Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Or is the landlord being petty?

99 replies

Unionofthesnake · 06/05/2023 09:03

Moved into rental property a couple of years ago. Curtains in the lounge were not to our taste (bit dated, not particularly new looking, water stained lining). We informed the landlord via the letting agent we would buy our own to match our style and asked what we should do with theirs. Received email back to say we should store them and re-hang them when we vacated. I vaguely remember putting them at the back of the wardrobe and then forgot about them. We bought some new ones in Dunelm for about £50.

We've now moved out. Couldn't find the landlord's curtains anywhere and then DP said he was sure he chucked them out as they were "rank". Told the letting agent we couldn't find the curtains but that we would leave ours to replace them. Agent replied by forwarding a copy of the email telling us to store them and said they couldn't guarantee we wouldn't be charged if the landlord wasn't happy with the replacement. I made it very clear we didn't expect to be charged as we were replacing them with better ones (new, unstained).

We've now been told £150 Will be deducted from our deposit towards new, custom made curtains. I of course challenged it and was told ours are inferior - ready made, unlined & ill fitting (they are a bit long but shouldn't be too hard to turn up) vs their custom made lined ones (even though they were dated and a bit scruffy imo).

WIBU?

OP posts:
Treacletoots · 06/05/2023 13:38

I had tenants who damaged an entire wall when they moved out ripping all the wallpaper which I had to replace at a cost of around £500. ( awkward place, labour high)

They offered to leave their knackered old tumble dryer as compensation which was worth about £30.

Stupidly I accepted it, but I was green back then. There's no way I'd do it this time and you're being incredibly patronising assuming your cheap dunelm ones are better than the ones you threw out.

FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 06/05/2023 13:40

I think you are probably stuffed but I would insist on your ones back

SunnySaturdayMorning · 06/05/2023 13:41

YABU. You might think your curtains are nicer but he doesn’t, and you were told to store and rehang.

Instead you threw them away, so of course you have to pay.

Scienceadvisory · 06/05/2023 13:42

Northernsoullover · 06/05/2023 13:01

Challenge it. Don't rollover and take the deduction. Depreciation is definitely taken into account. Oh and @bluemidnightblue your attitude stinks. You know damn well that most people that are renting aren't in a position to buy.

Which is why they are only being charged £150. There is no way that is close to the total cost of custom made and lined curtains.

Sewannoying · 06/05/2023 14:18

Scienceadvisory · 06/05/2023 13:42

Which is why they are only being charged £150. There is no way that is close to the total cost of custom made and lined curtains.

Show quote history

Exactly. My 10 year old custom made and lined JL curtains cost £1000 when new. I dread to think how much it is going to cost me to replace them.

HappyMe6 · 23/05/2023 17:35

You were told to keep his curtains and you chucked them, it wasn’t your property to Chuck, so although petty I’m afraid this is on you

GladysHeeler · 23/05/2023 19:00

You can't replace some curtains with cheap ones that are too long. Dated and a water stained lining doesn't mean you can throw them away.

Original poster
Unionofthesnake · 04/06/2023 09:49

To update, after much back & forth with the Letting agent, landlord finally agreed to accept £100 for the curtains. We asked if we could have ours back and they refused saying they couldn't leave the new tenant without curtains while they were arranging new ones. We then asked if we could have ours back once the new curtains arrived and they didn't reply. Chased a few times since and the agent said the landlord wasn't coming back to them. They then said that as the deposit had been agreed and refunded to us (less £100) the matter was closed. I strongly suspect landlord has no intention of changing the curtains and has pocketed the cash. Have a good mind to visit the new tenant and see if they are expecting new curtains. WIBU?

OP posts:
Motnight · 04/06/2023 10:05

You need to let this go now Op!!

TimesRwo · 04/06/2023 10:07

OMG seriously OP. Just drop it. You caused this mess. Just move on.

Butchyrestingface · 04/06/2023 10:08

Have a good mind to visit the new tenant and see if they are expecting new curtains. WIBU?

Yes. And verging on batshit. But that's already been well established.

Batalax · 04/06/2023 10:09

Maybe he has, but he’s still not got his original ones he’d have preferred.

Give up now.

TeaKitten · 04/06/2023 10:11

Unionofthesnake · 04/06/2023 09:49

To update, after much back & forth with the Letting agent, landlord finally agreed to accept £100 for the curtains. We asked if we could have ours back and they refused saying they couldn't leave the new tenant without curtains while they were arranging new ones. We then asked if we could have ours back once the new curtains arrived and they didn't reply. Chased a few times since and the agent said the landlord wasn't coming back to them. They then said that as the deposit had been agreed and refunded to us (less £100) the matter was closed. I strongly suspect landlord has no intention of changing the curtains and has pocketed the cash. Have a good mind to visit the new tenant and see if they are expecting new curtains. WIBU?

No don’t be a creep and go ask the new tenant about the curtains! Move on with your life. You chucked out the landlords curtains and left yours behind, it’s none of your business what landlord does with the money. I’m sure you have much bigger things going on in your life than this.

SunnySaturdayMorning · 04/06/2023 10:17

Move on. You caused this mess now let it go.

Createausername1970 · 04/06/2023 10:30

Don't be an ex-tenant from hell. You may need a reference at some point for a mortgage or future letting.

PinkFrogss · 04/06/2023 10:35

I can see why you’re tempted OP, but unfortunately I think you need to just let it go.

Were the DPS involved at all? We had similar and they decided the landlord could only deduct £20 (originally wanted to deduct £200), as they can only charge for what items were worth after age/wear and tear, not brand new.

I think you’re right that unfortunately LL has kept the curtains and pocketed the money Angry

roarfeckingroarr · 04/06/2023 10:36

Sounds fair enough to me

roarfeckingroarr · 04/06/2023 10:37

Yes. You have no right to bother the new tenant. It's £100 - it could've been a lot more for curtains and it's your partner's fault. Let this one go.

BeeCucumber · 04/06/2023 10:43

Be like Elsa.

catgirl1976 · 04/06/2023 10:48

Challenge it through the deposit scheme

yes you should have kept them but these things happen.

all the posters saying the lined curtains would be more than £150 are missing the point. New ones might be but you should only have to cover the cost of the actual ones which, given you said they were dated would not be that high.

it’s not new for old for landlords via deposits - it’s the value after wear and tear , age etc is taken in to account.

Butchyrestingface · 04/06/2023 11:33

BeeCucumber · 04/06/2023 10:43

Be like Elsa.

.

Or is the landlord being petty?
Tourmalines · 04/06/2023 11:57

Give it a rest for gods sake . You stuffed up in the first place. And if you do you go there, and they let you in, and you see your curtains on the wall, are you going to just jump up there and take them off the rods? The $100 is for the loss of his custom fitted curtains whether you like it or not .

cocoloco117 · 04/06/2023 11:58

Very petty, but what do you expect for these money grabbing landlord types? I’d be petty in return and say that can have the 150 but you want to have your curtains back first so you can be sure they’re not just keeping the new ones and the 150 quid.

cocoloco117 · 04/06/2023 11:59

cocoloco117 · 04/06/2023 11:58

Very petty, but what do you expect for these money grabbing landlord types? I’d be petty in return and say that can have the 150 but you want to have your curtains back first so you can be sure they’re not just keeping the new ones and the 150 quid.

Just read OPs updates and seems I’ve been proven right.

Teentrauma · 04/06/2023 12:25

The deposit refund has already been agreed & paid out so the agent is right, the matter is closed, it's too late to raise a dispute. If you were that bothered about having the curtains back why wasn't it part of the negotiations? Not surprised the landlord is ignoring you, just leave it.