Landlord wants us to live in a show home

[Rosybud88]

We moved into a property in April this year, it’s a nice house and we pay rent fully and promptly.

I have a 9 month old and I’m 5 months pregnant. It’s a 3 story house and I’m struggling with the stairs. When we rented the house I didn’t know I was pregnant. My husband also works away internationally a lot.

The property has a downstairs room which is full of boxes and unpacked items. The bedroom on the middle floor has clothes and a suitcase on the bed as I’m travelling next week. The kitchen sides have an air fryer, steriliser, your standard bits and bobs. The washing machine cupboard door decided to fall off the top hinge one day, no damage to the door and it’s just in a downstairs cupboard waiting to be rehung.

Estate agents have just done a 3 month visit, all was fine and nothing was mentioned. I have just received an email today basically saying the landlord will be worried if she sees the pictures as she’s particular about the home. The agents basically want us to resort the house, they come back in a few weeks and retake the photos so to not make the landlord consider not renewing the tenancy next year.

To me, it just feels utterly ridiculous. I’m not new to renting and there is zero damage to the property. The estate agent is trying to make out that the floors on the ground floor are very expensive and we are to take great care with them - I’m no floor expert but they don’t look it. They are saying I need to sort limescale in the bathroom etc and it’s just a bit OTT. I need to clear off all the kitchen sides. We need to trim a bush in the garden etc There is nothing wrong with any of the rooms it all feels like nitpicking.

Is it reasonable for our landlord to expect us to live in a show home and if not, then they not renew our tenancy?

This. Just say no to all of it.

You have all my sympathy OP. When we were renting the inspections made me so anxious - they would always find a bit of window sill or skirting board I forgot to dust, or noticed limescale in the shower that was already there when we moved in and I had not managed to remove completely. This was the agency not the landlord, who seemed like a really nice lady. I loved that flat and still miss it sometimes, but this was the main reason we bought our first home when we did - the inspections felt like an intrusion and very judgmental.

It's their home.

The agents are overstepping

Check your tenancy agreement and if it allows you to refuse the estate agent entry, then exercise that option. Or if the law allows refusal.

When we were renting the LL of our property just had the EA do one check, once he was satisfied the property was reasonably cared for he didn't do another one. I would say the house was your normal average level of tidy with young kids. If your LL is quite particular, as frustrating as it can be but if you want to stay on for another year then I would just heed the advice of the EA.

Agree with this.

Even if that is 9 months away?

The bank don’t come because it’s your investment to do what you want with as long as you pay the mortgage, LL do checks because your home your living in is someone else’s investment and they want to check everything is ok.

Inspections really should be about seeing if there are any problems and repairs that need attending too.
Writing in a report about an unwashed dish in a sink is just petty and borders on ridiculous.
And having such inspections every 3 months can be stressful.

It’s hardly expecting a show-home level of neatness to query a kitchen cupboard door broken, an overgrown garden and a scaled up bathroom. Have a one-off blitz when it suits you, take some pictures and send them to the EA.

This is a joke, right?

I don’t agree with 3 month checks they should be every 6 month or annually. Dishes in sink is just petty, if the kitchen sides were covered with pots and filth then yes that’s an issue. The LL probably got concerned when they saw a cupboard door not on its hinges

I'm a landlord - as long as tenants pay the rent on time I don't bother them. Can't remember the last time I did an inspection, certainly no more often than annually. Even then I'm only looking for things that need repair and checking that they've not turned the place into a cannabis factory.

As far as I'm concerned it's your home, you don't need to tidy it on my account!

When I was renting we had quarterly inspections and were required to get a professional deep clean before each one, from the landlord's mate. It was illegal, but in our housing market, landlords can do whatever they want.

And then when you’re evicted with a newborn baby and a toddler, with a partner who works away, come back to Mumsnet and ask this poster to take you in after following their fabulous advice 😂

It’s all well and good refusing but if I was pregnant already with a young baby and on my own while my husband worked away and someone simply asked me to tidy up as they were worried my tenancy would not be renewed otherwise, I’d suck it up and tidy the bliddy house to keep the roof over our heads.

I would tidy up but be planning to move out at the end of the fixed term. You don't need that hassle hanging over you every 3 months.
I'm a landlord. I don't do inspections.

I'd at least rehang the door and scrub the limescale from the bathroom. Those things could cause concerns that you might not be looking after the bare bones of the property.

I'd say if you want appliances on the kitchen side and some clothes on the bed that's up to you though.

They aren’t going to renew your tenancy so get ready to move home again. The new photos will be used for the for sale listing.

I had three month checks for years at various properties. I would get everything gleaming plus had a dog at the time and was told by letting agent my house was immaculate and they were sorry about the checks but other tenants let the side down and wreck houses. In the end the guy would come round do very quick check have a nice chat and a cup of tea and play with my dog and leave again…..I was still kicked out though as owner decided to sell, as did the owner before that. So unfair.

The request to present the home to prefection is unreasonable.

What does it say in your contract about having photos taken for inspections? I would be inclined to decline any more visits and start looking for another property.

So many LLs are just awful.

When we were renting the LL of our property just had the EA do one check, once he was satisfied the property was reasonably cared for he didn't do another one

Many do the same, as seeing how someone's living in the place even just once gives a pretty good idea, but since OP's only been there since April this is probably the first visit and they're not satisfied

Impossible to say if this is reasonable or not because we can't see it, but it's not the agent's property and no skin off their nose - so why would they nitpick over "just a few boxes and clothes" unless it's actually much more than that?

We rented out my mum's little house when she went into a care home, intending to look into costs, whether to sell etc. The tenants destroyed it. Fiddling with the boiler, the electrics, removing the smoke alams, damaging the furniture and carpets. In my experience it is very difficult to evict bad tenants. Never would I consider renting out a property again. Perhaps the LL has had a bad experience and is over anxious.

We rented a place unseen as we were overseas. It was nice but I should have been warned when the owners themselves wanted to do a “house induction” where they went through how I should use coasters and how best to clean the floor! I was 45!
Abyway, they themselves did a half year inspection and commented on “white marks” on the “brand new”’sink - which was black. I mean, if you choose a black sink in the south of England, it’s going to have white marks.
Anyway, I was ready for a fight when we moved out but they were actually fine - however the house is still up for rent 9 months later having gone “let agreed” a couple of times and then falling through, I can only assume after the “house induction”!
They also wanted 6 months rent in advance or a guarantor despite having seen our bank details, business accounts and the fact that we owned a house with no mortgage at the time.
I honestly had forgotten how awful renting is (this was just short term) and I have great sympathy for anyone with crappy landlords.

No landlord has the right to tell you they like kitchen surfaces clear of appliances and no clothes on the floor ffs

I'm a landlord and only inspect once a year (in fact sometimes my plumber who does the gas checks gives me a quick run down and couple of pics and I'm happy!)

As long as there is no damage or smell or anything unsafe, my tenants have the right to live how they choose, that's what they pay for - quiet enjoyment of their home

Saying that, some landlord and letting agents are ridiculous. However, just make a bit of an effort before each inspection to avoid any issues

P.S. - If you were my tenant I'd mend your cupboard door for you!

I think people should be allowed to be messy, as long as they don't cause damage and aren't so messy that they can't clean properly. I don't think a pregnant mum with a baby and a husband away a lot should be expected to be pristine.