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Original poster

Do we have to buy our tenant a new dishwasher ???

28 replies

Mocheenee · 07/02/2015 13:38

Hoping for any advice on this please.
We rent a house out, don't turn profit at all (it fact we made a loss £700 on it last year) but it usually pays for itself. Anyway, we used to live in the house and when rented out initially we left the dishwasher in place and described in original tenants contract as being 'gifted' which means if it breaks down we are not obliged to replace it. Three sets of tenants later and it has finally started playing up.
We used a different letting agent to find the latest tenants, and now discover he hasn't made it clear on the last tenancy agreement that the dishwasher was 'gifted'. It is listed on the inventory as being present in the kitchen, but nothing more is mentioned. We assume this was discussed when he showed the tenants around at the viewing stage. This letting agent has now gone bump so we have no comeback with him unfortunately.
Are we obliged to buy a new dishwasher under these circumstances?
We are not in a financial position to do this unless we absolutely have to legally, and even then we will have to put it on our personal credit card as we are struggling .
Any landlords who can please advise as we don't know where we stand.

OP posts:
BuzzardBird · 07/02/2015 13:42

Problem is, if you signed off the contract then you have agreed to it being 'as part of fixtures'. I cannot see how you can get around this one.
You do not however have to put in a brand new dishwasher as it wasn't new when they moved in.
I would ask the tenants first if they are bothered about a dishwasher, some people don't like them and then I would scout around for a second hand one.

I cannot see a way around this because of the contract and the fact the agents are gone.

RainbowFlutterby · 07/02/2015 13:45

I'm a tenant, not a landlord, but I thought I'd mention my situation...

My home comes with a washing machine but it's on its last legs. I've agreed with my landlord that I will replace it myself and then when/if we leave we will then discuss the option of taking it with us or the landlord buying it off us. Obviously this is all in writing.

Might be another option.

StAndrewsDay · 07/02/2015 13:46

Well if it wasn't made clear when the tenant moved in then of course have a duty to replace it, yes. The tenant rented the house as seen, and that included a dishwasher. If you are making a loss on the house at the moment then perhaps you need to look at putting the rent up asap.

Pengyquin · 07/02/2015 13:48

I"m a tenant. I would expect it to be fixed/replaced. But I wouldn't expect a brand new one.

specialsubject · 07/02/2015 13:49

yes, afraid so. You should have checked the contract. All responsibility is with you as a landlord, however good the agent - and you had a bad one.

the world is full of cheap second-hand dishwashers as people put in the integrated ones, so start looking. Might be an idea to test it. (did this in my last rental, it worked fine)But they are only £200 new, if your finances are that tight you are incredibly vulnerable.

as a landlord you need to be able to deal with this kind of thing. If it doesn't make financial sense then you need to sell.

BTW if the agent went bust, where is the deposit?

BikeRunSki · 07/02/2015 13:50

The tenants believe that they are renting a flat with a dishwasher, as that is on their inventory. If you signed the tenancy agreement then I don't think you've got a lot of comeback I'm afraid.

BuzzardBird · 07/02/2015 13:52

The agent doesn't keep the deposit, it is held in a Government account (surprise, surprise)

Kvetch15 · 07/02/2015 13:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LIZS · 07/02/2015 13:58

Replace ,you could probably just get a cheap or ex display one though.

StAndrewsDay · 07/02/2015 14:02

You can buy reconditioned white goods from the British Heart foundation shops and they will deliver as well. They come with a six month guarantee and a dishwasher should only cost you about 75 quid.

BuzzardBird · 07/02/2015 14:02

Actually, the Government is withholding mine 'at will' at the moment and has been for 2 years! Tenants left me with thousands of pounds worth of damage and no rent paid and what are the Government doing? Holding the deposit, that's what.

StAndrewsDay · 07/02/2015 14:02

or maybe even less than that.

Thenapoleonofcrime · 07/02/2015 14:05

I also agree look in the British Heart Foundation shops or in local second hand goods stores. I have sourced three dishwashers that way (for different properties) and never paid more than £50-80 pounds and the BHF ones are tested and guaranteed for a short period so if any probs, you can return them.

Original poster
Mocheenee · 07/02/2015 14:08

Thanks for all your messages. My husband thought we would have to replace it and it seems you guys all agree ..so be it!!
We have just seen a brand new one on Currys website for £160, so DH is now texting the tenant to ask her to double check the size so we can buy the right one.
Kvetch15 - I take slight offence at being called 'half arsed' ...this was a genuine oversight, we will never shirk our responsibilities. Yes we overlooked this detail admitedly. However I honestly think you couldn't ask for a better landlord than us! In fact, when i was there earlier in the year to let in window man, as we were replacing the front door mechanism, window locks etc as I noticed several bits and bobs , general wear and tear that needed sorting and my DH then spent his weekend sorting everything for them - they hadn't asked we just did it. Our own house is in dire need of the same, but obv the rental has to come first and it does.
We are hoping that all the aggravation will be worth it in several years

OP posts:
BuzzardBird · 07/02/2015 14:11

Don't take any notice of the landlord bashing OP, we are the same as you. Our carpets are in bits whilst the tenants have lovely new ones throughout. A good tenant is worth their weight in gold but you get arseholes too.

Original poster
Mocheenee · 07/02/2015 14:14

BuzzardBird - I am sorry to hear about your bad tenants ! Presumably the government have taken their side? How on earth do you resolve something like that?

OP posts:
BuzzardBird · 07/02/2015 14:18

They are holding it as we have contested it being given back to tenants. It is bizarre, we got some of it back to pay for some of the missing rent but not the remainder. The government bond doesn't work better in this case. They broke the agreement left, right and centre. These are the type of people that go on to 'landlord bashing'

BuzzardBird · 07/02/2015 14:18

We can't afford the legal fees to fight it.

TalkinPeace · 07/02/2015 14:24

OP
no need to buy new : British Heart Foundation or Oxfam or Sue Ryder or Emmaeus all sell second hand ....

Original poster
Mocheenee · 07/02/2015 14:37

We looked on ebay for local - but they all seem to be full size - I know we need one of the slimmer ones and the nearest BHF etc would mean half a day searching, possibly not finding.
Am very grateful for the suggestions though and will remember the tips, and get ourselves a second hand one when our own old one dies (which is likely to be soon as it was here when we moved in).
DH has decided to get the tenants a new one so he has the 1yr guarantee just in case, and we are close to a electrical superstore too. However we will make sure we are hot on the next contract and make sure we don't repeat the same mistake!
Buzz - I really feel for you and hope to goodness we are never put in the same situation you are suffering at the moment. Landlords are continually painted as moneygrabbing heartless gits, when the reality if that its often the opposite. I hope you have managed to find some decent tenants now?

OP posts:
PrimalLass · 07/02/2015 14:42

Try John Lewis. The cheap one I want is the same price there as on ao.com but with a 2-yr warranty.

Ruhrpott · 07/02/2015 14:52

I got mine from coop electricals. They were the cheapest I could find.

specialsubject · 07/02/2015 15:03

my point re the deposit is that you need to make sure the agents actually did lodge it. ALSO one of the government schemes doesn't take the money, it is held in a separate account by the agent. This is the scheme my agent uses and I explicitly asked if it was ring fenced if they went bust.

more 20-20 hindsight; you have to have legal expenses insurance. And malicious damage insurance.

but everything wrong with this country is the fault of money-grabbing landlords. Angry

ChippingInGluggingOn · 07/02/2015 15:12

Check boots electrical online as well. I found them really good.

specialsubject · 07/02/2015 20:00

ps please add the sarcasm icon to my last post!!