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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Landord being difficult about sofas!

21 replies

honeysmummy1 · 26/05/2013 20:29

I have lived in my private let for three years now. DD was just a baby when we moved in and most of the house was furnished, which included the cream fabric sofas. As you can imagine it wasn't easy to keep clean with a toddler running about the house. One day she got a chair and climbed up to get her paint while I was hanging washing out and she got it all over the couch and couch pillows! There are dirty marks from fingerprints, spillages and water marks! Its ridiculous. I use throws to cover the whole thing up.
I have saw a brown leather sofa in mint condition selling for cheap, I went to view it and there is not a thing wrong with it, its like brand new. When I asked my landlord if I could buy the sofas and I would leave them behind if I were to move she wasn't keen! She said the sofas were new when they got them three years ago. Honestly they are so old fashioned looking, I'm sick of living with them. They have covers that are pure white to go over them, which I took off to avoid DD getting them all marked, even though they are washable i'm worried about stains.
My landlord said well can't you just put the washable covers back on.

Am I wrong to be annoyed, seeing as I'm paying my rent and its never been late in all of the three years. This is a far better quality, good real leather couch I would be replacing. It is damaged and my job as a tenant is to replace it! Thats what I would be doing and it would be a damn site easier to clean.
She just said to put the washable covers on and she will see about getting it professionally cleaned. I DON'T WANT THE BLOODY COUCHES, THEY ARE BEYOND HELP!
She then went on to say she mite sell them. God knows how she will sell those things. I have five days to buy the sofas I want and my landlord hasn't came to a decision yet.
I have no storage to put the landlords couches in, otherwise I would just my the new sofas and put those hideous things away in storage :(

OP posts:

nooka · 26/05/2013 20:44

Are you effectively asking your landlord to take away the sofas that she provided? If so I can see why she is not keen to be honest, as it means that she will have to sell or store them. If they were new when the house was let then I can see why she would not be expecting them to be wrecked (you said they are now unsellable because of your daughter's damage). I agree that providing cream sofas to a rental property is not a good idea (we were told to remove everything when we let to avoid this sort of problem) but they were there when you moved in so you can't really object now.

Original poster

honeysmummy1 · 26/05/2013 21:05

We were going to dispose of them ourselves and replace them with the new leather sofas. The paint has ruined them, and the couch always left water marks even with damp cloths. The couches aren't the nicest and I would have thought after three years I would be aloud to change things. I just don't see the big deal if they are being replaced, its not like she will be left with nothing if we ever leave. The brown leather is far easier to keep than cream, and worth more money than the ones that are here already.
I doubt that she bought the couches brand new anyway as they look like they are from another century with thrilly white covers. I am a good tenant and they have never had a problem with me so I was hoping they would oblige me and they would be getting a better sofa out of it.
It says in the contract that damaged items should be replaced or money taken out the deposit to replace it. I don't see why I am not allowed to replace something that has been damaged, by pure accident.

OP posts:

Trills · 26/05/2013 21:08

We were going to dispose of them ourselves and replace them with the new leather sofas.

So you want to get rid of furniture that your landlord has provided and replace it with something else that they have not chosen and may not be to their taste?

They are perfectly reasonable to say no to that.

Damnautocorrect · 26/05/2013 21:15

Store the cream sofas buy your brown ones. Put cream back when you move.

Original poster

honeysmummy1 · 26/05/2013 21:27

She is more likely to sell the ones we want than the ones we have now, they are worth more money. It just seems like a logical solution to me. I feel rotten that the couches have been damaged by marks and paint, but you have to have eyes on the back of your head with DD. The paint was high up out of reach, until she got the chair to get it. I have tried to wipe it, steam clean it you name it but it just has water marks all over it! As soon as you spill something, even water it goes right through on to the couch, even with the covers on it and leaves a huge mark.
It has been nothing but stress and I want to live in a nice home. I could relax a little more and be able to take more care of the new sofa as I could just wipe it if something got spilled.
It is damaged, I want to replace it with a more expensive, modern sofa. So what now, I'm stuck with it until I move?

OP posts:

specialsubject · 26/05/2013 21:31

you signed the lease to include the sofas.

store them at your expense and bring in yours, or put up with them, or buy some covers in a colour you like and put those on them. Or move.

BTW paying your rent is what people who aren't thieves do. Of course you pay the rent.

emsyj · 26/05/2013 21:32

As a landlord myself, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to replace the sofas - I'm never going to live in my rental house again and I won't be parking my arse on the sofas so who cares, as long as they are of sufficient quality that a future tenant will be happy with them?

But she's not obliged to accept your offer - sadly. Sounds like she might be a bit dim frankly, you're offering to replace her tatty old stained sofas with nicer ones and she doesn't want you to?? Maybe she doesn't understand what you're saying. Explain to her again?

Original poster

honeysmummy1 · 26/05/2013 21:38

I'm not saying she should let me have the sofas because I pay the rent. I am saying I have been a loyal tenant who pays on time, house is always clean (apart from the sofas) and I take care of the property.
I also signed the lease to say I would replace damaged items, effectively thats what I would be doing. You cannot buy covers to go on the couch, they cost more than what the sofa is worth, actually.

OP posts:

Showtime · 26/05/2013 22:47

Landlord/lady would have to trust you to leave your furniture when you leave the flat, there's no guarantee for her if she agrees to your idea. Also, it seems that the new furniture she put in the flat is no longer good enough to leave for the next tenant, so it's understandable that she's not happy, and I think you may have to make some financial recompense at some time.

Theselittlelightsofmine · 26/05/2013 22:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Trills · 27/05/2013 17:03

I am saying I have been a loyal tenant who pays on time, house is always clean (apart from the sofas) and I take care of the property.

That's called "doing what you are supposed to do". You don't get extra privileges for that. To quote Chris Rock (this is on a different subject but it's the same attitude being expressed)

She wants you to keep the sofas that she provided. It is her choice. Even if you think they are horrible. The house that I rent has a lot of stuff in it that I don't like, but if it's on the inventory then it has to still be there when I leave, and I don't get to swap it for something else just because I don't like it.

SconeInSixtySeconds · 27/05/2013 17:08

I am a landlord and wouldn't be overly stressed about changing the sofas - esp. if you were going to get rid of the other one. Could you send her a picture of each and show her how much nicer the new one would be?

SconeInSixtySeconds · 27/05/2013 17:13

Oh and while I understand what Trills and others are saying about 'that is what is expected' it definitely isn't always the case that tenants do those things. (wankstained pillowcases wedged under sofas anyone?)

I think if you word it carefully - that you love the house, that you want to stay there in the longer term, that you want to keep it as lovely as it was when you rented it, etc etc, and show the lovely potential sofa that you might change her mind.

Graciescotland · 27/05/2013 17:13

Most inventories are fairly generic to be fair; I once replaced a bed it didn't even occur to me ask my landlord.

Trills · 27/05/2013 17:15

Some landlords would be fine with it (like Scone).

Some would want the sofa that they provided to still be there at the end of the tenancy. Not another sofa, the same sofa.

But it is their choice. Not your choice.

Mintyy · 27/05/2013 17:18

But some people really hate brown leather sofas! Maybe your LL is one of those.

PinkPepper · 27/05/2013 17:28

I don't understand you took washable covers off? So the sofas could have been saved if you'd just left the covers on and washed them. But now the sofa is ruined.

emsyj · 27/05/2013 17:31

I personally don't like the 'feature wall wallpaper' look Mintyy - but I haven't objected to two of my tenants decorating my rental house in this style. It's their home, not mine - and it doesn't devalue the property, so happy days for me, it saves DH spending the day there with the magnolia and roller.

I could understand the landlord not wanting her sofas to be replaced with either furniture that is of a lower quality than her own or something that is of a very specific style that may put future tenants off, but brown leather sofas are pretty generic, aren't they? I can see that some people might not choose that style, but they're not terribly offensive or awful IMO. I think what you're proposing is perfectly reasonable OP, but as others have said the landlord doesn't have to agree with you sadly.

LIZS · 27/05/2013 17:37

It is damaged and my job as a tenant is to replace it! No it isn't , that is the ll's choice whether they stay or not and cost of replacement could be deducted from your deposit. I don't understand why you didn't use throws or get them cleaned (the carpet cleaners you can hire from dry cleaners work well) when the damage occurred. If you want the others you should pay to have the originals removed, cleaned and stored then move them with you.

Mintyy · 27/05/2013 17:42

I couldn't rent a house with leather sofas. I very nearly vetoed a holiday apartment due to leather sofas, but dh put his foot down (we have been searching for a very long time).

Bvlgari · 27/05/2013 17:52

Whichever way you look at it, you have ruined her couches

She bought a couch with washable covers, you're giving her a leather couch which is not washable and for tenants isn't ideal.

I have an amazingly messy 5 year old and a clean couch, it is possible

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