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Original poster

Landlord replacing expensive TV with cheap one

33 replies

proensat · 04/10/2021 07:46

Hello, bit of a first world problem really.
We rent a (very) expensive, fully furnished apartment in a city. It comes with everything, eg coffee machine, speaker system. Which is why it is about £400 a month more than other places.

The sitting room has a top of the range television, think £1,000+ when new but is a good few years old now. When we moved in, it was broken. The estate agents tried getting out of fixing it/replacing it, but gave in. They have purchased a new one for the flat, but it is a low quality one. Think cheapest chinese make they could get their hands on.

Is it not fair to expect that if something breaks in the flat, that it is fitted with something of similar quality? It really does look cheap and nasty (chunky and out of style with the ultra modern decor)

OP posts:
maofteens · 04/10/2021 12:32

I rent out an upmarket flat and I told the tenants the TV had a slight line across it. They asked if they could replace it with their own. I did paint out the wallpaper they didn't like and replace the blind to match, but a TV isn't normally provided.

maofteens · 04/10/2021 12:52

@OchreBlue I've never heard of that - it is the landlord's responsibility to fix or replace goods that come with the flat! Just don't think they need to replace it with the exact same quality. But if the op's inventory states: Samsung 55" TV, then I expect them to replace it with similar. If it just says: TV, not in working order, then up to the tenant to pay for one unless they were explicitly told it would be replaced with one.

londonagent · 04/10/2021 13:25

I used to handle high end rentals like this and this your LL is being cheap and cheeky. If there's nothing in the lease about replacing like for like I would make it clear you're not happy and question what happens if you break anything as you had assumed you'd replaced like for like but that is clearly not the case anymore. Might make them rethink otherwise not sure what else you can do other than upgrade yourself.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/10/2021 13:28

It's all in the contract.

Whinginadeville · 04/10/2021 13:28

Tell your mum to buy a better one?

eightlivesdown · 04/10/2021 14:03

I'd be annoyed to pay a rent premium for a luxury standard and the landlord started cheap-skating. If they refuse to replace like for like, unless the lease requires a particular model, there's not much you can do other than raise it again when it's time to renew the lease.

FinallyHere · 04/10/2021 14:26

It would be helpful to explain the actual differences. Screen size/resolution, number of USB or HDMI sockets?

Technology moves very quickly these days, a luxury spec. from two years ago is very likely to be pretty standard two years later.

If it just the brand, then YABU. Significant difference in size/resolution or no HDMI socket, then probably NBU

urbanbuddha · 05/10/2021 16:50

I used to handle high end rentals like this and this your LL is being cheap and cheeky. If there's nothing in the lease about replacing like for like I would make it clear you're not happy and question what happens if you break anything as you had assumed you'd replaced like for like but that is clearly not the case anymore. Might make them rethink otherwise not sure what else you can do other than upgrade yourself.

^This.
If you're paying £400 over the average rent for the building and the TV was there when you viewed then I think you're right to question this.

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