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?

I only wish all landlords were like you . I may just then be out of a job

Hi op,

unfortunately they can do what they want and it seems that they are prep you to receive some bills your way. Some people just don’t understand what renting is and don’t really want to be reminded of someone else living there…
I am sorry op. Renting can be a vile experience as soon. Either you rent a dump in which case you are expected to ask for nothing…or you have a good place and you are expected to make it nicer…at your expenses :/

I hope it all goes ok 👌🏼

I would just do their small jobs tbh. I'd remove the timescale, trim the bush, get the door rehung have a tidy up. But you don't need to unpack your boxes or anything like that and it's up to you how you rearrange your kitchen. They might know she's very fussy and it's a couple of hours' work if that in exchange for peace of mind at a busy time in your life. Tbh the door, garden and limescale sound like property maintenance rather than housekeeping preferences.

The way you have put this is fine. The giggling away to yourself at a pregnant woman with a toddler being evicted wasn’t. I also thought it was telling you think it’s easy to do with a toddler, pregnant and DH working away. It’s hard to tell whether malice or ignorance was the motivator for that post. I’m not taken aback by much on here but that was awful.

@namechangewxyz You evicted people because they had lots of stuff? Wow.
The sort of bullshit described on this thread is why I'll never ever rent again if I can help it.
As to the OP, surely inspections should be about whether there's any damage, not about whether every single thing is clean. How does having boxes on the floor affect anything. I'd be pushing back on that.

Landlord here. This exactly. Quiet enjoyment is what you pay rent for, to live as you please without damaging property. Tell agents the same

Why a three month visit? Is this normal? As long as the inhabitants live without causing damage and nuisance and paying the rent on time I don’t see what’s the problem?

cupboard door off, you can’t mange the stairs
and still haven’t unpacked, sounds like bathroom needs cleaning to
and the garden I presume is your responsibility to keep in check
honestly sounds like the place is in a bit of a state and only three months. The landlord is probably worried about how it will be returned to them. I would be.!
no one can make you live tidy but as a landlord
the writing is on the wall ,
if you like the house and want to stay get sorted
or you will be out I’m sure

I always hated being treated like a child by letting agents and (less often) landlords. How dare they complain about the cleanliness of your kitchen? What on earth does it have to do with them? Unfortunately a lot of LAs and landlords collude in the fantasy that people will pay them for the use of a property but then not actually live in it.

They'll be maddening people to rent from, so I'd not get too comfortable anyway. If you love the place, I might pretend to be nice and clean 'for them' but I'd need to scream into a pillow afterwards.

Same! I couldn’t imagine telling tenants to tidy up or how to live. The only thing I’m fussy about is rubbish - not having it left laying around and making sure we have the property is up to a good, healthy standard. If you want your home looked after them you look after your tenants. Simple.

The property should be kept in a good condition ie not damaged but landlords shouldn’t be telling anyone to tidy up unless it is a question of hoarding or being unhygienic eg attracting rats etc. This sounds like it is just the normal working of a busy family household. The tenants should be left to get on with their lives.

I think YANBU but unfortunately our ridiculous private renting system means the LL can basically dictate what they like. I really feel angry about how there is so little protection for private renters. I am extremely clean and tidy but with an almost 1 year old I still have lots of toys and baby gear about the house which isn’t how I would normally live but it’s just got to stay there for practical reasons. I think if you want to stay you might have to suck it up a bit and get it looking nice for the inspection, but if not then make plans to leave at the end of the tenancy period? I would be tempted to politely explain to the landlord that you absolutely respect the property but there is clutter due to the children, maybe try to come across a bit humble and understanding even though they are being ridiculous. It might come to nothing but they might appreciate the reassurance.

Before we bought a property we rented directly from our next door neighbours for 5 years. They were in their 80s. It had the potential to be a nightmare but they were very good and didn’t poke their noses into how we lived. They did potter about in our garden and sometimes let themselves in the kitchen door to drop off vegetables! I didn’t say anything because we became quite close and they let us get a rescue dog (which we still have 10 years later!). But what I’m trying to say is renting is often a bit awkward especially when the LL is personally or emotionally attached the to property sometimes you have to let things slide a bit.

That post was at the fact all of the posters here who are confidently telling OP not to bother and that it’s fine to leave it are not going to be the ones dealing with that incredibly stressful situation, or the ones jumping to offer OP a new place to stay.

It’s NOT going to be easy, that’s the point, so any poster who’s encouraging her to put herself in that position is absolutely laughably in the wrong here.

Nobody’s saying her landlord isn’t an arsehole or picky, but the reality is OP NEEDS that roof over her head at the moment, so if he wants a tidy house for a few pictures to ensure the tenancy is renewed it would he incredibly foolish to do the “nope not happening” that many posters are commenting here.

And again nothing wrong with what you have said there or how you phrased it. There was a lot wrong with the gleeful giggles at the thought of her being evicted and it’s that I was pretty taken aback by.

And again, not “gleeful giggles” at her being evicted. Laughing emoji at the poster (and all the others) quite confidently stating don’t do it, nope, I wouldn’t, but how many of those posters are going to be made homeless with potentially 2 very young kids and a partner working away. It is laughable and absolutely ridiculous that anybody is recommending OP do anything other than tidy up for these pictures to keep the tenancy. That IS laughable, ridiculous honestly.

In the position OP is in, making it incredibly stressful and difficult if the landlord does decide not to renew, if that landlord wanted me to paint yellow circles on all the walls and colour in every other tile in the bathroom- I would! Not because I think he’s right to be picky, but because I need a stable place to live.

It doesn’t matter who or what you were laughing at: it isn’t a fucking laughing matter. Housing in this country at the moment is anything but a joke and with a baby and a toddler it certainly isn’t funny.

It isn’t funny or a matter for giggling that someone could be evicted for not putting some things away.

It isn’t the slightest bit amusing that if this happened the poster and her family would have nowhere to go because there’s so little out there.

It isn’t funny. It doesn’t matter what in this story you found particularly amusing; none of it is and only a complete dick with the maturity of a bitchy thirteen year old would think it was.

I think the cupboard door being off is the one that will have given the poor impression. I'd be unnerved by actual damage early into a new tenancy.

And to be honest, if I knew that the agent was coming to inspect, I'd have shoved all the packing stuff etc into the wardrobe or out of sight. It shouldn't be necessary, but if you're a new tenant, something that takes two minutes and avoids a bad impression, is surely worth it?

Agree with you @NancyJoan I would be concerned to see a cupboard door off as I’d wonder how that happened, they can be tricky to get back on and I’d be disappointed that the tenant hadn’t reported it so it could be fixed quickly.

also disagree that new photos are for a new listing. the previous photos are reused on quick change rentals. No need to take more.

Doesnt sound like it is relevant in this case, but sometimes you need to inform the landlord of another person living there in case that is over occupancy. My husband has a rental and his landlords insurance is set to 4 for a 3 bed. He has had families of 4 live there but is always relieved to get a couple or single as the wear and tear is less. That’s a bonus - he wouldn’t screen out anyone other than those who want 5+ living there.

tenants are normally responsible for a garden. Tools to maintain it should be left.

Personally no I would not, and I would be looking for a new home asap. Whether risking notice in a few months time or being treated like a visitor in your own home is a choice only she can make, it does not alter the fact he landlord is being unreasonable.

OP - my sympathies. My landlord lives close by and owns the building I rent a flat in (divided into two flats). He very much sees it as his own place, still.
there are typed instructions laminated and stuck on things, such as the bedroom window sill reminding me to air the rooms.
It’s mortifying. He’s also let it be known that he doesn’t care for my taste in decor. Ok hun xxx

My landlord doesn't agree with the visits, of danage occurs it'll be taken out of the deposit. Invasion of privacy I'd say

Exactly the same as I do with my tenants!

Getting close enough to see limescale after living their three months suggests they either didn't leave it in great condition for OP to move into, or they're practically using a magnifying glass to find issues.

Not necessarily, we live in a very hard water area, and if we didnt use a limescale remover for 3 months, my taps would be white, not chrome

Tell them these expetitions are breeching your right to quiet enjoyment of the home. If landlord is that particular about the property she shouldn't rent it out full stop.

Are you going to be in a position to buy your own home by the end of your contract? If not, tidy up and clean the bathroom. It’s unfair and a complete PITA but I suspect the landlord is fussy and the agent is right about your tenancy not being renewed after the year if the house is not showroom tidy.