New tenant asks for maintenance work that is financially not viable

[Amadeaa]

My tenants moved in this week. They’ve asked me to undertake maintenance work which they believe are in my responsibility as a landlord, but these works are financially not viable. The costs would exceed the yield of a whole year’s rent with no guarantee that the problem might not reoccur within 6 months. I also don’t have this kind of money available right now. What are my options? They are at the start of a 1-year contract. I don’t think I can terminate the contract without any fault at the tenants side.
Should I offer them money if they agree to terminate the contract early?

Now what would you do if you had knowledge before your tenants moved in, that the windows needed a vax daily?

would you rent out and act surprised when they noticed the issue in the first week?

Would you fix the issue before renting?

This issue isn’t caused by the current tenants. They were there less than a week and let the ll/agency know.

If you refuse to fix damp but still expect rent you are a slum landlord and, quite frankly, a scumbag.

The issue pre dates the tenants moving in. They have been there less than a week and somehow @Amadeaa knows how much it’s going to cost. 15k of work.

I'm feeling very sorry for you. It sounds as though this damp is due to condensation from what you say and not leaking or any serious structural problem. You explained how you dealt with it when you lived there.
Over the years I have lived in a new build with a bathroom on the north corner of the house which kept growing mould, a 1950s house which the neighbours covered the air bricks so I got wet rot in the underpinning of the floor boards, and my daughter was in such a damp house in her 2nd yr in Uni her clothes had to be washed immediately she came home or kept outdoors until the washing machine was free because of the smell!

Obviously Tenants expect more now, but you might be trying too hard. I think it might be worth getting some legal advice before you go and borrow money. I was bullied by a builder into getting a loan to finish some workon my house and it nearly led me into a nervous breakdown. He actually jus left one day without saying goodbye and leaving the work not done but stealing a lot of things which I didn't find out straight away. In the end the Bank found out what he had done and just said that I could forget about the loan because he was making money by scaring women who lived on their own, especially in my case who needed alterations for my wheelchair, and who asked advice concerning house alterations or repairs.

So my message is be strong, these tenants might not be decent kind honest people like you. They agreed to take on the tenancy. They should not be holding you to ransom. They had the opportunity to look at the house. It is not as if the tank burst and flooded the bedroom. There are such things as dehumidifiers and they work very well. Most houses or buildings have damp spots where condensation collects, especially in the Northern hemisphere, even in new houses.

Be strong. Hold on to your money. Do NOT take out a loan. Make it clear that they had the chance to not take up the tenancy and the house is structurally sound. Rooms need airing and heating. If it has been empty it will be damp.

I have those cupboard built in over the top of the built-in wardrobes. Clothes or bedding stored in them get damp because unless I leave them open every so often, no air circulates. It is against the outside wall and does not get warm in there.
(apologies for typos my eyes are awful at this time of day.)
Good luck. Be strong. You can cope.

@Mentalheath, yes that is a bit odd. But the tenants insisting something specific being done is strange. Specially just a week after moving in. Maybe the tenants called someone in? The OP seems a bit clueless but I didn't read the full thread. Maybe they asked for new windows? Still 15K seems a bit too much

@Ellyess, that was my first instict. Tenants don't usually start a tenancy making demands.

You wanted to be a landlord, so be one. Damp is a real problem and will only get worse. You need to remedy it asap.

Op go and look at the property yourself and find out what the situation is and then see if you can get some local quotes to get issues fixed. Maybe look into getting a not more on the mortgage to pay for it rather than a loan. The quicker you fix it the better or the mould will get everywhere and you'll have to decorate the whole house

Thanks FootieMama, I agree. For a long time we had to live in because of my Husband's role in his job. Hence we let our house. We had quite a few different tenants and were reasonably experienced in tenancy changes and different people. We didn't use an Agent as we lived only a few miles away and the Solicitor was all we needed. In fact I had to point out the conditions of the Contract to the Solicitor once when a Tenant broke them! On showing prospective tenants round, I always pointed out the various quirks of the house such as we would not be mending the very small crack on one wall because the Surveyor said it was not a problem.

I am very suspicious about this situation.

I think these tenants saw the OP as someone they could push around, who wanted to be a good Landlady and who is inexperienced. They are sharks. They have jumped on her straight away. If it wasn't a bit of condensation, it would be a smell of gas or a draught from somewhere...

I can feel how quickly this poor OP has become upset and wants to do the right thing, saying things like, she's 'wondering if I should offer them say 3k-5k as apology and reimbursement for the trouble and 2 months rent free while they are looking for another property' and 'I will try to get a loan tomorrow.' and 'I have two quotes so far and they are around £15k.' yet she says, 'with no guarantee that the problem might not reoccur within 6 months'!

It was so easy for these sharks to panic her! She is very naive and needs help!!

I was in a vulnerable position when I needed help with my house from a builder. I fell for a shark who saw me as easy prey whom he could fleece and not even do the work. In fact he damaged my house and left me in debt. When hr kept needing another £xK over the estimate to do the job I believed him because he was a "builder'. I actually paid him over twice his estimate. But I was vulnerable, widowed, disabled, in pain and alone. He also was blackmailing me by saying he would walk out if I did not pay and leave me with no outside wall on the kitchen.

This OP is trying to please and not look like a bad landlady. But there are more bad tenants than bad landlords I promise you!! I met some years ago. You have to remain calm, firm, and not get sucked in. They do it at the beginning, and always try to get money from you. I was stuck in our house, in a remote row of houses away from anywhere in the dark, not knowing if the neighbours were in, alone with a big beefy man who kept thumping the walls, shouting that one sounded hollow. It was very frightening! But I had no choice, I had to keep composed. You simply say, politely and calmly,
'You saw the property before you signed the agreement. I know it is structurally sound and it has been passed for tenancy purposes. If you have changed your mind about renting the property, then consult your contract for the terms on vacating the property before the end of the term of the contract. [ Please deal with the Agent over any details of your tenancy, that is what they are for.] Thank you.' [ I added the part in brackets for this case here. ]

Amadeaa Please see that the Agent writes that last paragraph to your tenants and tells them you have lived in the building and the condensation just needs airing like anywhere else. Tell them to contact the Agent, not you.

You should not have to talk to them, you are paying an Agent to deal with these things. As for the 'work' at £15K, if you want you can tell the Agent to say to them you have had expert advice concerning methods of condensation management* in the property and the only suggestion is not viable as it the cost is ridiculous and the work only lasts 6 months. Do not offer them a penny. They are bullying you on purpose.

*use the term 'condensation' and 'condensation management' and never say 'damp' and make it obvious that condensation management is a normal part of life for a responsible person living in a property. Instruct your Agent to do this.

This is a con. These people are sharks. Letting a property is one of the toughest dealings you can experience at times. You don't know who will want to live there and they might be quite horrible. You need to keep cool, calm, detached, business-like and instruct your Agent.

You can do this. 😃

Trishthedish ·vickylou78 and many others

This is NOT damp. This is normal condensation that needs management.

Please reread the OP's descriptions of the 'damp' situation and what it was like when she lived there.

It is condensation. Not damp.

There is no structural problem.

It will not "go everywhere".

It needs normal,, daily 'condensation management'.

Some buildings are more prone to corners which catch condensation than others. If the place has not been heated for a while it might be coldd and condensation has caused damp patches.

The OP says she "did all the checks I needed to do like gas certificate , ECIR, fire safety etc and I used an agent to agree and manage the letting"

If there was damp from a structural cause, e.g. slipped tiles, then the Fire Service would have noticed, indeed anyone would have noticed because of the smell. Her property would no have passed the checks.

This OP has panicked, she is inexperienced and probably alone. Her tenants are taking advantage of her good nature and inexperience. If you had my experience you would know she does not need to do drastic mending at huge expense to fix a corner where the windows steam up and the wall gets wet if you do not air the house.

At most I would recommend buying a decent dehumidifier and possibly painting the offending wall with anti mould paint.

Dehumidifiers are available everywhere, I bought one on Amazon, it was brilliant, cost about £80 and had lots of safety features. I did have structurally caused damp. I had it fixed. The dehumidifier worked wonders with the residual 'wetness'.

The OP's not describing structural damp. This is normal condensation that needs management.

And the Tenants are bullying her.

@Ellyess you are quick to condemn the tenants as sharks, but the OP has already said the house was damp, and has had someone quote for 15k worth of repairs before the tenancy started, which is probably a bit more than a fan and leaving the window open will cure.
The tenants are paying thousands to live there, and do not expect to live in damp.
Sounds to the rest of us that the landlord is the shark in this case.

Trishthedish ·

vickylou78

Why is it bossy people like you just write a short command, giving orders as though you know exactly what to do. You speak down to the OP, making threatening and authoritative sounding remarks about the situation

BUT

You get it completely WRONG because you can't be bothered to read what the OP has actually told you!

Trishthedish and vickylou, Do you ever read what is written? At least read what the OP has described about the property which she has lived in and knows what the condensation is.

Of course if she asks a Tradesman to fix it they'll give her a massive bill. It's par for the course. I had a leaking roof. They said it was under two tiles - the underfelt. I had the estimate and job description, agreed to it, they came. It kept leaking. They wanted @£4K The boss said the job really needed a bigger job at £15K (their favourite out of the air figure). My friend, qualified in building matters, looked under the tiles they had 'moved' and where they 'replaced new felt' and... they had not touched it, they did nothing! They'll do anything to get higher paid job.

OP Start by making them do what you did. Normal Condensation management. If they want they can buy some dehumidifiers. There are inexpensive simple ones and better plug in ones.

C4tastrophe
Please read my reply above.
If it's this bad the OP would not have survived living there,
I had a new house with condensation like this.
The Op seems to panic.

Listen to what she says:

They are at the start of a 1-year contract. Hmmm Did they view the property? If it has a real damp problem it would smell.

I did all the checks I needed to do like gas certificate , ECIR, fire safety etc If it has a real damp problem it would not pass the checks and it would smell.and I used an agent to agree and manage the letting

just wondering if I should offer them say 3k-5k as apology and reimbursement for the trouble and 2 months rent free while they are looking for another property
she is panicking
I will try to get a loan tomorrow. I have two quotes so far and they are around £15k. with no guarantee that the problem might not reoccur within 6 months.
must be for something like new windows I suppose but the condensation will still be there. If there isn't a leak anywhere - and she would have said so if there was - then dealing with condensation is about air circulation and heating. she is panicking

Thanks everyone.

I’m unable to sleep tonight because of worries and thoughts racing through my head… Poor girl. I wish I could help her.

Ive lived in this property myself not so long ago. It’s an unusual built and there were issues with condensation water. I had to use a window vac and dry window sills in the morning. I ventilated frequently and never had any issues with damp and mould. I didn’t consider the condensation too big a problem and not a health hazard.
The estate agent never mentioned anything when they did the viewings
reading the replies I think there must be a way to fix the problem without doing the major works that were proposed to me. Yess! Don't jump onto the expensive idea without calming down and doing the common sense things. Dehumidifier for example..
....................
My thoughts in italics

Poor you - before you pay anything out I would get a report by an independent damp surveyor. I had quotes like yours which freaked me out, then paid around £300 for one instead on the advice of my builder BIL. The surveyor told me what was being suggested (injecting) would not only not fix it, would cause other problems. Turned out the problems were half the roof needing patching in places, and half not having decent ventilation. Rather than £13k plus VAT I paid a few thousand and it’s sorted.
I used Alpine Surveys (just looked it back up) and am in London - this was my own house. Hope that helps.

I don’t think the pointing it out at the start of a tenancy is a red flag at all.

I rented a place a few years a go which had renovations over the summer between tenants. (New windows, front door, whitewashing the walls, new carpets). When I got the keys and moved in, some of the internal doors were off the hinges lent up against walls, the black bin was full to the top with paint tins, the house was generally not that clean (clearly not cleaned after the painter decorators left). We took pictures of everything (to protect our future deposit), and emailed the landlord with the major issues.

I think he felt attacked and was defensive to start with. He called me (from New Zealand where he resides).Said he could easily rent it to someone else etc. I talked him down, explaining I just wanted to contact him once at the start to get everything sorted, rather than be in contact repeatedly over the coming weeks. It all got sorted.

I didn’t contact him again for 18 months when the roof starting leaking. I facilitated people coming round to give quotes, we put up with the roof being done one summer. We stayed for 4 years. Paid rent on time, and barely spoke to him. We left the property in great shape and got our full deposit. He said we were the best tenants he’d ever had. And I thanked him for not putting the rent up.

I detest landlords, but you have to play the game to make your life easier.

These guys just don’t want to live in a damp house. It’s not fucking sinister. If they said “it’ll be okay over the summer” then they have eaten into their leverage and would be able to be served with a S21 from early Autumn. They’ve done the right thing.

My friend had issues with Tennant's not opening windows and constantly using radiators to dry cloths on . There was never a damp issue when she lived there and she went and inspected and caught them with damp clothes everywhere on sll the radiators . The only place that had mould was round the radiators and windows where the condensation was . I think you need to double check what they are doing . Some people are very reluctant to have any ventilation.

How do some posters like @Ellyess appear to know exactly what the problem is when OP hasn't actually said much of anything at all in their posts and hasn't updated since Friday. OP hasn't detailed any works that the £15k covers, for all we know the whole house could be single glazed and need new windows throughout.

As for Listen to what she says, OP hasn't actually said much at all regarding the actual problem. It mainly seems like BS, who offers £2-3k as an apology and 2 months free rent instead of getting work done

Condensation can happen immediately if you use a tumble dryer or dry washing on radiators. Or if you don't ventilate the bathroom properly, either with a timed extractor or by opening a window to let the steam out.

Obviously we don't know the cause, but if there isn't an extractor this would probably help and usually isn't expensive.
It's not at all unusual to have condensation in a heated house, particularly with single glazed windows, it can simply be wiped up.

You state further down the issue is damp but then say it's not a safety issue. OMG 😱. You need to get real woman. Damp IS a safety issue! It's not ok for you to take the attitude of kicking them out as you don't want to honour your responsibilities as a landlord. Wrecking their lives and finances. Moving is very expensive. Not to mention scarcity of properties and their work locations etc and possibly school upheavals.
You make me feel very sad indeed. Sort it out! Pathetic.

Damp is unhealthy. You're putting your needs above what is right. Irresponsible.

I'd go around there and use mould spray to treat the mould. Pull away any furniture against the affected wall, and treat. Then tell them to air out the house, by opening the windows for an hour every morning. The mould situation will resolve itself.

Notice though you didn’t asnwer the questions.

Shame @Amadeaa hasnt returned to explain what the 2 quotes for 15k entail.

I don't understand these threads, who on earth can afford to have their windows open for an over winter? It would be icy cold and your heating would have to work so much harder. We don't, have lived in multiple houses and have never had mould....

We also dry washing inside when its wet outside (which is a lot of the time) and do a lot of cooking on the hob. Still never any mould.

That to me is living in a house normally???

Being told it's 'damp related' and is going to cost £15000 to put right doesn't lead me to believe that opening windows and squirting anti mould spray on walls is actually going to sort out the issues. I suppose we shall never find out what is causing the problem and this will be one of the great misteries of life.

Ha yes I said something similar earlier in the thread. Except when you’re a tenant to a landlord letting out crappy accommodation when suddenly ordinary things like cooking and showering cause a TOTALLY NEW mould problem. Not.

here’s one for all you landlords out there, try putting in decent extractor fans and having them maintained.