Request to Landlord

[pedropony76]

I moved into my flat last summer when DD was 2 months old at the time. I had a really bad labour and needed three procedures to rectify an issue. When I moved in, I asked the Landlord if I could remove the bed that was in the flat and bring my own bed from my mum’s house which was much higher and much sturdier and supported my neck and back in a way that helped the healing process. The Landlord said he didn’t live locally so wouldn’t be able to come round and take the bed apart so he asked if I could try the bed out and if I really didn’t want it then I should let him know.

Fast forward to nearly a year later and the bed is SO squeaky it’s literally unbearable. If I could add an audio clip so you guys could hear it, then I would. I wake up my daughter just by sitting on the bed alone. I also wake her up by turning over during the night. I now have a 7 week old son and the bed is so squeaky and disruptive that I’m actually having to sleep with him in my living room as I was waking him up everytime I sat down. I’m also recovering from a C section (which got infected as I was never resting as my son was in NICU for 6 weeks) so I’m desperate for a higher bed that I find more comfortable and one that doesn’t sound like a bloody trampoline.

I sent an email to the Landlord’s estate agent basically saying everything above and asked if the Landlord can remove the bed. I’m not asking him to replace the bed or buy a new frame, just asking him to remove it so I can buy my own. The estate agent has just emailed me saying unfortunately the Landlord isn’t financially able to remove the bed or have it stored. He’s offered to come over to make the necessary adjustments to stop the noise and squeaking.

My thing is, is that I’ve already tried that. I’ve lifted up the mattress and tightened all the screws so if the Landlord isn’t able to solve the problem, where do we go from here? I’m really not able to live like this especially with two babies in a one bedroom flat! Any advice with what I can say in the email or should i just wait until the Landlord comes, see that he can’t fix the bed and then say something then? I just want the shit bed gone ffs!

I'd try suggesting leaving your bed when you leave the flat, and disposing of his bed yourself, assuming they're similar. I've been happy for tenants to do this before, provided it's like for like (e.g. If we've provided a double bed, they would need to leave a double bed behind if replacing).

Also, we don't charge our tenants in 2/3 bedroom houses as much as you're paying, we wouldn't dream of charging so much for a flat. I suppose it depends on area (none of our properties are in London or notoriously expensive areas), but it seems a lot!

I had this with a refrigerator provided by the landlord. It was awful, constantly caked with ice, but didn’t keep things cold. It was past the point of repair, Old and desperately in need of replacement, but they wouldn’t replace. I finally decided to just throw it out and buy a new one with the plan to leave my replacement behind when I left. I figured worst case scenario, they would bill me for the fridge I threw away. If they did, I have no doubt they would have asked for the cost of a new refrigerator instead of the value of the junk I disposed of. I wasn’t going to argue, I was prepared to pay for a new entry level model which would have been the closest equivalent. When I moved out they either didn’t notice the replacement or they were thrilled to get a better appliance.

with another much better landlord, we just wanted to make some improvements. We agreed to leave them behind when we moved out and they happily agreed to let us spend our money to upgrade things.

I probably would try spraying all the screws and metal fittings with oil to check of that is the issue. I had to do this with my bed in a student house and it did solve the problem but I had to do it a number of times.I know the landlord should be doing this but for your own sake I would do this and see if it makes a difference and then email the agent with the result. Keep a paper trail.

Thanks for the comments. There’s been a few suggestions of things that I haven’t tried so I’ll definitely try it out and see if the noise stops. I’m more than happy for the LL to come and do his best but I know he won’t be able to do anything

@SeasonFinale are you the bed police?? I’m not looking for excuses. The bed is utter SHITE and the sound it makes be simply sitting on it and turning over is not normal. This is not a new bed. This is a bed and mattress that has been used for YEARS and is no longer suitable. If I didn’t want the bed I’d just say that. I want a bed that doesn’t sound like I’m jumping on a trampoline everytime I bloomin sit down on it

Of course OP doesn't want the bed, it doesn't sound at all normal. None of the beds in our house squeak and wake up everyone in the room. You can hear the springs in the mattress sometimes, when moving, that's normal, but OP's bed sounds like it reached the end of its useful life a while ago.
If I were the landlord, I'd at least replace the mattress after that amount of time. To be blunt, he shouldn't have a tenant if he can't afford to replace faulty items. He should, at the very least, have come out to inspect it long before now.

Identify what's causing the squeak :-

From worn out mattress or divan base springs - metal springs in sprung mattresses wear out and squeak. If it's a sprung mattress,turn it head to foot and flip over. This alone may stop squeak. Sprung divan bases can wear out . Padding mattress and base very heavily might help. Put as thick a layer of material as possible between you and mattress and between mattress and base.

From friction between mattress and bed frame - you can usually stop that by putting old sheets or cloths between the mattress and the frame.

From joints in the bed frame -tighten and oil any metal with WD40. Plastic washers stop metal washers rubbing. Grease wooden bits with candle wax or beeswax.

Friction or slipping between bed and floor or an uneven floor - put pads under bed to stop movement . If it's sitting a bit squinty on the floor, even it up with traditional wads of cardboard stuck underneath.

@Nein9 thank you that’s exactly my point! The noise it makes is certainly not normal at all. I’ve told the estate agents that I’m happy for the LL to come out and inspect the bed himself but there’ll need to be some sort of solution once he realises that he isn’t able to fix it

@ItsDinah it isn’t your usual divan base but a wooden base instead. Thank you for all of the tips though, I’ll definitely try WD40 on the screws