Getting the Garden Done!

Piggles12345

Hi,

I moved into a new rented property last week.

The garden is massively overgrown and the outside storage area is full of garden rubbish.

It is obvious to me that the letting agents did not do a full check out report for the previous tenants as the inventory states that there is only a BBQ in the storage area, rather than about 7 bags of grass cuttings! The inventory also fails to detail a number of items of furniture that were left at the property.

On the inventory the part about the garden says 'overgrown, weeds in lawn'. However, it is like wild bushland out there and my lawn mower won't stand a chance of going through it!

My question is, how do I get them to come around and sort the garden out? I am handing in my inventory later today with photographs of the garden attached. I know that means that I can leave the garden in a similar state when I leave the property, but how do I get them to come round and sort it out now? I was told during the viewing of the property that the garden would be sorted before I moved in, but obviously it hasn't been.

Any words of wisdom will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Piggles12345

Anyone....

Please.....

hellokitty08

Just speak to them and say the garden is in a terrible state, can you arrange for someone to come round and clear it. State that your own lawn mower wouldnt be up to the job etc, and hopefully they should get someone in to do it.

They might even say, we have someone already booked in to do it, but forgot to tell you. (which would either mean they were a good letting agency, or they wanted to see if you would tackle before deciding to get it done)

mouche

We had the same problem when we rented our current house. Agent said the house would be cleaned (there was mould in the fridge) and garden tidied before we moved in.

On moving in day nothing had been done and the landlord claimed the agent had not said anything of the sort to him and the house was ours as seen. When we insisted, the landlord cleared the mould out in front of us (very badly...we had to do it again after he left) and mowed the lawn. The vegetable patch at the back had bindweed as tall as me - that he didn't touch and eventually we had to pay from someone to come in and clear it.

This year when he came for the annual inspection he was very rude about the mess in the veg patch (which *was* messy but a lot better than when we'd moved in!)

Tenants can't really win can they?

Piggles12345

Sorry to jump on this old thread.

I am just writing a letter to the letting agents and I am after some expert advice (from tenants with previous experience of this, or from letting agent staff, or from landlords, or just anyone in the know) on how exactly I should word it.

Basically I want to say;

- The garden is a mess.
- We were told that the garden would be sorted before we moved in but it wasn't.
- Given the guidelines for moving out state that the garden has to be mowed and weed-free, surely the old tenant has been charged for this to be done.
- If the old tenant has been charged, when is someone coming round to do the work?
- There is loads of rubbish in my external storage area, which means I can't use it.
- I am paying for the use of this storage area so I want it made useable.
- Again, the moving out guidelines state that there should be no rubbish left at the property, so the previous tentants should have been charged.

I want to put all this into a letter that sounds like I mean business! Any advice will be massively appreciated.

Thank you.

hellokitty08

Did you not speak to them about it then?

Piggles12345

hellokitty08 wrote: »

Did you not speak to them about it then?

I have called them but they just said that they will look into it and call me back. Guess what...no-one has called me back.

I have had some bad experiences with letting agents going back on their word in the past, so I want a paper trail this time. I am doing everything in writing from now on!