Stubborn landlady - advice please

catewithers

I'll try and keep this as short as possible!

We moved into a new house - rented - just over a month ago. When we viewed the house, which was marketed at unfurnished, there was an old dining table and one dining chair in the living room. We asked the letting agent about this and she replied that she didn't know why they were there and that she would arrange for them to be removed.

On the day we moved in, the items were still in the house and we raised this with the inventory clerk who said he would mention it to the management company (MC).

Over the next couple of weeks, we were in regular contact with the MC as there were a few teething problems most likely due to the house having been empty for a period of time e.g. boiler not working properly, back gate broken. These have all been sorted out without too much hassle and I have to say that the MC have been great. During this regular contact, I mentioned the table and chair to them often. The problem seemed to be that contact between the MC and the LL is by email. When replying to the MC's email, the LL would answer, say, 2 of the queries but simply ignore the others.

I spoke to the MC at the beginning of this week to ask them what was happening on this front. They told me that they still haven't been able to get a reply from the LL and that they would email her again, asking for a response by the end of the day. They cc'd me in on an email that was sent by the manager of the MC outlining that the property had been marketed as unfurnished and so these items have to be removed, reminding her that we are happy to dispose of them ourselves or that the MC can arrange for them to be disposed of.

The LL replied that they'd bought the items for a previous tenant, were reluctant to get rid of them but have nowhere to store them!!! So basically "we don't want to get rid of them but haven't got anywhere to put them so we'll store them in the house you're renting!" Since that reply, she hasn't responded further.

So, we're left with a dining room that we can't use properly because there are 2 tables in there (one ours) and no obvious solution on the horizon.

What do you think we should do?

BargainHunterCat

Complain, complain & keep complaining! Lettings agents are very naughty with things like this and they wont do anything until you make their lives hell.
They promised the table would be removed so they are now responsible for having it removed. If the landlord doesn't want to, he & the letting agent shold have been clear on that point in the first place & 7 they should never have promised to have it removed. It sounds to me like another lie they spun in their sales spiel.
I'm an inventory clerk myself and I get sick and tired of those lying scoundrels and they wont want to do anything about it because they've already taken your money. See if you can get the landlord on your side & gang up on the agent together.
You can threaten to move & LL can threaten to take business elsewhere.
Kick their butts into action - you are in the right here and those lazy agents should do something for their money for a change!

craig777

Not your problem really, if the LL hasn't go no room elsewhere for them, that's her problem.

I would notify the MC and/or LL that you will be putting the items outside the house at a certain time/date for them to collect. If no one turns up to collect them, then put them on the pavement with a ''free to a good home'' sign attached... they'll soon disappear.

Not sure of the legal implications of this though!

catewithers

I think you've misunderstood my post - I have seen the most recent email correspondance between the LL and the MC - it is the LL who is being obstructive NOT the MC. The MC have been entirely professional and helpful in all our dealings with them.

I should perhaps also add that we are very very happy in this house and we want to stay there for a long time so are reluctant to do anything that might upset the LL and jeopardise our future in the house. We have credit problems and 2 dogs so it was extremely difficult to find somewhere to rent and we don't want to have to go through that again. We also had to pay 6 months up front - which we were more than willing to do.

However, the rent we are paying in quite considerable and I feel quite strongly that we should be able to use the house to it's fullness, including being able to sit down for dinner in the dining room!!!

lazy_girl

Can you get together with the MC and write a formal letter to the LL?

We had a similar problem moving into a flat advertised as unfurnished - there was a sofa, armchair, cabinet and a single bed left from the previous tenant!

We could use the cabinet, but it took 4 weeks before the agency arranged removal of the sofa and armchair and we had to get rid of the bed ourselves - put it on freecycle and it was gone within 24 hours!

Not what you want in a new place, at all.

If you letter doesn't get a satisfactory reply I would suggest as above and tell the LL that you'll be removing/selling/giving her stuff away.

craig777

catewithers wrote: »

However, the rent we are paying in quite considerable and I feel quite strongly that we should be able to use the house to it's fullness, including being able to sit down for dinner in the dining room!!!

Exactly.

Do you know the address of the LL? If so, I'd even consider delivering the table and chair to her house in person. If you leave it on her doorstep she'd soon find somewhere to put it. Let her have two tables in her dining room.

As long as you're polite and don't get aggressive towards anyone, I don't reckon you'll have any problems.

thesaint

I would write the letting agent stating that you have been patient in waiting for the removal of the table, and you will give them 14 days to arrange for it's removal otherwise it will be put in the back garden(covered against the elements).

catewithers

Unfortunately, the address we've been given for the LL is in London so I don't think delivering it to her is an option!

Will contact the MC again today and see if we can send a letter saying that if the items haven't been removed by a certain date, we'll dispose of them. How long do you think I should give them?

ajaxgeezer

14 days sounds more than reasonable, 7 days if you want to see action rather than continue to wonder.

craig777

catewithers wrote: »

send a letter saying that if the items haven't been removed by a certain date, we'll dispose of them. How long do you think I should give them?

Yep, put it in writing, give them 14 days from the date of the letter. You can't be any more reasonable than that.

Hope you get the required outcome!

silvercar

catewithers wrote: »

I should perhaps also add that we are very very happy in this house and we want to stay there for a long time so are reluctant to do anything that might upset the LL and jeopardise our future in the house. We have credit problems and 2 dogs so it was extremely difficult to find somewhere to rent and we don't want to have to go through that again.

They have sorted out the boiler and the back gate and just this table removal problem remains. In your position I would be reluctant to aggrevate the landlord.

Can't you remove the table legs and store it somewhere? could you find a storage place for your table and use this one ( or is it ugly?)?