Landlords furniture in unfurnished property

[TheLittleMe]

So, we are moving into our new rented house on Saturday. The house is managed by the letting agency as the landlord is abroad. It is let unfurnished as stated in our tenancy contract, however, it has been pre agreed with the letting agents that we will store the one plastic tub of their stuff and one sideboard in the garage. I went in today and there is masses of stuff in the property. There is 3 sets of chests of drawers, a wooden toy box, a desk, loads of half used pots of paint, clothes hangers in bags, pots and pans. The letting agent said that when we do check in on Saturday morning that the inventory will say what is the landlords that needs to be stored there and what is the previous tenants' that has been left by them. But what if I don't want to store the landlord's tatty old furniture? I have rented the house unfurnished and have my own furniture! Where do I stand on this legally??

Have you signed a contract? God, I hated private renting. This is the third thread I've seen on here today alone with problems with private letting.

Can you ask to see the inventory before you move in?

Signed the contract but not given it in yet. I think the inventory is being done tomorrow.., but how do they do them? Do they speak to the landlord and ask what is there in the house? The landlord has lived abroad for 10 years so would they remember?

And what happens if the crappy furniture is on the inventory?? I don't want to store it under any circumstances, and considering my contract says unfurnished, would the landlord be able to insist we keep the furniture there?

I wouldn't give them a signed contract until that shit is out of there. They're taking the piss, the way most letting agent fuckers do.

Sorry, but we've been burned by this. I'm paying rent on a space, not to run a fucking storage unit.

If there is furniture there that you don't want, you can ask for it to be removed before you hand your contract in.

you need to contact the LANDLORD, not the agent who is simply trying to spend the minimum time on you.

the original inventory will have defined what was in the house. In 10 years, there will have been several sets of tenants, and if the checkout clerk was sloppy then the place will gradually accumulate clutter. If the items are not in the contract (and I doubt that they are, why would the landlord want you to store half-used tins of paint), you don't have to store them.

Sounds like most of this is clutter left by previous tenants and can all be binned. If it doesn't fit in the bin you can ask the landlord to pay to shift it - with the exception of the chests of drawers this is one car load to the dump, or a few bin fillings.

can be resolved with a couple of phone calls.

please will those with the kneejerk response about crappy landlords grow up. Some landlords are arseholes. Some tenants are arseholes. Most of both groups are reasonable people. Some agents are of very limited use.

Tell them you won't return the signed contract until it has been cleared. Once they have the contract you have no negotiating room.

Oh my we've acquired a prig.

fatnfrumpy do you know uptight you sound?

How is that snidey little dig constructive in any way?

That's pretty much the definition of a personal attack.

So undisguised unlike her personel attacks on me this morning!
Good night.
I shall sleep well as I have absolutly no doubt that I have been a perfectly good and reasonable LL!

You brought it onto another thread to have a go at her.

You might be a good landlord allegedly fatnfrumpy, but you don't sound like a very nice person.

Yes, I'm so common. Such a chav, such a basher. I'm even middle-aged, too, but don't have to private rent anymore. Still, it's like a tatt on one's forearm, my status can't be erased. It's unbelievable, that I'd advise a potential tenant not to serve as paid storage unit for someone to whom she is paying for the hire of space.

What is the world coming to, that someone who has not turned in a signed contract does not wish to pay full rent to store furniture in space for which she has paid?

Perhaps she should go into the business of self-storage?

Who knows, but this unwanted furniture is not her business nor her concern.

When you pay for a hotel room, pray tell, do you expect to find extra furniture in your room? Do you expect to find the hotelier, checking up on you, whilst you are enjoying the space for which you have paid for hire, if you are not causing undo bother?

Then why accept it from one to whom you pay for space to live?

Don't turn in the fucking contract until that LL has taken every piece of tatt shite that you don't want out of that place!

Who cares what it costs him? That is neither your problem nor your lookout.

You are paying for the hire of the place, unfurnished. Same as you do any other space: a storage unit, a hotel room, a car, even.

"common" ffs.

OP- Please please please don't hand in the signed contract until the items left behind are taken care of. The letting agent should have made sure the previous tenant cleared those items out (I'm giving the benefit of the doubt and saying they aren't the LL's).

If they are the LL's, then the property is not even close to the condition described in the contract and the contents do not match up with those on the contents list. To be honest, you could probably legally dump it all somewhere, as according to the contents listing, there is only one dresser and a plastic tub of items as inventory in that house. Legally I can't imagine them being able to claim otherwise.

However, practically, it's not up to you to have to deal with that crap. And expat is correct, you are paying good money to use that property as it is listed, free from furniture. People look for unfurnished properties for a reason. If you wanted it furnished, you'd have found a furnished one.

Breaking it down further: you are paying for something which is not at all as described. Don't turn in a signed contract until it is sorted!

How have you pre agreed, in writing or verbal?

My bet is verbal, as the furniture is being stored rather than used. And if you do let furnished, the furniture needs to adhere to fire/safety regulations (newer upholstered furniture is sold fire retardant but old isn't)

Frankly I would put it in writing that you are not responsible for it in any way - theft, damage. I wouldn't want it on my inventory as I would assume I would then be liable for its condition upon end of tenancy.

There is nothing wrong with being "common"

Much worse to be rude and taking personal axes across threads, and insulting people with personal attacks.

Op, I second what expat is saying. Dont hand the contract in, and dont agree with any inventory that has anything else but the items that you have agreed so keep there so far. This is to be your home, and you have your furniture.

The agent would have to arrange for the property to be empty, and agree for the property to be professionally cleaned in writing, before you hand your contract in. Good luck.

Not all landlords try to take advantage!

All the inventory will do (as we have discovered) is list what crap is in the house.

The inventory clark is independent and doesn't give a flying monkies if it's let furnished/unfurnished and who owns what tat. Their job is simply to describe what they see.

I'm in full agreement with everyone that says do not handover a signed contract until everything is removed.

ps...OP make sure that what you are supposed to be storing IS there before you sign stuff off. In 10 years it may have vanished, and there is no way of telling which tenant chucked it or which inventory clerk didn't notice.

if it isn't there when you move in, you need to get this noted. Otherwise if you are the last tenants, it will be down to you.

the inventory should get things right, but if it is done with just the previous tenant there, there is no defence against them saying that their rubbish belongs to the landlord if the clerk doesn't bother to check the previous inventory or to contact the landlord. The new tenants then move in and find the place full of rubbish.

Yes, big agency in the home counties, YOU. Funnily enough I did not leave wrecked furniture, bottles of mystery liquid and used cat litter in the house, despite what a tenant told you. (fortunately we got the clearance costs from his deposit)