5 yrs of wear and tear for LL

when_will_it_end

hi all

im a tennant of 5+ years
i have been having a fair few problems lately but after a few emails back and forth there being resolved, slowly but getting there

my question is mainly to LL's
would you offer to repaint after 5 years?
after how many years would you expect to have to replace some flooring?

thanks

GlynD

It depends what is in the lease. Having come across this before I suggest you check thew wording very carefully. Some landlords claim for fair wear and tear on flooring when the lease doesn't allow for it.

poppysarah

There were guidelines I read somewhere to estimate how often a LL should replace things.

I think it was 5 years a new kitchen and 7-10 years a bathroom.

I thought they sounded a bit frequent!

BitterAndTwisted

There are no hard and fast rules. If I were a landlord I would expect to have the place completely redecorated after a five-year tenancy but I would not necessarily undertake it during a tenancy just because the tenant can't be bothered to pick up a paintbrush themselves. Have you asked the landlord whether he is willing to give you permission to redecorate?

What do you mean by "replace some flooring"? Do you mean floor-coverings? if you mean carpeting I would say not necessarily after five years but that all depends on the quality.

edinburgher

Have you asked the landlord whether he is willing to give you permission to redecorate?

So you would expect your tenants to decorate your property a) for free and b) at their expense? Because it sounds a bit like that.

If I misunderstand, apologies.

BitterAndTwisted

No apology necessary. That's exactly what I meant: if the LL is reluctant to undertake any decorating perhaps they might agree for the tenant to do it and reimburse them for the materials. it's not possible to force a LL to decorate a property but it's always possible to come to some sort of compromise.

when_will_it_end

hi all

when i moved in to the property no where had been freshly painted, i did ask my dad to do the living room which the LL allowed in a nuteral colour as the previous x2 tennant had been a smoker and there was evidence of this as the gloss work and corners were stained, dad isnt as mobile any more and the house is victorian with very high ceilings, i am disabled my self and i could not afford to pay someone to do it

the carpets were noted as damaged on the inventory cig burns mainly but as the carpet is dark and furniture could be placed over them i was not so bothered but it has started to noticably wear thin as the floor boards are leaving lines and its rising a little if that makes sence

the kitchen was supposed to be started upon tommorow after 11 months and now its been put back again as someone came to look at the damp patch i reported repeatedly over the last 2 years

BitterAndTwisted

Your landlord is under no legal obligation to redecorate. Nor is he under any obligation to replace worn carpeting. You may just have to lay some rugs over it.

I most certainly would not contemplate doing anything to a kitchen until this damp issue is addressed. That would be completely pointless.

All in all it's down to discussion and possibly some compromise if necessary.

I would be wary of pushing too hard for too much if I thought I was in any danger of seeing a S21 Notice in return. Some landlords aren't very smart and don't value good, reliable tenants when they have them.

when_will_it_end

i have been looking arround for other properties to rent in my area, the LL is also aware as i have asked for a reference which is still yet to appear
although when i did ask within a week i was informed things were going to be done but its still to slow in coming for me, there are so many other issues with this house

i was expecting a S21 to be honest but she knows how much work and alot of money will need to be spent before she could re-let it and i am confident that no money would be deducted from my deposit as its mostly caused by reairs not being done or them taking to long to do and causeing futher damage to something else

i just really wanted to know if any requests i have made or am thinking about making would be deemed as unreasonable