Nightmare Landlady - advice needed

RHemmings

westernpromise wrote:

If it was inoperative when you moved in, the LL might be able to argue that you rented it as seen. If it's packed up since then, you can argue that you rented it as seen, so what worked then should be kept working.

I did rent it as seen. The house is cheap. I would rather pay a little bit more in rent and get a better service. But I keep quiet at present in case if I suggest a little more in rent for some extra service, but get a new rent/service equilibrium offered which isn't as good as what I have now. I'm letting sleeping dogs lie as it were.

moneysavinmonkey

westernpromise sounds like an ace landlady/lord (not sure what to make of your avator!)

I don't think they are many like you at my end of the rental market however... having said that my new landlady is a gem! flat is bit of a doozer but she has fixed everything we've complained about - new washing machine + windows so far!

makes me feel even more guilty for leaving my friends to fend for themselves with evil ex-landlady!

westernpromise

moneysavinmonkey wrote:

westernpromise sounds like an ace landlady/lord (not sure what to make of your avator!)

I don't think they are many like you at my end of the rental market however... having said that my new landlady is a gem! flat is bit of a doozer but she has fixed everything we've complained about - new washing machine + windows so far!

makes me feel even more guilty for leaving my friends to fend for themselves with evil ex-landlady!

Ask her if she has any other places because you know some good tenants for them!

Re my avatar, I am actually wearing that outfit today as it happens. I look lovely.

To RHemmings, if the hob hasn't actually got worse but you'd like a better one, maybe you could find out what John Lewis or wheoever will charge for a new hob. Then suggest to the landlord that he put in a new one and you'll contribute a bit - like 25%, or something you feel comfortable with.

The rationale from your side would be that the rent reflects the condition, so if the condition improves, fine, so should the rent. As it's obviously unfeasible to vary the rent upwards every time one little thing gets upgraded, do it one-off, case by case. So if it's £250 for a new hob, offer him £50 towards doing it and then when you move on he's got a flat with a recently renewed hob. If it's getting on a bit he'll have to do this soon anyway.

The other (devious) way to do it is to be in when the guy comes to do the gas safety certificate and bung him £10 to say the hob's not safe any more!

RHemmings

westernpromise wrote:

To RHemmings, if the hob hasn't actually got worse but you'd like a better one, maybe you could find out what John Lewis or wheoever will charge for a new hob. Then suggest to the landlord that he put in a new one and you'll contribute a bit - like 25%, or something you feel comfortable with.

I wouldn't mind just buying a decent quality second hand one and putting it in. They're cheap enough in second hand shops here, and have a short guarantee. But I don't know how to connect an oven, even if it was legal, which I assume it isn't. And putting the old one in the garage would be tough on my own. At the moment inaction rules until something happens to rock the boat a little. The main thing we'd like is if the grill worked. Mebbe I could buy one of those George Foreman things

The guy who did the gas safety certificate suggested we ask the landlord for a new oven, but it's that cheap rent thing. We're budgeting £1200 a year extra disposable income as we're paying less rent than we planned to. Though we originally intended to be a bit more upmarket, it's not that much of a bargain.

Apologies to moneysavinmonkey for the OT sub-thread.

moneysavinmonkey

westernpromise - think she only has the one place but definately worth checking!

Rhemmings - don't mind sharing my thread with you!!
Our washing machine in our current flat was really bad when we moved in - mouldy and smelly, we tried to clean it out, but realised it had gotten the better of us... didn't know what to do as wasn't sure if we should ask landlady for a replacement (pretty much for the reasons you gave).. we looked into buying a second hand one ourselves but didn't know how to dispose of the old one so eventually after much debate we did raise it with the landlady - she had no idea that the old one was in a state, was appauled and immediately offered to replace it.... so i would say there is no harm in at least letting your landlord aware that the hob doesn't work as it should... you never know!

we kicked ourselves for not saying something sooner!

RHemmings

moneysavinmonkey wrote:

Rhemmings - don't mind sharing my thread with you!!
Our washing machine in our current flat was really bad when we moved in - mouldy and smelly, we tried to clean it out, but realised it had gotten the better of us... didn't know what to do as wasn't sure if we should ask landlady for a replacement (pretty much for the reasons you gave).. we looked into buying a second hand one ourselves but didn't know how to dispose of the old one so eventually after much debate we did raise it with the landlady - she had no idea that the old one was in a state, was appauled and immediately offered to replace it.... so i would say there is no harm in at least letting your landlord aware that the hob doesn't work as it should... you never know!

we kicked ourselves for not saying something sooner!

The landlord is well aware of the state of our stove. I think part of the reasons for the rent being reasonable is that he would prefer an easy life and to not have to replace things all the time. But if he asked for more rent that would give me an excuse to put things on a better footing. Maybe that's why he doesn't. When we found some dodgy electricals in the garage they got fixed pretty quickly. Same when we complained about not having enough window lock keys for one per room. As for the other things, genies and bottles and all that. It's not like we plan to live here forever.

lynzpower

Hang on one minute

Any appliance if its gas Rhemmings needs to be passing the test of fit for the job and safe. If its not working can you be sure its not leaking? We were a bit unsure of one of ours once and the wyhole oven exploded in my face. Im not joking when I say, I am lucky to be alive.

Buying a 2nd hand oven may be ok for you, but if the property is let as furnished then an oven that passes all safety tests HAS to be provided.

RHemmings

lynzpower wrote:

Hang on one minute

Any appliance if its gas Rhemmings needs to be passing the test of fit for the job and safe. If its not working can you be sure its not leaking? We were a bit unsure of one of ours once and the wyhole oven exploded in my face. Im not joking when I say, I am lucky to be alive.

Buying a 2nd hand oven may be ok for you, but if the property is let as furnished then an oven that passes all safety tests HAS to be provided.

The property is let as unfurnished. Though it has various bits around. I think it may have been "furnished" at one point and is slipping into "unfurnished" as things wear out and are not replaced. But it was advertised as unfurnished, and that's what the contract says. The stove has been inspected recently by a corgi registered engineer. When it was last empty before we moved in the LL spent what must have been a wad of cash having the front garden bricked up. Which we hate and it's a real pain to keep the weeds down. I would much prefer he'd spent the money on new appliances but he was probably more interested in making sure there was somewhere to park the car.

But did I tell you that it's cheap? I don't think the current situation will last forever. Either we'll move, to another rented house or we'll buy. Or the LL will ask for a rent increase in which case I get my negotiating hat on.

lynzpower

Ah sorry I missd the bit about it being let as unfurnished, in which case its your responsbility to buy appliances in any case

I did catch the bit about it being cheap

seabiscuit_2

when we were tenants with a landlord who refused to fix things, we called the environmental health who came round with a fire officer and presented the landlord with a list of items they HAD to fix (gas appliances, electrical rewiring, fire doors and move the cooker as it was at the top of the cellar stairs so if you stepped backwards you fell down the stairs)

the landlord had to fix them but sold the house after we left as they didnt realise all their responsiblities and had thought it easy money

its one of the many reasons id never rent again if i ever have a choice (we heard many rental horror stories from a local housing advice center)