Moving into new house, can I put a fence up?

Pookielydia

The house I'm going to be renting fairly soon has a garden for the kids and a driveway with a garage but there is no fence/gate in the back garden to stop the kids from running round to the front garden and I was wondering if any landlords had tenants that wanted to put a fence up and if so did you allow it or object to it?

The reason I ask is because I'm wanting the garden to be secure for the kids for the simple reason if I need to nip into the kitchen which is a side door (the kitchen door doesn't lead into the garden) just go get them a drink or something I don't want to risk them running round to the front garden or getting out the front gate!

The type of fence i'd want to put up is just a wooden fence with a gate to make the garden more secure, it would be attached to the garage (or at the very least upto the garage) any thoughts?

The landlord said we can re-decorate if we wished, just not sure what stance they'd take if we wanted to put a fence up, also the house will be rented through an agency.

G_M

I'm afraid I'm not your landlord so I can't give you the permission you want.

Try asking...............

Pookielydia

Very true your not my landlord lol,

And I will be asking, just thought I'd also ask here to get the general concensus and wondered if any landlords have had this sort of request before and what the response was, and if your a landlord (it sounds like you are, just not my landlord) have you ever had any requests like this? And if you did would you object or not? If it were your property and your tenants that would be asking of course.

Better to ask and get a general concensus on if I'm likely to get a yes or a no than waste my time asking the landlord in the 1st place, I thought so anyway

G_M

Sorry - I disagree. Whatever concensus you might or might not get here would be meaningless without knowing a) the property b) the garden c) the existing boundary arrangement d) the landlord's personality e) his plans for the property long-term f) the legal restrictions on boundary fences that might exist on the property g) whether you've already signed the contract h) if not, whether he fears you might pull out i) whether he has other less demanding prospective tenants in mind j) ...sorry...I could go on but you get the picture.

However, the best advice I can give you is to ask, offer to pay the costs of material /labour, offer to leave it behind if he wants when you leave, offer to remove it if he prefers when you leave, offer to have it done to HIS standard/specification.

ie generally be flexible, and amenable to his preference.

Oh - and if he does agree, get the agreement in writing.

Pookielydia

Not meaning to be funny but I am a fairly blunt person (along the lines of Simon Cowell, be that good or bad) but I'm just asking a simple question such as if a tenant of yours wanted to put a fence up would you allow it? I don't want to go into the ins and outs/size/make of fence etc, although I understand it should be in keeping with the look of the house and not an eyesore so some landlord input would be needed.

Also WITH RESPECT if i'm paying the rent I disagree with having to put a fence up that the landlord prefers, as he's not the one that will live there I am, I would obviously pay for all the costs/labour/materials etc but I strongly believe if I'm living somewhere it's my choice what sort of fence gets put up, I mean we are allowed to decorate yes but we don't have the landlord choosing the wallpaper to his specification and style, we pick it and we decorate, maybe it's different for fences but I don't know? Either way it should be our choice and if the landlord did insist on choosing the type of fence etc of course I would be flexible but ultimately it should be our decision and if it's not then I simply won't put a fence up.

I'm a strong willed person and do believe if it doesn't effect the landlord (which it won't) then putting a fence up shouldn't be a big deal as long as it's done correctly and I would offer to leave it behind OR take it when I leave but if I pay for it then if the landlord chose to keep it then I would expect to be paid for it considering it would be coming out of my pocket anyway and I don't believe anything in this life should be FREE regardless of who it is but that's just the way I think and I can't see that changing, also I believe I should have the majority of control over a fence, after all it's for the safety of my kids not his.

But if he did insist on it being done his way I'd simply say if he wasn't willing to compromise on style/specification of a fence then I'd not bother, I'm no different to other people I'm reasonable just strong willed and won't be made to do something I have no control over.

Thank you for your reply anyway but I don't want a big debate on this I was simply asking a simple question and was looking for a simple answer, if that's not possible then fair enough I apologise for bothering making this thread.

Take care.

tbs624

I wouldn't have an issue with this - basically most LLs want a reliable T who is going to be sticking around and families are more likely to do so if they feel at home/their kids are safe. It would obviously make the rear of the property more secure.

If you said you wanted a brick wall building with a gate set into it then that would obviously be a different matter but so long as the fence/gate is erected in a way that causes no damage to anything else I can't see why a reasonable LL would refuse tbh.

G_M

Pookielydia;40612780
.... if i'm paying the rent I disagree with having to put a fence up that the landlord prefers,......but I strongly believe if I'm living somewhere it's my choice what sort of fence gets put up,

......it should be our choice and if the landlord did insist on choosing the type of fence etc of course I would be flexible but ultimately it should be our decision and if it's not then I simply won't put a fence up.
....... but if I pay for it then if the landlord chose to keep it then I would expect to be paid for it .....
But if he did insist on it being done his way I'd simply say if he wasn't willing to compromise on style/specification of a fence then I'd not bother,

"I'm just asking a simple question such as if a tenant of yours wanted to put a fence up would you allow it? "

Given the above, the answer would be no.

I mean we are allowed to decorate yes but we don't have the landlord choosing the wallpaper to his specification and style, we pick it and we decorate.

Again, either you would need to re-instate the original wallpaper/paint colours when you left, or agree to a wallpaper/colour acceptable to the landlord.

Pookielydia

G_M wrote: »

"I'm just asking a simple question such as if a tenant of yours wanted to put a fence up would you allow it? "

Given the above, the answer would be no.

Then I wouldn't rent from you as it's up to me what sort of fence I'd want up in my garden (it would be my garden for the entire time I pay rent) and no landlord should expect me to go along with what he wants for a fence and I wouldn't do, with respect I'd quite simply say NO.

G_M wrote: »

Again, either you would need to re-instate the original wallpaper/paint colours when you left, or agree to a wallpaper/colour acceptable to the landlord.

Which wouldn't be viable because if the wallpaper (which is what is on the walls in the house we will be renting) isn't available anymore then it's impossible to re-instate the original wallpaper, and I also (in my experience) find it very petty of a landlord to insist it has to be the original wallpaper/paint colours when you leave and I'm pretty sure a judge would agree if landlords decided to be so petty about it should it ever get that far.

Also based on the fact if we chose to re-decorate (with permission from the landlord, which has already been given) then we shouldn't be expected to re-decorate the property again when we left just so it looks as it did when we moved in, that's just pathetic in my opinion and quite frankly I seriously doubt would be enforced.

Also you say we would have to agree to a wallpaper/colour which would have to be acceptable to the landlord, I'm telling you (again with respect) NO CHANCE! If I have been given permission to decorate then it will be to my taste not the landlords, and no landlord I've ever known has turned round and said right you can decorate but you must agree with the colour/wallpaper I choose as that would be pathetic and nobody would rent off such a person!, that's like me coming into your home and telling you I want pink wallpaper with black polka dots on your walls, and I want you to have it on your walls and that's it I decide! Then going back to my house where I don't even have to live with the wallpaper I choose for you then leaving you to enjoy the pink with black polka dots wallpaper, you wouldn't put up with it and you know it.

And a landlord wouldn't say you can re-decorate then tell you when you leave it has to be the same wallpaper as when you moved in, no landlord worth his salt anyway, but I have a feeling you are extremely strict with regards to this and I'm just glad it's not you who will be my landlord.

Just to end on this note, we have been told we can re-decorate not that we can re-decorate as long as we go along with what the landlord chooses, because if that was the case we wouldn't be renting the property from him.

Soot2006

I agree that if the decoration is tasteful then the odds are a LL will be pleased with it and that's that. Have had this many times while renting.
However, what if you put up wallpaper with little pink flowers or black spots? I'd wager in that situation the LL would be likely to ask you to put right or retain deposit and have it done. And YES a judge WILL agree with the LL in this situation.

As for the fence. Again, you can do what you like within the restrictions of the deeds and boundary laws, as long as you remove it when you leave and leave property in the same state. Much better to discuss what type of fence with the LL and then not have to remove it afterwards (unless you want to). You might even find the LL would be willing to share costs. Maybe a fence is something he wanted but never got round to doing ... You never know until you discuss it!

And don't forget that you can spend a fortune decorating and putting up fences and then be asked to leave whenever your AST expires.

Gwhiz

Pookie .. just ask the LL. It's totally irrelevant what anyone on here would do.

CloudCuckooLand

Why didn't you pick a property that already had a secure garden/fence arrangement ?

There's strong-willed, then there is short-sighted...