To ask for a reduction in rent?

[Lonelycats]

Landlord just told us that a three months long extensive refurbishment project is starting NEXT WEEK! Scaffolds, windows covered up, extensive work on our roof. Landlord says to expect ‘some dust’ and also says the works are noisy by nature.

I know that the landlord is not required to compensate us is in any way, but is it worth asking?

• With such short notice we were never given an opportunity to plan around these works, or move out.
• I work from home (I know it’s not their problem as the house was not advertised as office space, but these are my circumstances)
• we have only planned two weeks holiday as one of my children is doing exam revision this year so we are going to be here for the next five weeks…! Studying and working. Other children are in day camps in and off to allow for some peace and quiet at home. I’d lose all my money for these activities if we were to try and go somewhere else for the summer
• I can’t bear the thought of not being able to open any windows on a hot day

To keep cooler it's better to not open the Windows and to keep blinds and curtains shut,however in the evenings it's so nice to open the Windows and I really feel for you.there's some flat being done in town and it's been wrapped for 18 months now,residents hate it.
Has the LL got another property you can stay in for freer for the duration?

Bet you’d want a reduction if the roof started leaking too 🤣

I’d say suck it up

No, you are not being unreasonable. Have you asked yet? No point bumbling on here if you haven't actually bothered to ask the LL the question.

Yes - how could it be unreasonable to ask? And no one here can tell you the likely answer, which depends a lot in where you live and what your rent is like in relation to market prices.

I would definitely ask.

I was in this position a few years ago. We weren’t given much notice but then the building works ran on for much longer than expected (outside of the landlords control). We emailed our landlord (not a big agency, just someone with a couple of properties) and they offered a rent reduction over the holiday period it was now affecting - we accepted. Always worth trying surely? Good luck!

If it means incurring extra cost like extra washing , using AC or fans or similar then yes you should be compensated

Check on the IegaIities of notice from IandIords. He is probabIy within the Iaw. Even so, it is not unreasonabIe to ask, but keep in minds that he is aIso not being unreasonabIe to say "no."

Watch out for a rent increase once it is done.

Also compensation should be provided. You wouldn't expect to pay full price at a hotel and not receive a discount, so why is a home any different.

Exactly, only in renting are you a CF or 'entitled' for expecting what you pay for. The LL isn't doing the tenant some sort of favour, they're recieving (what is often a substantial amount of) money in return for the use of their property.
If this happened in any other area where the customer was paying and weren't receiving what they were paying for, the least expectation is a reduction to the price paid, and apologies. Yet private renting, still paying money for a service, the attitude is put up and shut up because the LL is doing you some sort of massive favour by allowing you to pay them money in return for the property they've acquired and decided to offer for rent.

If you rented an air BnB and they turned up and started putting scaffolding up with very little notice, well, I can just imagine the comments, and they wouldn't be suck it up and be grateful you're allowed to stay there in return for the money you're paying, and stop being so entitled.

Both the law (and at least currently) the rental market are on the landlords' side on this one. No compensation and no rent reduction needed.

Legally the landlord is obliged to do routine maintainance and the tenant is obliged to put up with the inconvenience caused in the process.

Thankfully for both sides the law treats licensees (in hotels and AirBnB rooms) differently from tenants. If someone would rather have the level of service provided for by a hotel, or a "serviced apartment" then that option is available (although there are some downsides!).

an update: last week, the landlord emailed us to offer a 15% reduction in rent. At that point we had only asked for the contact details of the site manager, to learn more about the schedule of the works, we had not made any complaints whatsoever - or whinged, as some posters put it :) The landlord also informed us that the works will now take four months instead of three…

We feel happy with this, the reduction in rent will cover the cost of a local drop in office space where we can work/study as needed.

And also this is not ‘routine’ upkeep, it’s the result of an error made by a previous contractor, just adding this for full context

I think this is a good result, OP. It’ll still be inconvenient, but your landlord has acknowledged this and and overall it’s better that they’re addressing the error made by the previous contractor rather than leaving the house in a poor state.

Your landlord still should have given your more notice, but at least they’re doing the right thing now. Good luck with everything. 🤞