How to make the most of my house...

[CabbagesAndKings]

I live in a pretty terrace house, which I love. I have no wish to move, we're very happy here.

The LL, however, is a bit difficult. After initially promising to remove some furniture from the house, he has refused, saying he has nowhere to store it

The furniture in question is really pointless and clearly has been dumped in the house after LL cleared out deceased mother's house. For example, a rather ugly,dark, huge sideboard, which has no real purpose, and now sits in the living room with some ornaments and books on top of it, because it doesn't fit anywhere else. It takes up half the wall.

There is other stuff too, random chairs that we don't want or need and that we've had to stash in the (overflowing) attic, just to get a few of our own things in.

Other things- the sofa is the most disgusting pattern, but we've bought a sofa cover to hide it. Likewise the carpet is mud brown, but we have a lovely rug coming our way soon. We have limited storage space- I would like one of those TV unit/cupboard combinations, instead of the fiver charity shop job we have now.

We don't have much money. How can we maximize storage/make the house pretty/ make it as light inside as possible?

The other thing is, I think I do quite well in regards to keeping on top of the cleaning, but it always look a bit dark and grubby even after a good scrub!

Can you negotiate a longterm contract with the ll, say five years? That way he might not be so nervous about getting rid of the furniture. You could also ask to paint the house - he might even spring for the cost of the paint as you're doing the work.

first, have a look at your tenancy agreement. Unless it says that the items concerned are to be left in the house, they shouldn't be there.

(I rented out a property with some furniture in it - but the tenants knew that before they signed up, and it was included in the tenancy)

the landlord needs to face up to the fact that the furniture of the previous generation is almost worthless. Various charities will take it away for free if that is his concern.

Thanks Tulip and SS.The LL knows we aren't planning to move any time soon, but the estate agent he goes through won't allow a 5 year lease, apparently.

We are pretty much allowed carte blanche with the house, within reason- we've repainted everywhere at our own expense, are allowed to put things on the walls etc.

We did offer to charity shop/get rid of the furniture ourselves, but it was all getting very complicated, with the LL demanding pictures of the sofa we would replace the current one with, and wanting to keep it when we move.

Everything is OK with the lease apart from the furniture issue. We have never seen/signed an inventory.

Yikes you din't do an inventory ? So how are you going to prove what was/wasn't in the house when you do eventually move out.
I can see his point with the sofa, if you are going to get rid of his and take the replacement one with you when you move you are forcing the cost of a new one on him and he's within his rights not to be happy with that.
I probably sound very unhelpful , but I completely know how you feel. We are in a similar position, renting a small 3 bed bungalow with a ton of too large and unneccesary furniture 3 piece suite, 13 (yes 13 !) chairs/armchairs and 3 coffee tables -all of which have to stay . With a 5 year old and all her bits we are squished to say the least !

Is the old sofa flame retardant? I'm fairly sure if you're renting all furniture (mattress/sofa etc) has to be. Might be a way to force him to replace if its not. :)

Taken from: www.primelocation.com/guides/letting/guide-to-being-a-landlord/

Furniture and furnishings

Regulations about fire-resistant furniture are strict for rental accommodation and you must ensure all relevant items meet the guidelines set under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Amendment Regulations 1993. As a general guide, furniture made before 1988 is unlikely to meet the standards and should be replaced before letting your property. Any items that contain upholstery and could be used inside the property, should be checked, including:

Beds, headboards, mattresses, futons and sofa beds
Children's or nursery furniture
Garden furniture that might be used within the property
Cushions, pillows, etc.

Items that are exempt from this legislation include:

Sleeping bags, duvets, pillow cases and blankets
Carpets and curtains
Furniture made before 1950.

To check items for the fire safety standards, look for a permanent label stating the regulation it conforms to. Bed bases and mattresses are not required to have this label attached, but they should have a label stating compliance with 'ignitability tests'. Look for the compliance code BS 7177 on these items for confirmation.

If you're in any doubt that a bed or sofa, for example, may not meet the required standard, replace them. There are substantial fines and even prison sentences imposed for non-compliance should an accident occur.

Hope this helps. :)