Landlord selling the house

[Bedsheets4knickers]

Il try to keep this a brief as possible . We've been in our rental for 10 years . Last year the landlord put in a new bathroom for us . She's very nice and we've seen her about 3 times over the past decade . The estate agents handle most of the goings on .
When she came to see the bathroom once it was completed I asked if she wouldn't mind if updated the 4 bedrooms . New carpets and wallpaper . She said no problem . So over the last 9 months I've sunk about £2.500 into doing up the bedrooms . We only finished them in June .
We've plastered 1 ceiling
Wallpapered all 4 rooms and put new carpets down , fitted made to measure blinds.
Estate agents phoned Monday . They are selling the property . We are Devastated truly Devastated. .
I've had a brief phone conversation with her . She said if I can provide receipts for the work we have had done she will repay the costs .
My worry is will this be the case . Once we've long moved out . Can we do anything legally to ensure we do get this money back .?

Have they actually given you notice to move out? Is it contractually correct? Is there a chance that you could rent from the new owners? What’s the notice period? Have you provided the receipts already?

Sorry for so many questions but it will be difficult for anyone to advise without more info.

No not been given notice as yet just warned it's going on the market . We are waiting for notice to be given but i think her ideal would be to have us here until it sold .
She has said she's asked the Estate agents to try to find another landlord to buy it first before it goes on the market officially .

I would ask her to please put it in writing. I don't think she would need to ask why, but if she does ask why you could say it would act partly as a reference for a future tenancy as it demonstrates to potential landlords that you take care of a property.

I've got some of the receipts . The wallpaper ones I threw away once we'd finished papering .

That's a good point , il ask for it in writing x

She sounds very fair. Provide the receipts and hopefully she'll pay up soon.

As a renter you should always remember whatever you put into the house is never yours. It's harsh but true. I think your Landlady is being very generous to refund you.

Is there any way you can purchase the house? I would imagine that would be an ideal situation for both parties, as it could be a prompt and no chain transaction.

I don’t believe there is anything you can do and it sounds like you’re LL is being pretty reasonable offering to repay as they have no obligation to do so.

Unless renting rights have changed or you happen to have something formally included about improvements to the property in your contract.

No we have no way of buying .

You're very lucky that she's agreed to refund you, she doesn't have to do that. I'm afraid it's a risk you take when you rent. It's also one reason that most renters don't spend their own money on decorating.

You can ask for it in writing but I wouldn't make too much of a fuss or be rude and demanding about it or she might change her mind.

Yes she's always been very nice and we've always been good tenants . We usually just problems within the house by ourselves . We've never really asked her anything .

Guess I'm just upset . My children have lovely new rooms that they've been proudly showing to their friends . We have done it to a very high standard. And to think someone might come in a rip it all out in a few months . It just hurts really .

She doesn't have to repay you, if she has offered I'm sure she will if you send the recipets to her, otherwise she probably wouldn't have mentioned it.

Give her the receipts as soon as possible. If she's offered to pay then why assume she won't, or is she saying she'll pay only once the house is sold?
You don't know her circumstances or why she is selling. As she's been good so far I'd assume she will continue to be.
Frankly I'm not sure why you did all that work- I'd have asked her to go halves on any improvements to the property or at least have got it in writing that you would be compensated if you were asked to move out. I have long term tenants in one house and I always pay for materials if they do anything, and for any work requiring an outside tradesman I pay for that too.

Hopefully she will sell to another landlord and you will be able to stay in the property. Good luck.

Send her copies of the receipts first. You can photo with your phone.

She’s said she will repay you the costs. You really should have discussed the costs at the time. You shouldn’t have to fork out for any repairs yourself, though. Why did the ceiling need plastering?

Your landlady is very generous to offer to refund you. She would be well within her rights to ask you to return the property to how it was when you moved in, at your own cost.

It was very silly of you to spend so much money doing up a property that doesn’t belong to you. She doesn't have to give you that money back; it’s a goodwill gesture on her part.

We did the work because it needed doing .it was nice to have control over my own tastes . The carpets were so worn down . The walls scuffed and tatty . I didn't want to ask her to pay out again after she did our bathroom. Anything that has had to be done by the landlord is always done but we just get what we are given .
It was only August that I'd asked her if it was ok to do it .

Has the house been decorated since you moved in ten years ago? Or was this the first time?

Ceiling was falling in . She would of repaired it but it's always a patch it up kind of approach . It's hard to live like this . We pay very high rent . Just wanted something that looks decent .
Yes I do feel very stupid now .

No, no Decor has been done since we've been here and it wasn't done before we moved in either .

If it needed doing, as opposed to you just wanting it done for aesthetic reasons, you should have told the landlady; that is her job. Not yours.

Yes it is their job but it wouldn't of been done the way you would do a job to your own home . If that makes sense .

i think she is being extremely generous. She would be perfectly within her rights to require you to take it all don and repaint everthing magnolia.