on a house that suits their needs.

I think you need to compromise with them OP unless you think you can get another swap easily.

BackBackBack · 06/11/2021 12:07

@RandomMess

I would tell them your white goods and furniture are on HP therefore you can't leave them behind as technically you don't own them yet.
This is a really good suggestion.

Dear X - I'm happy to leave my flooring for you, but unfortunately cannot leave any of my furniture or white goods as they are on hire-purchase and I don't own them yet as they are still being paid off. Let me know what date you want to move.

OP.

LittleOwl153 · 06/11/2021 12:07

I would tell him you can't leave your white goods / furniture unless they settle the outstanding HP payments on them. I would also say that their furniture is not suitable for your children and you want to make the move as easy as possible for the children by taking their things with you.

Remind them that you have organised movers and that they wouldn't need to shift heavy furniture etc. Are the cookers the same - I.e. both freestanding gas cookers of the same size? If they are could you arrange for a gas fitter to swap them over?

Ground floor flats are not easy to come by so I think you are in a decent position. I suspect previous posters are right in that they expect to move into your 'perfect' home...

Generalpost · 06/11/2021 12:13

So hold on. They have to think about if they will go ahead as they can't afford to replace stuff. So are they saying their stuff has had it. And they want your newer stuff so your left with having to replace their old stuff.

The only thing I disagree with is the flooring I think you should leave that.

Original poster
Wingingit202122 · 06/11/2021 12:27

@TheDuchessOfBeddington

If they back away then it's their loss not yours, because they are incredibly unlikely to find anyone who will agree to their terms

What nonsense! Not if the local area has a shortage of family homes. They may have a queue of people wanting to swap, and who would be prepared to invest a few thousand on a house that suits their needs.

I think you need to compromise with them OP unless you think you can get another swap easily.

@TheDuchessOfBeddington it’s actually the other way around- theres only 7 ground floor flats in this area that are still council/ha owned! the rest have been bought so there’s a real lack of properties that suit the couples need and they have no desire to leave the area hence why it’s taken them almost 6 years to find someone willing to swap with them as others they had approached were also middle age so didn’t want to give up ground floor flat!
OP posts:
TheDuchessOfBeddington · 06/11/2021 12:30

Ah! That’s good news op.

jagoda · 06/11/2021 12:32

I really don't think you should take the wooden flooring - that sounds pretty batshit to me.

The rest of the furniture is fine though.

Grenlei · 06/11/2021 12:33

From your updates about paying for removals etc OP it sounds like you've been more than reasonable, and if g/f flats like yours are rare, I'd be tempted to be clear with them about what you are/ aren't leaving and give them a date to agree it by, otherwise you'll start looking again.

Mummyoflittledragon · 06/11/2021 12:33

I hope they agree to the swap. Telling them everything is on HP is a good idea. You’re already doing so much for them by paying for their move.

nexus63 · 06/11/2021 12:34

a house near me did a house swap but with the HA or council not knowing about it, they had done all the house up and put in very thick plush carpets but when our HA found out they evicted them through the courts, the house was stripped of the new kitchen they had put in and all the carpets. now a family with two young kids is living there with no carpets as they can't afford to buy any.

Whereismumhiding3 · 06/11/2021 12:37

PPs who haven't rented a HA flat aren't understanding that you DONT leave the flooring. It's usually in the tenancy that you remove flooring when vacating. Unless it's tiled. (And the new tenants put in their own carpets etc) Obviously in a direct swop, people can agree what they'll do, but the flooring isn't seen as coming with the property, unlike a house sale where it is usually included unless specified otherwise

Whereismumhiding3 · 06/11/2021 12:40

White goods and furniture is not included at all in tenancy drops. Unless OP indicated she wanted to leave it & the swooping tenants agreed. They'd be penalised if leaving it behind (without agreement in a direct swop or at all in a general end of tenancy) as it's not been left in a fit state nor vacated.

Whereismumhiding3 · 06/11/2021 12:40

Swops not drops or swoops!

Viviennemary · 06/11/2021 12:41

I don't think you can remove your wood flooring. Wouldn't this leave quite a mess. As it sounds like you are getting the better deal in terms of accommodation. I'd pull out too in their position. Take the furniture and leave the flooring and carpets. I think that would be reasonable.

stingofthebutterfly · 06/11/2021 12:41

You can't leave the white goods then. They're not yours to leave. You'd be in huge trouble if you gave them away and then (potentially, I'm not saying you would) stopped paying for them. It's not even negotiable. You have to take them.

Bobsyer · 06/11/2021 12:44

Tell them they don’t have to leave their own stuff behind then.

They take their manky carpets and ancient oven and you take your new stuff and everyone’s happy. With a three man removal and a van that should be easy enough.

Of course they won’t be but it’s the logical thing to offer!

(Totally feel for you, moving is shitty enough without this kind of annoyance)

audweb · 06/11/2021 12:45

@stingofthebutterfly

You can't leave the white goods then. They're not yours to leave. You'd be in huge trouble if you gave them away and then (potentially, I'm not saying you would) stopped paying for them. It's not even negotiable. You have to take them.
She’s paying for them? Of they are hers to take. With an HA you don’t get white good included. You don’t get flooring either.

I would leave the flooring but take everything else - why would you agree to losing things you have bought yourself?

ittakes2 · 06/11/2021 12:46

Are you getting a better deal ie a more expensive house in the move?

iwishiwasafish · 06/11/2021 12:47

It sounds like they might be over why with the thought of how to move things.

Would you be using a moving company OP? Could you suggest that you jointly contract the moving company (given they will be backwards and forwards between the two flats anyway) and share the cost between you?

iwishiwasafish · 06/11/2021 12:47
  • overwhelmed with
User983590521 · 06/11/2021 12:55

almost as if, if i don’t agree to their terms then i lose the swap altogether

That's how they're putting it, but it sounds as if it would leave them in the lurch too.

Let them know you've re-thought and will now be leaving the wood flooring but not anything else - and you don't want their stuff and are confident the removal team will deal with everything for them.

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