Are we are unreasonable landlords?

[Leavingonajetplane33]

We moved out of London recently, but have kept our house and we are renting it out.

Our tenants moved in last week and so far we are finding them very difficult. On day one they called and the wife was shouting down the phone to my husband with a whole list of things that she was unhappy about.

There are too many things to mention, but she described the house as being filthy, dirty and covered in stains. Firstly the house is rented unfurnished with wooden floors throughout so not sure what could really be stained. Secondly, we had our much trusted long term cleaner spend 8 hours cleaning the property after we moved out and the check in report we have since since seen describes the property as domestically clean throughout. Nevertheless, we subsequently agreed to arrange a professional clean of the house. When the cleaning company arrived they called us to say that there was so much stuff everywhere that they could not even access some rooms and as some boxes etc were piled precariously they considered it a health and safety hazard. They cancelled the clean (with a £50 cancellation fee) which our tenants are very unhappy about.

Before moving in the tenants demanded that we install a washer dryer (we only had a washing machine) which we reluctantly agreed to. We did not have time to do this before we moved out and then needed someone to be at the property to take delivery. We had thought the tenants would be OK for this to happen shortly after they moved in. On day 1 the wife went ballistic at my husband about it and asked how she was going to be able to do washing. We pointed out that she could use the existing (perfectly fine) washing machine and put clothes out to dry in the 30 degree heat, but apparently that was unacceptable. We arranged a washer dryer to be delivered 2 days later (the quickest possible delivery slot) and then the night before (after we had had already received a 2 hour delivery slot message) they told us no one would be around to take delivery. We have again incurred a charge to rearrange the delivery.

There is a whole host of other things but I would be here writing for days to detail them all. Funniest was they told us that the boiler is inadequate because it does not have a water tank (it is a combi boiler).

We have asked to go round at some point this weekend to look at a couple of the smaller “issues” and collect a parcel addressed to us that has been accidentally delivered to the house. They are refusing because it is the anniversary of the death of the wife‘s mother.

We are trying our best to help them, but nothing ever seems to be right / good enough for them and frankly is is exhausting!

They sound nuts.

I fear that this is just the beginning.

I'd stop being so nice and start with some tough love.

"If you're not in to take delivery of the new washer dryer we will cancel the order and you'll have to make do with just the washer". For starters.

Don't you have a managing agent to deal with all of this? If not I suggest you get one sharpish.

You're not an unreasonable landlord at all. They sound like a nightmare, how long is their lease?

I recommend getting a management company. It decreases your profit but you don't have to deal with cranks. They also have access to plumbers etc for emergencies.

When our tenants moved in we had to have time stamped photos of every room.
They do sound really difficult but someone will be along soon asking how you dare take money off people for housing.
Do you have anyone who lives a bit nearer who can nip round and do a video call or something? Or can they send photos of the stains? I wouldn't be happy to just pay another cleaning company when you've already paid. Given that you've got wooden floors i wonder if the stains are part of the pattern in the wood!

If they are starting off like this then I would assume they will only get worse. As there is no shortage of tenants I would make sure that you have a process in place for them to leave at end of initial tenancy agreement. Also if you are managing the tenancy yourselves contact a letting agent and get the property on a full management contract it will cost you a % of the rent but all contact from tenant will be to letting agent not yourselves and they will deal with any unreasonable requests.

So that where my tenants moved to! Have they complained yet about the ceiling in the kitchen being painted yellow(as it was when they moved in)? Has one of them thrown something heavy at the other, smashed a two year old patio door and claimed ‘it just crumbled during the night’?

Make sure your landlord insurance covers everything you can think of, and probably some eventualities you never thought could happen in a normal household. Keep crossing off the days until their tenancy expires and make sure that you give them notice in good time.

we restored some sort of rationality by offering to break the contract without penalty since they were so unhappy, which shut them up for a bit. Asap we sold the house.

But MN will tell you you are oppressing them by letting your house to them. 😇

I'd get rid of them as soon as possible.

Echoing the comments above about getting a management agent. For me, the fee is well worth it.

This is a huge red flag. They're trouble makers.

Def suggest getting a management company so you don't have to deal with them directly. Stop offering extra. They want the house or they don't. As long as you're compliant.

How long's the contract?

I absolutely agree.

It's sounds like the start of a very stressful tenant landlord relationship and I get the uncomfortable feeling they seem the type to stop paying rent

Your biggest mistake here was dealing with their shit before they moved in and not deciding at that point to opt out!!!

There will be other potential tenants!!

You should never have agreed to the washer drier nonsense when there is a perfectly good washer.

The moving in checklist should have photographs of all areas showing how clean everything is (for future reference always include photos of the oven and hobs and in fact more photos than you ever thought necessary.....cupboards, inside of cupboards, carpets, wardrobes etc etc)

They sound like they will cause you no end of bother through this tenancy.
Make sure you have good landlord insurance, consider ending their tenancy as soon as possible.
Try establishing firm boundaries with them, you are under no obligation to install a washer/dryer.

You need to get them out ASAP. They are going to be a nightmare.
I suspect they know you are novice landlords and picked you because they think they can bully you.

Always use a managing company. Read all reviews, find a good, professional local agent. They will vet potential tenants and draw up the contract, deal with the deposit and manage everything on your behalf. Expect to pay around 12%.
Hopefully you can get rid of these people asap.
It is a mistake to think you can manage a property yourself.
My friend is a managing agent in a local firm and the stories she tells me are hair raising.

Absolutely don't provide a washer dryer. You are under no obligation to. If the property was rented with a washing machine, and it were to break you are required to replace but only like for like.
As for the cleaning standards, if the check in reported a domestic cleaning level then that is how they are expected to return it at the end of the tenancy. You are not required to have a professional clean.

If they want a washer dryer they can buy one, but they are also obliged to store the current washing machine for the duration of the tenancy and leave it in the property when they leave. Unless you agree for them to replace with a washer dryer that they leave instead.

I think you've been more than accommodating, but you need to understand the tenancy legislation better (I'm a long term renter not a landlord). Would also say that in your case an agent might be a very good investment.

They sound spectacularly difficult.

The only explanation I can think off, is that they feel they're paying a lot for the rent and are therefore entitled to have everything the exact way they prefer it to be. Or they're very anxious generally.

FWIW, I don't have a washer dryer either, but if that was my preference and I was paying a lot of rent I might ask for one too.

Get an estate agent OP. They will deal with the headaches for you. It costs but it will be worth it. I'm not a landlord but I am a tenant. There are some rubbish ones out there so look carefully. You sound like a good landlord. I've had awful landlords in the past but I have a good one now. It needs to be mutual respect and boundaries to work

Washer dryers are rubbish. They take forever and never dry things properly. If you have agreed to it though but they aren't around to accept delivery then that is their problem and I would be telling them that you will cancel the order if they are not available at a prearranged time.

Unfortunately if they aren't there this weekend then you can't just turn up, but they aren't that desperate to get the issues sorted are they.

I definitely wouldn’t have replaced the washer with a washer drier - they are never very good as they need to do 2 totally opposing tasks and do neither well IME

If it’s rented unfurnished I have no idea why you agreed this but it’s sounds like it’s opened the floodgates

I’d give them notice now, but be prepared for a battle to get them out, including them not paying rent.

Hmm, if you break it down though

Obviously you suspected the house might need cleaning or why would you have arranged a further clean?
They've just moved in so of course they'll have boxes around etc - did you expect them to move out again to facilitate the clean?

You agreed to a washer dryer and it wasn't there at the start of the tenancy. They are entitled to be annoyed about that. Why are you booking delivery slots without finding out when they're available?

If it's not convenient for you to pick up the parcel then it's not convenient. This is their home now.

I've been renting for 25 years and you don't sound like an unreasonable landlord. On the contrary, you sound very reasonable (I have had some bad ones over the years!).

They sound nuts.

Just tell them it isn't going to work out.

You've already shot yourself in the foot by proving that you'll bend to their demands so it'll only get worse. Why on earth did you agree to the washer/dryer request?

They asked for a washer dryer so you just bought one even though there was already a perfectly functioning washing machine? You sound like a bit of a pushover OP.

CFs.

They're awful. Already. You are under no obligation to provide white goods of any kind. Unless it's in the terms they've been given.

They'll be calling you for everything, because they can. My cousin had a couple like this. Called him.to go over for an "infestation" of insects after a couple of weeks. It was the end of summer and the house backed onto a field. They showed him a spider in a matchbox and asked for money off the rent.

PS I rent.