Can tenant demand redecoration?

callmechar

I am moving out of private rented friday and I cannot wait! So sick of living in private rented, needs a lot of work here but the LL wont do it (needs new bath, new kitchen etc)

Even more shocking is that he has put it on with a few letting agents and increased the price by £100 pm.

Tamsin_Temrin

Are they after magnolia or designer wallpaper. How about give her a budget, provide the materials and let her sort out the labour?

Is it budget laminate? Fancy carpets? Lick of paint? Lick of paint seems fair enough, but one neighbour put in a new kitchen at his own expense, took it when he moved and the landlord was left with a big hole where the kitchen used to be. Watch out for portable improvements.

How much are you willing to lose on this?

jjj1980

silvercar wrote: »

Does she realise that its cheeky to ask for decorating to be done when she owes money? Maybe she is used to a council tenancy when the council will redecorate every few years.

If she really is living on benefits (which full HB seems to suggest), money must be tight, so asking her to contribute may not be an option.

Difficult one, you could be hard nose and say no, you could even say "never while there are arrears".

Can I just ask, which councils redecorate every few years?? I'm in a council rental and it took 5 months of decorating to get the place looking decent. I'm not talking palace quality, just clean. It took 3 coats of undercoat and 5 of white emulsion just to get the ceilings white! Then every room had 5 layers of paper to be stripped off before they rooms could be decorated. I was told they don't give decorating grants anymore and do not do any cosmetic work, only genuine repairs. That's why only two walls in the bathroom were replastered and half of the hallway ceiling, the rest just being patched up.

I did mine whilst on Income Support and looking after my Daughter who was under 1yr old. So I agree its difficult on benefits buts it is doable. You just have to look round for offers and compromise on colours occasionally. I bought tins of gloss at Tesco for 30p each, reduced from £8 as the lid was slightly dented.

Could just be the local council here being unhelpful though. Like today, got a Letter saying the garden needed the rubbish that they saw being thrown in by passerby clearing. Totally forgetting I have complained about this and they have refused to let me put high fencing up to stop it happening!

olly300

thebeeches wrote: »

I have a tenant who has been in situ for 5 years, firstly on 12 month tenancy (AST) and then periodic. Due to previous rent arrears the rent is paid to me direct by the local authority.

The tenant is now asking for the house to be redecorated. I am reluctant to do so because the rent is lower by about 10% than I could get from a new tenant.

Tell her the truth that she is in rent arrears, you will not be decorating the property as there is no urgent need, there is no legal reason why you should and you are charging her under market rent.

If she then moves out she will do you a favour.

You will be able to redecorate the property fully with no-one to get in your way and you can put the rent up.

Tenants have no right to ask for the landlord to redecorate. In fact I'm surprised she hasn't asked you for permission to paint the property if she has been in it so long.

bris

callmechar wrote: »

In private rented you pay enough to the LL - I think LLs should do the decorating. Why should the tenant who pays an arm and a leg to live there and cannot do anything eg even put up a shelf!

Because the tenant doesn't pay a penny to live there, we pay it for her, in fact she doesn't even pay whats shes owe, let her do her own decorating.

callmechar

bris wrote: »

Because the tenant doesn't pay a penny to live there, we pay it for her, in fact she doesn't even pay whats shes owe, let her do her own decorating.

Well she is on benefits - so this is different.

However i'm not on any benefits

Old_Git

what does the tenancy agreement say about decorating

jc808

no decorating while arrears END OF imo

dawyldthing

i think she should do her own decorating, when i private rented i had to provide my own stuff and at the end of the day just tell her to decorate it as she pleases but at her own expense

Callie22

sofaspud1234 wrote: »

I thought it was down to the tenant to redecorate. Let say you move in to a newly decorated place surely you need to keep it that way.
At the end of a tenancy you need to hand it back newly decorated.
Well I would if it was me renting it.

I don't think that a tenant would be expected to hand back a place newly decorated, regardless of the condition of the property on commencement of the tenancy. All the landlord could expect would be a property that is in the 'same' condition, less reasonable wear and tear for however long the tenant has been in place.