To deduct this off my rent without landlords consent?

[Userxxx]

We have been renting our home for 8 years. In that time the landlord has fixed stuff that needed fixing (electrics burnt out. leaking toilet, new oven hob, front door locking mechanism) but has done no maintenance at all. We have painted through and changed a bedroom carpet to laminate as it was old and coming up.

Our stairs and landing carpet is the original carpet in the property so over 30 years old and literally threadbare on the landing, and coming off the stairs so is a hazard.

I requested it to be changed over 2 years ago through the letting agent who responded that the landlord had given permission and their maintenance people would do it. It never happened and I stopped chasing it when Covid started.

I requested it to be done again this September. Again told LL agreed to getting quotes done and they’d send their guys out. Again they didn’t come so I emailed them in October and said I’d get it done myself if they didn’t send someone out within 14 days and take it off the rent. No response.

I got quotes a few weeks ago, went for the cheapest, paid for it and it’s being fitted next week. I also decided to change the carpet in the main bedroom as again it’s very old and has holes in it. I decided I’d pay half as we hadn’t agreed to it but the landlord will benefit as the carpet is disgusting and when we leave next year, landlord won’t have to do it.

Lo and behold. letting agent called me yesterday saying they were sending their guys out to do a quote for the Landlord. I told them I’d already sorted it and the bedroom carpet too and was told as I’d done it without permission and their guys might be cheaper, I can’t take it off the rent!

WIBU to just deduct it from next months rent and tell them to piss off? If they try to serve notice, would I have grounds to say they are serving it maliciously? It is £650!

@Morvensea who then pays to put the house back to how it was? because the landlord will then have to rent it out to someone else and if it's not to their taste then who pays to put it back? the landlord or OP?

@Chloemol

In all honesty I dont know. But if they won’t pay it I would simply take the carpet with me when I leave

And unless she's planning to keep the original carpet and arranges for fitting at the end of the tenancy, she's better off avoiding your advice.

If it’s not to their taste, they don’t have to rent it, do they?

I can understand it if someone is suggesting some niche decorations that aren’t to everybody’s taste, but fairly standard carpets and paint surely shouldn’t be the cause of this much angst.

My house has a tenant in it. I don’t give two figs if she decides she wants to decorate it differently. I’d expect a heads up and if it’s fairly niche then revert it back when the tenancy ends by all means: her sons bedroom is red walls and blue carpet and very bright, but for the duration of the tenancy I do think people have the right to have their home as they wish it.

I think if things are in a state of disrepair they should be replaced within a reasonable timeframe. Two years is not a reasonable timeframe.

I feel your pain op. Same boat. Currently on sanding and painting floorboards. All old very shabby 12 year +carpets rolled up for when we move and put back... Ll promised us pre Covid new carpet etc.
Have had a hole in the kitchen ceiling since 20 th January... Slap dash boarded up on April. Sagging and water leaking on since. Roof +gutters fixed last week.
Wind blew them off last night.

If you deduct it from your rent without agreement you’ll be in breach for lack of payment. They’ll have reasonable grounds to evict you and all that money you spent will be for nothing at all.

The best you can hope for is for them to give a contribution to how much they were going to pay.

Do it and tell us what happens.

I think most landlords are thrilled to have a house proud tenant.

However, in general, it is important to talk to the landlord if you want to redecorate. I would have no issue paying for any neccessary redecorations. If decoration is unnecessarily, eg paint colour change, I wouldn't object to the tenants doing that professionally as long as the colour was agreed. I would be upset if a very slapdash paint job was done, or if everything was painted black - ie if things were made worse, not better (in my subjective opinion). I would expect to redecorate when they left anyway, but wouldn't want that job made more difficult.

It needs to be remembered too that landlords have more things to consider than private home owners. Everything in the houses they let is subject to strict fire and safety standards. All furnishings must comply to certain standards. I once had a tenant install polystyrene decorative ceiling mouldings without asking, for example. They had to be removed immediately at some cost as the fire officer would have had a seizure! We both lost money that time, the tenant on the mouldings, and me on their removal and on redecoration.

I agree the landlord should have acted more quickly in this particular situation OP. Don't withhold rent though, talk to them. I'd be surprised if you can't work somthing out.

You’ve sorted it and saved useless landlord and agent a lot of admin. I think they’re being ridiculous.

We've lived in loads of rentals. It would never occur to me to charge the landlord for me changing the carpet. Its akin to redecorating isn't it? Do you want them to buy you some new curtains aswell?

@FreshFreesias

You’ve sorted it and saved useless landlord and agent a lot of admin. I think they’re being ridiculous.

Of course they are not being ridiculous. Yes this situation seems cut and dry in the OPs opinion but there is a reason landlord's and tenants agree to a contract. If contracts can be ignored then for every tenabt who is just trying to be 'helpful' there will be 10 more taking the piss and doing what ever the fuck they like to the property. Adhering to the contract and following correct procedures is in everyone's best interests.

No you can't do this AFAIK.

Maybe allow them to come and get a quote, if its lower than what you paid, accept that lower amount as a deduction.

Quote the Shelter advice to them.

Offer a reasonable solution.

Put all of the communication, photos of the old carpet and dates and times of accidents on the stairs in writing.

Speak to Shelter. They will have better advice than the boomer landlords on Mumsnet!

Don't do this, it will sour relations and let's face it the LL will win plus they'll keep your carpet.

Are people missing that the carpet is loose as it’s so old, is coming off the stairs and we have been sliding on it.

I didn’t just decide I didn’t like the carpet so wanted a new one! It’s the standard one that is put in new builds, not a quality one and is now 40 years old.

Why should I have to replace it out of my own pocket to prevent us falling down the stairs when I’m already paying £1300 a month to a landlord who owns 29 other properties?

How is it not a repair?

*30 years old not 40.

Looks like you wasted £650! The timing is most unfortunate tbh.

Ask the carpet company if a refund is possible. Or ask agency to agree for the work at landlords cost.

The issue isn't that you shouldn't get your money reimbursed OP. I think you should, at least with regards to the stairs carpet. But withholding your rent - unless by agreement- just isn't the way to go about it.

[quote Stellaris22]@colourfulpuddles well, yes, I do. Paying rent, not damaging the property or being a nuisance. Having a right to a home and this attitude is exactly why places like Shelter exist.

But thank you for proving my point about tenants having no rights![/quote]
Oh honey, that’s not how it works, nor should it. You didn’t buy the house, it’s not yours.

Of course you have rights, but you don’t have the right to live in somebody else’s property for as long as you want.

The landlord is letting you live there. If there weren’t landlords, you wouldn’t have anywhere to live at all.

You will need your receipts btw OP. The landlord will need to know that the carpet was supplied and fitted by a reputable company.

The problem is that in reality the way you could have protested at years of no maintenance is to simply leave. Why didn't you?

If the landlord had responded to op's reasonable request for new carpet in a timely manner, then this wouldn't be an issue. It's not on for LL's to expect very long term tenants (8 years remember) to live in shoddy conditions because they can't be arsed to pay for reasonable maintenance. Or should tenants just suck it up no matter what's going on?

Agree the landlord was tardy here. But withholding rent is not the solution, talking is.

@DeepaBeesKit

The problem is that in reality the way you could have protested at years of no maintenance is to simply leave. Why didn't you?

Because, fairly obviously I would have thought, why should op have to move for the sake of a very cheap and easily fixable job?

Uprooting her whole family, their schools, everything else that moving entails because LL is too mean to pay for a small amount of new carpet?