Is it acceptable to do work to a rented property yourself?

[givemushypeasachance]

If part of the fixtures and fittings of a rented house need to be repaired or replaced, as a tenant is it acceptable to arrange that yourself as long as the repair/replacement is to the same standard as it was previously? Or do you have to inform the landlord and have them do it, as it's their property.

E.g. if a shower is broken, can you arrange to get a plumber in to install a new shower. Or it's the landlord's property you can't get rid of the broken shower yourself and replace it, only the landlord can do that.

Tenant is okay with paying and getting a professional to do it. Hasn't caused the damage per se, it's more of a wear and tear thing. But conscious of the rental market being insane and doesn't want to bother the landlord about things too much...

Tenant should agree it with the landlord, and get the agreement in writing (so that the landlord can't then claim it as a reason to hold back the deposit when the tenant vacates).

That's for the landlord to sort and pay for. Some might not mind, but others would prefer to use their own tradespeople and chose their own appliances etc. If tenant really wants to pay for themselves (I think this is foolish as that's one of the benefits of renting - not having to pay for expensive home maintenance) then they should get approval from landlord first.

I'm a landlord and would expect tenant to inform me if something was broken and needed repair

I would expect to either arrange for it myself, or agree that tenant could arrange at their convenience as long as I approved cost first

I would expect to pay

If it's something that's a tenant preference but not broken, I ask them to run it past me first to agree it, but then they arrange & pay. Have had this a few times where they wanted to redecorate to their taste, change the flooring, wall tiles etc.

On the other hand I have just had a tenant put in fake grass without asking - which has quite frankly pissed me off; but no point doing anything about it until they leave now, it's done!

The landlord should really be sorting this out for you. If you were set on having a particular more luxurious shower, then you might be able to come to an arrangement where you pay the difference between the basic model and the luxe model (and I can't see why a landlord wouldn't agree to that - you are adding value to their property, after all).

We didn't make any alterations to the house while we were living in rented, although we did improve the garden quite a bit. The landlord was happy with us doing that as it made the garden nicer for the next tenants.

I wouldn’t do anything without contacting the landlord first. It’s their house and not my responsibility.

I've always lived in rented properties where, generally, it's up to the tenant to sort out normal wear and tear or breakdowns. But these have been long-term rentals where the tenant is free to completely redecorate/re-carpet or whatever as well.

Depends on the rental, the contract and the type of landlord you have. I wouldn't refit a whole kitchen, for instance, without asking, but I would certainly get tradespeople to fix the shower or service/fix the boiler (in my last place, dealing with the boiler was actually my responsibility as outlined in the contract).

But it also depends on whether you are paying for this or whether you expect the landlord to. I always pay from my own pocket, and always leave every place in an excellent standard of repair and cleanliness when I go.

It's the landlords responsibility

I think if you break something and want to replace it yourself, and it's exactly the same. That's ok. But no, you can't replace a shower. And you shouldn't have to. That's the landlord's responsibility.

I would only pay out of I had broken something. I would put it in writing first to let the ll know.

As for what the contract says. There are loads of private rental contracts that aren’t worth the paper they are written on.

My dd’s have had crap written in them to include no notice inspections, full financial costs for leaks and the boiler, cost and arranging all yearly inspections and more.

It's not your property. You can't change anything.

Why on earth do you think you could?