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Landlord wants tenant to fit a kitchen?

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  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977
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    Murphybear wrote: »
    Not rubbish at all. After looking for a rental that suited us for 6 months we found what seemed to be the ideal property. We signed a 6 month AST in August and thought we’d be there for years. We were good tenants, we were in the last property for 9 years.

    We got a S 21 yesterday, after less than 4 months.
    You clearly did not read point 3 in post 18!

    If you signed a 6 month AST, then naturally you were only secure for 6 months.

    Had you signed a 3 year contract (as per point 3/post 18), you could not have been served a valid S21 after 6 months. That is exactly why I made the pont I did.
  • Tygermoth
    Tygermoth Posts: 1,413
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    edited 3 December 2017 at 3:16PM
    Many years ago we had a landlord who came to a similar agreement with us when we moved in. We fitted the new kitchen and he was so pleased. (we had lived in a previous house of his for house three years at this point - good tenants no arrears)

    He then evicted us and sold the house making a profit as we had painted through out and had the carpets replaced when our freezer leaked.

    The mainly cosmetic changes we had made gave the house a fresh look and the new modern kitchen gained him 15K over houses in the same street he was smug enough to tell us.
    Please note I have a cognitive disability - as such my wording can be a bit off, muddled, misspelt or in some cases i can miss out some words totally...
  • wiggywoo9
    wiggywoo9 Posts: 440
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    Thanks for your responses. Much appreciated.

    I want to move for several reasons-

    1) The area is very run-down and poor. Poor quality of life, kids just end up as thugs, etc. No community, no friends nearby. Very isolated on outskirts of city.
    2) Flat itself although I've done my damndest to get it looking OK is small, outdated and has a nasty roof-top balcony over the top of the stairway which is similar to a pig-sty.
    3) No garden, no memories for my son of playing outside, inviting friends over, letting dog out etc. I feel my son is suffering in this way. He would do better with a sense of community and friends around him.

    Private renting seems to be the only way. Swaps are not possible- no-one is ever going to want this place in place of an actual house. I've tried. HA won't help no matter how I plead.

    I have been saving to buy- which I was going to use a chunk of for renting. I want to move sooner rather than later though as I feel my son's childhood is slowly going.

    Regarding this house and the kitchen- the rent is £575PM. I will go and see it this week and see what they say. I was thinking I could just put in some cupboards from IKEA. I have white goods already. I'm moving with my partner so we will both chip in.
    Up and onwards to the future!

    :j
  • Mela322
    Mela322 Posts: 149
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    Murphybear wrote: »
    Not rubbish at all. After looking for a rental that suited us for 6 months we found what seemed to be the ideal property. We signed a 6 month AST in August and thought we’d be there for years. We were good tenants, we were in the last property for 9 years.

    We got a S 21 yesterday, after less than 4 months. We are good tenants, we pay the rent and bills on time, don’t play loud music, dont have noisy visitors and keep the house immaculate. The landlord doesn’t want the house back to move in or for his relatives, it will be relet through the same agents.

    So don’t tell me rubbish

    Seems odd for a landlord to want to get rid of a good tenant after just 4 months.
  • franklee
    franklee Posts: 3,867
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    G_M wrote: »
    If you signed a 6 month AST, then naturally you were only secure for 6 months.

    Had you signed a 3 year contract (as per point 3/post 18), you could not have been served a valid S21 after 6 months. That is exactly why I made the pont I did.
    True however in my experience landlords don't wish to offer more than 6 or possibly 12 months fixed terms to a new and untested tenants. That leaves a prospective tenant with difficulty distinguishing between the genuine long term landlord and the stop gap landlord when viewing properties. This is especially true when via agents who are pretty free with saying it's a long term let regardless.
  • franklee
    franklee Posts: 3,867
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    Murphybear wrote: »
    Not rubbish at all. After looking for a rental that suited us for 6 months we found what seemed to be the ideal property. We signed a 6 month AST in August and thought we’d be there for years. We were good tenants, we were in the last property for 9 years.

    We got a S 21 yesterday, after less than 4 months. We are good tenants, we pay the rent and bills on time, don’t play loud music, dont have noisy visitors and keep the house immaculate. The landlord doesn’t want the house back to move in or for his relatives, it will be relet through the same agents.
    I sympathise, it's tough when a S21 appears out of the blue like that.

    Have you talked to the landlord about it directly to check it isn't the letting agent playing games for more fees? Once the landlord has paid for any void time and the agent's fees he will be worse off than keeping you there even if he gets a small rent increase from the new tenant.

    If OTOH your rent is well below other comparable properties that may explain it?

    Can you see if it's been for sale, e.g. via zoopla's history, maybe the landlord does want to sell?
  • Silvertabby
    Silvertabby Posts: 8,970
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    If you really want this house, then buy unfitted kitchen furniture that you can take with you if/when you move.

    If you can't afford new, furniture auction houses usually have welsh dressers, larder type cupboards, etc.
  • Chrysalis
    Chrysalis Posts: 4,140
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    G_M wrote: »
    You clearly did not read point 3 in post 18!

    If you signed a 6 month AST, then naturally you were only secure for 6 months.

    Had you signed a 3 year contract (as per point 3/post 18), you could not have been served a valid S21 after 6 months. That is exactly why I made the pont I did.

    True but have you ever heard of a modern landlord giving out a 3 year tenancy?

    They probably still happen but I expect are very rare.

    I have been with my landlord for over 10 years, and he even started reducing my tenancy agreements from 12 to 10 months.

    My landlord is unusual tho, he is in the business as a proper business (biggest landlord in my city) and actually runs his own agency, so doesnt source to a third party LA as well. I feel I could be here for life as long as I keep up rent payments which for the private sector is very unusual, but of course I am always vulnerable to my landlord deciding to sell up or something else to evict me.
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977
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    franklee wrote: »
    True however in my experience landlords don't wish to offer more than 6 or possibly 12 months fixed terms to a new and untested tenants. .
    I agree.

    But equally, how many landords ask their tenants to spend money and time installing a kitchen?

    This is an unusual situation that clearly requires negotiation. So if the prospective tenant is happy with the property (other than the kitchen) the obvious thing to say is: "I'd be happy to take the property as it is, and install a kitchen, but only if I'm guaranteed a long-term tenancy. Will you grant me a 3 year contract?"

    If the landlord refuses and offers the standard 6 months, the tenant would then be mad to install the kitchen, for all the reasons given above.
  • We have just bought a cottage which was previously rented out to other people. The landlord offered them 2 months free rent if they fitted a kitchen. They put a very basic budge white kitchen, no frills. Everyone seemed to be happy with this arrangement. You can pick up really cheap, budget kitchens, just stay within the value of the rent. Key is to do your sums first before agreeing.
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