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!

I get the uncomfortable feeling they are the type who might stop paying rent too OP. Do you have all your paperwork in order in case you need to serve a s21/s8?

I'm currently going through hell in the courts trying to recover my family home from terrible tenants, and wouldn't wish the experience on my worst enemy. Definitely involve agents if you can too.

They are entitled, ridiculous CFs.

You've picked troublesome tenants. Offer to let them leave fee-free. If they refuse get rid of them at the first opportunity. I have learned the hard way that early demands (rather than polite requests) are always a harbinger of more to come. A trusted manager for the property til they go will save you stress.

Yanbu. I'm not generally in favour of management companies, but in this case I think you should get one asap.
Make sure they have a good record for dealing with difficult tenants.

Get Landlord Insurance asap!
They have sniffed that you are first time landlords and far too soft. Make sure you have done everything to the letter, protected the deposit as required by law, up to date on all certificates, that the rental contract is water tight.

You have to take the view that they rented it in a clean state so would have signed that it was in a clean state and they rented it with a washing machine
If they thought the house was dirty then why did they sign to say it was clean. If they were insistent on a washer dryer then they either pay for it themselves and carefully store your washing machine or they shouldn’t have rented a house that didn’t have one.

Why are they screaming at you.

You need to step back and let someone else deal with this.

This is all gearing up to them not paying the rent and you having a nightmare getting them out

Please check out your landlord insurance as sometimes the clause is you have to have a managing agent/rental agent to cover you for everything.

Remember there is a huge backlog in the courts so the idea you can get a non paying tenant out quickly might in practice take just as long as it always has done.

Please make sure you know all the laws and legislation and your rights as a landlord as I am pretty sure they know all the legalities and loopholes and every single one of their rights and will use them against you to make your life a living nightmare.

That.

Now.

I would also insist on everything being by email. So if they have a complaint you can look at it and see if it is valid and you can show what you are doing /not doing about something and you have a paper trail.

agency! and then you no longer have to have any contact with them

As someone currently going through hell in the courts trying to recover my family home from terrible tenants, I completely agree with this. It has taken over a year in my part of London to get anywhere. The delays are extremely pronounced, and the process is stressful and expensive for everyone, compounded by dealing with tenants who sadly are not trustworthy.

I’m a landlord

You committed a schoolgirl error in responding to their initial requests: they knew there wasn’t a dryer there before they signed the tenancy. They had a copy of the check in which detailed clean conditions. But you know this.

Moving forward

I hope to God you have a break clause in the tenancy agreement and that you provided all the prescribed documents to the tenants at the time they signed the lease. Assuming this is right, diarise the first date you can give s.21 Notice and do it properly (membership of NRLA is a good investment in this regard).

Of you’ve got a 12 month fixed term lease then you are stuck with that and all you can do is pray they will pay the rent

You need to get a management company to handle this!

You should have had in professionally cleaned and with all agreed facilities installed and in place prior to tenancy start date. It's not their responsibility to accommodate your late delivery arrangements tbh. You also shouldn't expect them to be around to sort out your personal delivery mistakes...they are paying for quiet, exclusive enjoyment of the property. There should also have been a clear, photographically documented inventory meeting (with records they have signed off) on the day of handing the keys, and an (again documented) contact procedure which imo should have been written only unless strictly necessary. There would be no outstanding surprises if this was done correctly....please ensure you have protected their deposit per legislation too or they will take you (literally 😉) to the cleaners.

I have let out a (former home) London property. Strongly advise you pay for a managing agent who will not only handle the management, but prevent these problems arising in the first place. It's difficult to mentally reframe your former home as a business, but that's what you must do for it to work.

I assume you have done necessary paperwork for insurance, consent to let/ BTL mortgage and permission from freeholder assoc. (if relevant), HMRC, council tax, gas certs, as well as deposit.

Under no circs should you have been screamed at...good luck.

In the nicest way, because you sound like good people, this is why there should be more stringent rules around who can be a landlord. For your protection, and tenants. They are exploiting you massively here, you do not have to provide white goods. Have you done an inventory with photos? I would be concerned that would live the house in a mess and say that was the condition they found it in.
Def pay the professionals to handle this for you!

Landlord here. Get yourself an agent ASAP. It is so worth the monthly management fee.

It’s imperative the paperwork is thoroughly up to date these days. Legally, it’s a minefield with electrical testing etc etc. Eviction cannot be started without absolutely everything in place as the defendant will pick holes in the tenancy agreement and relevant certifications if they don’t want to leave. The judge will side with them as the onus is on the landlord to be squeaky clean.

Is this the first time you've been a LL? I'd expect more drama. Without listening to the conversation it's hard to gauge how picky they were being but I would expect the house to be clean when I moved in and I'd expect the washer drier to be in situ. I think it's unreasonable to expect your tenant to agree to being at home at a specific time for the delivery. I wouldn't be happy with that.
Others have suggested a management company. It'll cost, but it's worth considering.

There’s no way I’d have bought the washer / dryer. If that was a deal breaker, they shouldn’t have accepted the property. I would start refusing their requests. If they don’t like it they can leave.

You need to handle the letting process or give it all over to a letting agent.

I rent out a flat in London and I advertise and do the viewings all myself for this very reason. I’ll set aside a day for viewings and have always found someone on that one day. It’s like interviewing, you just let the place out to someone who can speak on the phone and communicate properly, who is polite, who can find the place on time without having to phone up from miles away lost, (from a smartphone that has a map). It’s not much fun having to judge people by a phone call and a 20 minute chat but it’s totally worth it to not have some oddball who calls you endlessly.

And tell them they can break the terms of the lease and move out straight away but they been to let you know by the end of the week. After that the terms are binding, or what ever works for you.

We rent at a high end and yes you do need a professional clean before anyone moving in and if anything has been requested and agreed to then it needs to be in situ before the move- however stuff like stains etc- then that's just tough as house is taken as seen - only time we had issues was actually with a hugely posh agent where the photos had clearly been taken at least a few weeks before, so lawns needed doing and drive needed weeding plus 2 wasps nests- so we asked for those to be sorted. Current house we had a couple of snagging issues like a non working fan and the front door keys didn't work (annoying but was sorted) these sound very OTT

They sound ridiculous ignore them. Or start proceedings to evict.

I just cannot believe the amount of posters saying to evict them. On what basis? Them expecting to move into a clean property and the items they have been promised to be in situ?

OP says it had been cleaned to a domestic standard. That's really not good enough before a new tenancy. There will have been neglected areas and the OP knows that, hence them arranging a professional clean. But they also should have known that wasn't possible once the tenants had moved in.

Re the washer dryer - no that's not necessary in a property but that's beside the point, it had been agreed to. It should have been there.

I also don't know why everybody is jumping to the conclusion that they won't pay rent. I would imagine that they have every intention to pay the rent, hence them being upset that the property isn't up to standard.

Another saying to involve a managing agent, although it can be difficult to find a good one- too many view it as an easy buck, which it isn't always. do you know anyone who rents out property and can recommend one? It might be difficult now as they are in already.
You shouldn't have agreed to the further clean- it has been described as domestically clean and that is how they will be required to return it to you.
You should not have agreed to a washer drier , they are rubbish and break down all too easily. We actually told one of our difficult tenants who was moaning about not having a washer drier, that her choice was a washing machine or nothing.
I hope you have good landlord insurance in place, I suspect you might have with holding of rent soon, particularly as they have complained about the heating system.

sorry but youre making it harder for yourselves-they agreed to rent as is so no need to buy extra washing machines

they agreed it was clean when they moved you have proof no need for a cleaner

youre being walked over just stop

As a long term renter, I would love to know where all of these professionally cleaned Air B&B standard rental homes are for rent which can actually be afforded on an average income.
Only rule around cleaning is that the tenant only needs to return it to the same level of clean on ending the tenancy. There is no requirement for a professional clean.