Renting out my home - what can I take with me?

ktez

Hi all

I'm considering renting out my home of 14 years and renting another property myself in a preferred location until the market picks up.

I was wondering, can I take my light fittings, curtain poles etc with me to the new property? Also, do I have to leave white goods, cooker etc

I am only thinking about this idea at the moment, although reading through the various posts listing all the regulations, implications etc, I'm getting cold feet already.

Any advice welcome

jemb

I have a rented house at the moment. We had the poles but no curtains, really crap lightshades so we got more. White goods weren't included. You just need to advertise as not furnished I guess? Also, specify no white goods if they're in the pics you take of the place?

ktez

Many thanks.

I have good brushed steel poles and there are no poles in the new house I am considering renting so would like to take them with me. I wonder if I could take them down and replace with ordinary poles? Although all the windows are fitted with wooden slat blinds that I would of course be leaving.

The light fittings I suppose could be replaced with the normal plastic light fittings and the bulbs put back.

I have a big double, gas oven that I would have to leave as the new house has an intergrated one. I guess I would just need to specify these things with the prospective tennant...

fi1102

My other half and I considered renting out our 1 bed flat and were actually advised by the agent to rent it out unfurnished. This surprised us as we thought that furnished would be the norm, but her advice was the less that was ours in the flat the less we were responsible if something went wrong. She went on to say that most people had their own things and would prefer to have them in their rented flat. But if we had rented it out we were planning to leave a washing machine, which would have been clearly stated in the advertisement and the Inventory list.

We didn't decide to rent in the end so I can give any further advice.

HTH

Werdnal

Unless you are happy for the tenant to put up their own poles and fittings (without knowing the quality of their workmanship I would advise against it!), then you should really leave something for them to hang curtains on. By all means take your good quality ones, but put up cheaper options to replace them.

If you are leaving any electrical appliances, then it is wise to get then annually PAT tested for the safety of the tenant.

Whatever you do leave will need to be fully listed in a throrough inventory for the tenant to sign at the start of the tenancy. This should include the condition of each item (clearly listing any existing damage etc), and also the cleanliness and standard of decor of each room, carpets etc.

As you have been checking the regulations, I am sure you are up to speed about gas safety checks, deposit protection, insurance cover, how to issue notice, HMRC tax requirements etc.

Do you have a mortgage? If so, have you asked permission to let?

BitterAndTwisted

Until "the market picks up"? That could be a decade from now. If you've been paying down the mortgage for 14 years you should have a fair bit of equity. I'd sell now rather than taking the risk of being a landlord. Could you afford the mortgage-payments and the rent if you managed to saddle yourself with deadbeat tenants you had to spend months and buckets of money getting yourself shot of?

DizzyDasher

Even on an unfurnished tenancy I would expect basic kitchen appliances (not necessarily including dishwasher or microwave, but definitely including fridge/freezer and oven) and something to cover the windows (blinds would be fine).

I would also expect to be able to see the property in the state I was going to have it. So if I went to see it with curtain poles up and then came to find they had disappeared, I would be upset. Similarly if I went to see it and it had a nice oven/cooker, and it was replaced by something old/not as good by the time I arrived I would be very unhappy. If it was made clear that these things were happening then I wouldn't rent the place (i.e. I would only rent it if I could view it in the state that I would have it).

I don't know what the legal situation would be, but I think (a) to make your potential market as large as possible you need to include the kitchen basics and some kind of window cover, and (b) you need to make sure there are no false expectations if you want to build a good relationship with your tenant, regardless of your legal obligations.

I would guess that to make it as easy as possible to rent then if you propose to make significant changes to the fixtures and fittings you may well need to move out and put it into the state in which it will be rented before you do viewings (which may well cost more than just buying new F&F and selling the old ones to whoever eventually buys your house!) But I would ask some local letting agencies for advice, given your area and price-level for the property.

tyllwyd

I would leave basic curtain poles and light fittings and shades for the new tenants - if they are taking on a six-month tenancy, you can't reasonably expect them to invest in something like that, and it is likely to cause more damage if they try to put them up and remove them again. I'd also be inclined to leave basic curtains, again to make everyone's life easier.

I'd expect something to cook on, but not necessarily fridge/dishwasher/washing machine.

sequence

Everything is negotiable! So long as the house is safe and is habitable everything else is up to you.

casper_g

tyllwyd wrote: »

I would leave basic curtain poles and light fittings and shades for the new tenants - if they are taking on a six-month tenancy, you can't reasonably expect them to invest in something like that, and it is likely to cause more damage if they try to put them up and remove them again. I'd also be inclined to leave basic curtains, again to make everyone's life easier.

I'd expect something to cook on, but not necessarily fridge/dishwasher/washing machine.

I was going to post almost exactly along these lines. Now I won't need to!

Pee

I think different potential tenants are looking for different things. I would like to see nice curtain poles up and that would make your place more desirable. I would rather you hadn't left a washing machine, as I have one, and I'm not mad keen on fridges or cookers that other people have used unless they have been professionally cleaned - so I think my advice is move out the white goods and leave the curtain poles, or replace them with nice enough cheaper ones - and ask the letting agent to let you know if any tenants are put off by no fridge and say you'd be willing to leave it.