How Much To Reduce Rent By

[Movinghouseatlast]

We have a tenant in our flat who has asked for a new kitchen and bathroom to be fitted.

He is absolutely correct in that both are at the end of their lives! 3 years ago when he moved in they were OK, but they are beyond repair now.

How much should we reduce the rent by? He says he wants to stay while the work is done as he will be out all day at work. Is 50% about right? Thanks.

I don’t understand. You are fitting in a new kitchen and bathroom AND you want to reduce the rent? He’ll get the benefit of a brand new kitchen and bathroom. If you offer 50% off you’re making yourself a hostage to any delays etc. I would provide a microwave if there isn’t one already, maybe some money for takeaways but 50% off sounds excessive. At most, 50% off only for the days when he can’t shower/ bathe . But that’s just my take on it, I’m a landlord.

HE asked you for a new shower and kitchen and you agreed AND want to give him 50% rent? Will you be my landlord too please?

If it all gets done in a quick manner without any issues give him a couple of hundered quid and consider not increasing the rent to a level commensurate with its new condition.

Oh, OK! Landlords usually get such a hard time on here I expected to be told I was an arsehole for not giving it to him for free!

The builder says it will be 2 weeks he won't have a bathroom, so I was thinking that the reduction would be for those weeks.

I also wish my landlord would replace the kitchen. But I honestly wouldn’t expect a penny off the rent!

If anything I would agree to an increase after the work was done.

That's a long time without a bathroom - why would that be necessary? Usually they ensure that you're left with a functioning toilet/ means for washing at the end of the day!

Why are they beyond repair ? Kitchens just don't get beyond repair unless they haven't been looked after!

I would make my own agreements. Shower at a friends, wash with a kettle, set up a microwave in the living room etc.

We fitted a new kitchen and bathroom in a rental last year after a flood through the kitchen ceiling - we didn’t give a rent reduction however we let the tenants pick the kitchen and bathroom suite they wanted, plus they tiles and paint colours they wanted. We also replaced the stairs carpet with something of their choice because we knew it’d need doing in a year or so anyway and would probably be quite grotty after workmen traipsing up and down while they did the refit.

They were delighted and didn’t even mention a rent reduction, and tbh it’s not something I’d have thought of offering.

Actually I agree you should offer something, yes the kitchen and bathroom benefit them but it is also your duty as a landlord to provide a home fit for purpose, also you benefit financially in the long run and are protecting your investment by maintaining it. However.... not all landlords think like that, so it’s great you do! I’d personally pay for any take aways, offer a microwave and a reduction while there is no bathroom, but also 50% off sounds reasonable too!!

If you’re replacing the kitchen and the bathroom during a tenancy, the cost of doing this is considered maintenance and repairs for taxation purposes, and it can be offset against the rental income.

A rent rebate will generate a lot of goodwill and buy you the tenant’s patience so it’s well worth offering. It can’t be offset but it’s money well spent if it preserves your good relationship. HOWEVER don’t pay it until the work is completed. This assures the tenants you’re incentivised to get the job done as fast as possible even if things don’t go to schedule with your builders. Put everything you’re proposing in writing first so the tenants are happy and know the score. Don’t raise the rent afterwards - you’ll make life much easier for yourself if you keep the rent the same for the duration of the tenancy. Fees and voids are drains on rental income.

Sorry I should add that the rent rebate paid afterwards also avoids obstruction from the tenants which can cause delays which can increase the size of the rebate...you catch my drift.

That's a really good idea to ask them to choose what they want!

Bizarre to say a fitted kitchen will never need replacing 'unless it hasn't been looked after'. As the landlord I don't live there so can't look after a kitchen. Everything wears put eventually, especially what was a quite basic kitchen, new when we bought the flat 16 years ago.

That's a really good idea to ask them to choose what they want!

Make sure to add “within reason”

Thankfully our tenants went for neutral, tasteful fairly generic fittings and tiles - probably exactly what I’ve had selected myself for a rental property, though we did splash out on solid oak worktop because that’s the main thing they particularly wanted and the kitchen is quite small so it wasn’t to expensive (and they’ve been excellent tenants).

@russiancurry

Why are they beyond repair ? Kitchens just don't get beyond repair unless they haven't been looked after!

Kitchens wear out. Drawer fronts come off, doors come off their hinges. Nothing lasts for ever, however well they’re looked after.

@BornIn78 you put an oak worktop in your rental?

Not. A. Chance. Several of our tenants would have totally trashed a wood worktop - and we had one in our old house, so I know DH spent most weekends oiling and sanding the bloody thing.

You have very lucky tenants. Hope they don't move out!

As for OPs original question, if it needs replacing, it needs replacing, but I don't think you need to give them a rent rebate, particularly since they asked for you to do it in the first place. Personally I'd wait until they'd moved out before upgrading it, but if they've been good tenants then it makes sense to keep them happy.

I would reduce for the duration of the work but make it clear that it's a fixed reduction if the work overruns by a bit.

Wouldn’t it be easier to air B and B them during the planned works?

@Treacletoots I know, I know They’ve been in for 4 years, have really looked after the place and have totally transformed the garden. They’re the best tenants we’ve got (or have ever had). We haven’t increased the rent in 4 years either as we’d be so sorry to lose them!

It's nice to see a decent landlord @Movinghouseatlast!

If he doesn't have a working bathroom or kitchen, the flat isn't habitable so you should pay for alternative accommodation. If he doesn't want to move out, I would reduce the rent by the amount it would cost you to put him up elsewhere.

wouldn't let him choose you need something serviceable neutral and in budget.
I would leave rent alone offer a lump sum as compensation for disruption few hundred max . As he might have to do without kitchen for a few days and should imagine shower right be out of action for a day.

if there's no bathroom then it isn't habitable - don't reduce the rent but pay for an airbnb or hotel room. Work with your builder to minimise the time involved. Ideally do the kitchen at the same time.

kitchen: laminate worktops, simple shaker-style doors (less cleaning) with soft close hinges, no gadgets/silly internal fitments/boiling water taps, freestanding white goods. (this describes the kitchen in my own house!)

bathroom: white suite (of course), and if you go for wall panels rather than tiles it is a lot quicker to fit and there's no grout to go mouldy. I have those in my rental and it is all fine after about six years.

There are some hilarious landlords on here. I bet a lot of you begrudge sending plumbers when shit is coming out of the toilet.

OP a rent reduction is absolutely the right way to go. Maybe 15-20%. I know when I rented I would've been thrilled with this.

Shame on those of you who think their tenants should get down on their hands and knees and praise the lord everytime you replace or fix something. You sound like right greedy bastards. A good tenant is absolutely worth their weight, oh and whoever made that disgraceful comment about oak worktops, have a look at yourself in the mirror. So people who don't own houses are lazy dirty bastards? Or...,,are they paying your mortgage for you so you can have a second home?

@BornIn78 I feel like we're living in a parallel universe.. I was born in 78 and our current tenants also the same, they're looking after the house like their own and the garden has never looked as good.

Second not raising the rent for them either - again they've been in 4 years. we sent them a sweet box for the kids for Christmas again as well to say thank you for looking after the place.

Still think we're in a parallel universe

Oooooh. @turnthebiglightoff calm down love. you do realise that Landlords aren't all gentrified toffs who would prefer their tenants sat in a freezing cold slum, just so they can get more profit.

Or you can get off your high horse and realise that the OP doesn't have to replace the kitchen, just because her tenant demands it and I stand by my comment that a solid wood worktop is not the best purchase for a rented property because they're both fucking expensive and incredibly high maintenance. Luckily their current tenants have looked after it but not a lot would actually want to do the weekly oil and sand that these worktops actually require. Nothing to do with them being lazy dirty bastards, just that they're wildly impractical. Although if my previous tenants are anything to go by, 3 out of 5 were lazy dirty bastards and I have the photos, and subsequently their deposits to prove it.

Oh and no, the vast majority don't begrudge fixing problems at all. I spent new years eve on the phone to a plumber this year trying to sort out the boiler, that had stopped working 2 days before because my tenant only bothered to tell me at 3pm on New year's Eve. It was all sorted that evening. Because not all landlords are monsters. But you'd never believe me if I told you...