Tenant doesn't want furniture

[Willow33]

We rent out dh's old flat. The tenants are nice people. They took the flat furnished two years and now are saying they don't want the furniture and want to buy their own stuff. However we have nowhere to store it and couldn't afford to put it in storage and don't want to get rid of it as would have to buy more if new tenants wanted furniture. I very much doubt the tenants will want to spend the money on storage. Any ideas for a way forward?

Sell the furniture and then rent it out unfurnished next time?

I'm a tenant in the same situation, our landlord refused to remove the furniture so we pay for storage ourselves. It's annoying, but tenants generally don't get to choose this sort of thing.

I think the current tenants are stuck with it - they've rented a furnished place after all. Unfurnished is more common I think and you don't have the responsibility of repairing or replacing anything nor do you have the same instant Council Tax responsibility when there is a void.

Have they specifically asked you to remove anything in particular and said why, or is it the whole lot? I lived in a rented flat which had previously been an elderly person's home and while most of the rooms were okay - modern fitted wardrobes and so on - the living room was really old-fashioned.

I you do change anything, make sure it is documented and the inventory amended.

If their tenancy said they would keep the furniture, and they signed it, then they can't change it unilaterally any more than you can. So you are perfectly within your rights to refuse. They may of course decide to leave - but they will do that at some point anyway.

if you value them, get rid of it but warn them that there will be no more. I would suggest keeping a cooker and maybe some white goods as future tenants may want those. But you don't buy furniture for tenants!!

storage is never worth it, very expensive now. Sell or donate the stuff if you do decide to get rid of it.

DH is going over to chat to them today about specifics. The thing is that whatever we sold it for wouldn't come any where the cost of new stuff. On another note, they have a list things they would like done e.g double glazing in a couple of rooms and changing the heating. I understand these things need to be done but we charge about £300 less than the average similar flat in the area. The only way we could afford to do these things is by increasing the rent significantly. We haven't been ones to just put up the rent as it gone up so much quickly in the area. Can we increase it mid contract? Probably by £100.

You're within your rights to say no, depends how keen you are to keep the tenants. You might be able to thrash something out like splitting the cost of the storage.

However with the list of extra "requirements" I would suggest they are not in as strong a bargaining position as they seem to think, and your best bet is to say no and expect them to give notice. Or do them and increase the rent by the £300. But do what suits you, not them.

No you can't increase until the contract renews. I would say they either keep all furniture or none. Do you have a local charity which would take it ? Then agree rent unfurnished.

you can't increase the rent mid-contract unless by mutual agreement. They can't demand sudden improvements unless it is repairs.

they rented the place as they saw it, so provided it is in a decent state of repair and meets all legal requirements you are not obliged to do anything. Expect them to give notice IF the contract allows.

you say 'changing the heating' - guessing it is night storage. Perfectly usable, but you do say you charge less than the local average. That would be one reason why.

think what you want, find out what they want, see if there's any common ground. But I repeat, contracts can only be changed by mutual agreement. Otherwise there's no point in a contract.

Sell the furniture and rent it out unfurnished next time.

I wonder if they will expect a decrease in the rent for going to unfurnished? Interested to hear what our DH comes back with.

We were in this situation. We got rid of (or allowed them to get rid of) things we felt didn't care about, by agreement so no charge, took some smaller things back, and let them know which needed to stay or needed to be in place at the end of the tenancy. For instance I didn't mind if they replaced the bed, but I would not pay to remove & store it, and I made it clear that I expected a bed & mattress of equivalent value to be in place fit the end of tenancy checkout, and if not they'd be charged.

Can't comment on the glazing/heating - if it needs doing I.e. unsafe then you need to suck it up, if not then they need to understand the rent is already discounted to take consideration of these things.

Rent you can increase according to the terms in the contract.

Thanks yes lots of good advice. The flat is totally safe and yes it's Economy 7 night storage. There isn't a gas supply so can't put in gch. It is a bit cold though at times. If they get portable heaters, shouldn't that be on their behest?

I rent. I only rent unfurnished as I have my own furniture, further, in general, unfurnished properties are cheaper.

I would never move into a furnished place then as the landlord to remove the furniture. I'm very about that!

I would also expect a single glazed property to be cheaper than double glazed so I wouldn't ask for double glazing as it would be inevitable that my rent would increase. I think your tenants think it's their property rather than their home - there's a difference!

You can't put rent up mid contract but can at the end of the tenancy agreement. you need to be honest with them. Say you rented the property furnished and can't afford storage and would prefer to keep the property as a furnished property. Re improvements say that you can't really afford double glazing but you are willing to do that but rent will be increased at the end of the term to reflect the marinate with those improvements

If they want their own furniture they can pay for the storage of yours, or can give notice and rent somewhere unfurnished.
If they want non-repair improvements like a different heating system and double glazing they should agree to a rent increase (or move somewhere more expensive that has these things already). You don't need to be a doormat.

Thank you. Will update as to what outcome of discussion is.

What about portable heaters - shouldn't they buy them at their own cost? They asked if we would buy them.

I wouldn't buy portable heaters because you're then liable for electrical testing etc. They rented it having seen the heating arrangements. But you could buy them if you felt it was for goodwill.

If your Dp lived there previously then he's best placed to know if it's reasonable living accommodation in winter.

You could look into energy efficiency & heating grants for the future if the property needs upgrading.

I would expect them to store the items at their own cost. If they want portable heaters they can buy them themselves.

I'd never dream of asking to you to buy the Heaters. Cheeky buggers !

When we rented out a furnished property the tenants put ours into storage at their expense and use their own furniture. I would say to them they need to do this as your future tenants may want it furnished.

I would buy them a couple of portable heaters as economy 7 heaters aren't that great and I would move out if the heating was a constant issue.

They moved into a furnished property er they having a laugh, they should of moved into unfurnished.
If heating is adequate they having a laugh, if its not doing the job then replace and put the rent up to help cover the cost.

I rented a place where the heating often broke down. Our landlord bought us three portable heaters to use when the central heating failed and we left them behind when we moved.
Tbh I wouldn't expect a landlord to buy heaters under normal circumstances. They took the property with storage heaters and tbh if they don't find them adequate they need to buy heaters themselves. If they are generally very good tenants then it might be worth buying a couple of heaters for them that are left behind when they move but that's up to you.

They rented it knowing it was furnished and knowing what kind of heating it had.

If they don't like it, they can leave, and you can rent to someone else at the (new, higher) market rate.

No way should you provide heaters. There is a heating system there - are they using it correctly or are they trying to economise and switching it off or messing with the timers so it isn't being operated correctly? That's what I would check.

The same flat I mentioned upthread had storage heaters and it was fine.

The tenants sound as though they are trying it on from what you've posted, and with people like that you need to sure where you are coming from and clear as to what you will and won't do. Please gen up and be certain of your obligations before any decisions are made.