To ask my landlord for a new kitchen

[hadtoomanymincepies]

We've been here since 2018. Rented privately, no agent just through the landlord.
The kitchen is the original from when the house was built in 2007 so now nearly 15 years old.

What's the etiquette here? We will likely be here a while longer and it's on its last legs. I don't want to offend or be seen as cheeky.

Our council replaces kitchens every 14 years and it takes 2 days. Private rentals are superior my arsehole. Sounds like a right mugs game for tenants.

Our kitchen is 18 years old and looks new still. How can it be in such a terrible condition?

It must be a rubbish kitchen to only last 15 years, our 23 year old MFI Shreiber kitchen is fine, a bit dated and could do with the knobs replacing but the actual cupboards still look good.

When we put our kitchen in 7 years ago the units cost £2K. This was all we could afford, and whilst it still looks nice, it's not inconceivable that it's not going to last forever.

I am surprised anyone would think is coming up for replacements after 15 years! Cupboard doors and drawers should really not be hanging off by then either, so if they are then it was badly fitted or has been treated very badly. You should ask for these things to be repaired or repair them yourself if you caused the damage since you moved in.

My kitchen is 13 years old and I have gone off the style a bit, but I could not possibly justify fitting a new kitchen when I have one that is essentially as good as it was when new. I am going to try painting it in the new year though. Eek.

The kitchen needs to be made safe with the hinges etc
It does not need replacing
15 years is not old for a kitchen
The one in the house I own is over 20 years. I've replaced the doors and worktops

Ours landlord did, but it was because the cupboard doors were hanging off and the drawers were falling apart. We pay enough rent for to have functioning kitchen, so they did it for us.

15 years is not old for a kitchen.

I have knickers older than that.

I remember when my neighbours refitted their kitchen in early 1987, so it's almost 35 years old. It's still in place and still looks good! Some of the appliances have been replaced but the actual kitchen itself seems indestructible.
It's a Poggenpohl kitchen, very expensive at the time but in the end probably cheaper than buying multiple cheap ones that don't last!

Fifteen years is not old for a kitchen.

However, if it broken or not safe then you need to bring to his attention and he can fix. Eg new hinges or draw runners etc

A 15 year old kitchen should not need replacing. Ours is 21 years old and still perfectly functional, albeit with a few minor fixes. Ask your landlord to sort the drawer out and anything else that needs fixing, but I don't think you can expect a whole new kitchen.

I’m just about to move out of RAF married quarters. My kitchen dates from 1982. It’s absolutely not falling apart. It’s being replaced once we move out because the Govt have finally given money to update some houses. My bathroom is even older. Most of us would dream of a 15yo kitchen.

Can see I'm probably being unreasonable thinking they might replace it. Most likely repair.
It's a cheap one to start with, everything is laminate. And it wasn't in a great condition when we moved in.

You need to let the landlord know the kitchen isn't in a good state of repair.
What happens then is down to the landlord.
Repairs or replacement.

There's a concern over the duration of a replacement - and some landlords might decide to do it between tenants as pointed out above. Partly to avoid inconveniencing someone for a couple of weeks - but also to enable them to re-let at a higher rent to recoup the costs.
Rents seem to have sky-rocketed locally over the last few years with £100 a month rent increases every year being common.

If the landlord doesn't come and inspect the kitchen, then write to them at the address stated in your tenancy agreement. Recorded letter.

A new kitchen will be £10k even a cheap one so you'll be lucky :(

Depends on the quality of the original kitchen and appliances. 15 years is not old for high quality units and appliances can be replaced on a case by case basis.

If you are in London a new kitchen will cost +-£30000. ( equipment installation removal of old kitchen etc) How much rent are you paying? How likely are you tomove outbecause of this? How easy would it be for landlord to re-let with this kitchen? What value would a new kitchen add to rental potential ? Would you be prepared to pay more rent?

I'd ask tbh. The best outcome is that you get a new kitchen. The worst outcome is that they say no and you are in no worse a position.

I have a kitchen I want done but realistically it's a big job & unfair to ask tenants to put up with the disruption. With covid, things are taking longer to do as the contractors come & go, leaving time between visits.

You are totally within your rights to ask for repairs.

I'd be if our tenants asked for a new kitchen. It's about 17 years old but is in perfectly good condition. I certainly wouldn't be looking to replace it if I lived there myself, which is my barometer in terms of maintenance and renewals. E.g. the boiler kept playing up. Rather than keeping on fixing it like the gas engineer suggested I replaced it because I wouldn't want the inconvenience if I lived there.

So I'd happily get any hinges fixed etc, but I wouldn't replace the whole thing.

As a landlord, I would be pretty shocked if my tenants asked for a new kitchen. Admittedly, where I live, we provide the refrigerator, dishwasher, etc., so it is more expensive. But most landlords don't have the ability to get a kitchen renovation done in two days. It can take weeks to get the right workmen to show up when they're supposed to--completely maddening. Don't ask me why, just try living through a kitchen renovation and eating from a microwave in the living room in the meantime yourself in the meantime. Horrible.

I think it's reasonable to tell your landlord about cupboards that are coming off their hinges, and the chipped items. And to show pictures. Especially if you can show it is not your fault. But do expect to pay more if the landlord spends money upgrading.

I would let the landlord know about the issues with the kitchen, they sound like they could be repaired by a handyman and if the landlord concludes that it's time to replace the kitchen then that's the decision they make. I would expect saying you need a new kitchen to come across badly and make you seem like a difficult and demanding tenant.

My own kitchen is 21 years old, I found a sticker on the back of a kickboard with the details of the original order by the first owner of my house. I hope to keep the kitchen for many years yet, if a door came loose I'd just rehang it.

Give him a list of the problems stating safety or hygiene issues as relevant and ask for a someone to come and fix them. They might decide a new kitchen is a better investment longterm, but either way you get it fixed.

Have you informed the landlord of all the various damage/ issues? My kitchen is older than that and is a long way off requiring replacement but if there are safety issues then you need to let them know and it's up to them to decide if repair or replacement is needed

Just ask. If you were my tenants and willing to live with the disruption that putting in a new kitchen causes I’d probably do it under the circumstances you describe. I’d probably tell you to wait until summer though as work is disruptive and you don’t want to be without cooking facilities in winter.

Sounds as if you need to do some maintenance. It isn't unreasonable for you to screw in some hinges and do some easy repairs. It's what people do!