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 think you should ensure they are out asap - presumably they are on a 6 month tenancy initially? I would insist that they are out in 6 months at the very latest. They sound like a total nightmare. You however sound lovely and exactly the sort of landlord Id want - dont let them take advantage of your lovely nature and your inexperience of being landlords.

Get a property management company and block the tenants from your phone.
It’s the only way.

You should have just said no to getting a washer dryer.

You need to bin them as soon as you can. What does the tenancy say? How long is it? Is there a break clause?

They sounds nuts. I had tenants like this, constant messages day and night (I am not exaggerating when I say they did not know how to turn a standard tap on), demands for fixing things they had broken, purchases etc, caused lots of damage, it goes on. Like a PP I also actually offered to break the contract without penalty as they were so unhappy and that did improve things but I also got a managing agent (themselves not great but at least I didn’t have to be the first port of call). I would do both those things and give them notice as soon as you are able.

don't you have a start of renting inventory with photos?

No I'm not the tenant 😂

I have been a tenant though, and one of the annoying things when we rented was the landlord assuming that we'd always be able to drop everything, with no control over timeslots ourselves - this is when your gas inspection is happening, this is when the boiler repair is happening etc. As a homeowner you have autonomy over liasing with tradespeople and deliveries to ensure you can be there. It would be good if landlords understood that their tenants work and have lives - perhaps when ordering the washer dryer they could have given the tenant's contact details to deal direct with the company to arrange delivery.

YANBU.
Get them out asap and make sure all your documentation is 100% watertight.

Many tenants seem not to understand that their landlord isn’t a concierge or a hotel manager.

Also, a lot of neighbours of tenants seem to think that the landlord is their parent, and will contact them direct with petty issues that have nothing to do with who owns the property and everything to do with the people who live there.

If you owned your home (with a mortgage), nobody would dream of complaining to the bank who provide the mortgage because they don't like the way you park on the road outside!

Those who say you need a “professional” clean - do you realise that this just means a cleaning agency charging extra for a clean? There is no magic to it…

Yes.

But many landlords seem not to understand their tenants are paying customers and view them as an inconvenience.

It's impossible to tell whether the house was up to scratch. Different peoples ideas of what constitutes clean are different. There is also the fact that if the tenant is paying top prices for a top spec property they might expect different levels of cleanliness compared to a lower price and different levels of fittings/service.

It's also true to say that some people from different countries where there are different standards set re renting and the renting high end properties might be more usual and so tenants might be more used to being aggressive in making sure the property conforms to their liking. In a lot of countries renting is not seen as a poor second choice to home ownership that it often seen as in the UK, and is often something done by high earning profesionals.

All we know (I think) is that in this particular instance the landlord decided not to engage an agency (?) presumably because they thought the money they would charge would not be reasonable and that they would be better off providing that service themselves (?) and now maybe is finding out that the service levels and amount of work required is somewhat larger than expected ...

I don’t think it’s fair to say they “demanded” a washer dryer. It’s a negotiation - it was a fair request for the rent they were going to pay. You were fully at liberty to say no. Having said yes, unless agreed otherwise, it should have been in place before the tenancy. It’s not about whether there was 30° heat. From their point of view, not bothering to do what was agreed and then expecting them to sit in for it comes under red warning flags of a shitty landlord.

I'm a tenant with a lovely landlord and my view is that day to day consumables (cleaning etc, blocked drains, things like that) are my responsibility but something like the shower not working and an electrical repair needed would be his.

They are very unreasonable!

Issue a section 21 immediately.

Do it while the option still exists

My tenants were paying top prices because they were renting a 4,000 sq ft six bedroom townhouse in the city centre. That doesn’t buy them a concierge service too, or the right to have the agreed-upon white goods upgraded if they fancy something better.

“We had thought the tenants would be OK for this to happen shortly after they moved in.”

Just checked your wording. That does sound very much like you agreed to provide a washer dryer and then didn’t bother.

@FirstYouGetTheMoney “That doesn’t buy them a concierge service too, or the right to have the agreed-upon white goods upgraded if they fancy something better.”

But the “agreed upon white goods” in this case was the washer dryer. Would you have agreed to change it then not done it before the start of the tenancy? Or by the sounds of it even informed the tenant it would be after?

Was that not requested after the lease was signed? I’d though that that was the implication here.

LOL she doesn't have a magic wand. Delivery is rarely instantaneous for large electrical goods.

That's not what it means. There's a difference between a domestic level and professional level clean - the OP says it was the former. A domestic level clean can be provided by a professional cleaner but it won't have been a deep clean so dust and grime may remain in places

OP, you are not being unreasonable. Make sure that all of the paperwork / certificates are up to date and the deposit is protected.

Some tenants are just unreasonable. I had one a few years ago that demanded the walls be painted to match her "artwork", she complained that the house was too cold in October when the heating wasn't on, she complained that we had ruined her very expensive coat because there was paint on it (it wasn't paint, it was dust), she snapped a door in half, accused me of breaking into the property because the door was unlocked (not me but her housemate left the door open).

Your mistake OP, was giving in regarding the washer / dryer. Put your foot down and don't give anything above what is in the contract.

Also, to those suggesting "just serving a Section 21", you can't serve notice unless it is after a certain period after they move in.

OP says they didn't have time to do it before they moved out! So they knew well in advance

I asked my tenant if i could give her number to the plumber.
They sorted a mutually convenient time and i just paid the bill.
Easier all round. Same with any other repairs

The tenant is not your friend. You have a business contract with them whereby each party has duties and responsibilities. In short you are a service provider and the tenant is a consumer. This relationship is governed by legislation with which the agency is (supposed to be) familiar. The agent will handle issues to do with access, replacements, deliveries etc. They are likewise employed to provide a service for you and your tenants.

If your tenants are working people (which I assume is the case) then you cannot reasonably expect them to take time off work for essential deliveries etc. In this case you would either have to arrange for an out of hours delivery or for someone to be at the property to accept it for them. This is where agents come in. They form a barrier between the LL and the tenant and field the more ridiculous requests. Yes they charge a fee (usually aroung 12 %) but its a tax deductable business expense.

Numerous posters have advised you to employ an agent and this will save you a great deal of hassle and heartache in the long run.

The tenants, I assume, had seen and accepted the property during viewing, and at the point, check-in inventory was completed, and agreements signed? Except for the minor points you agreed to change, I would state this is as accepted, and you will not be making any changes. If they are not happy, you will happily accept their notice to terminate with the polite reminder that they would be liable for the full 6 months' rent.

Yes - get rid at the earliest opportunity.