Some advice please.

Stormchaser_2

OK, so we rent privately, and have done since spring 2011, and we use a property agent. We have always looked after the place, and workmen that have been in to fix a couple of things, have said we are keeping it nice. Even the police, when they came in to talk to us about some robberies, thought we owned the place.

Anyway I digress. A new owner took over the property agent (which is a franchise,) in July this year, and he has decided that every property should have an inspection every 4 or 5 months (we have been here 1.5 years and have never had one.) Apparently the other franchise owner should have been doing these inspections, but never did one.

So yesterday, this woman rang and said she was from this independent company who were doing the inspections for the property agent, and she needed to come and inspect the house. So I said that is fine and she agreed to come today. I rang the property agent to confirm this and they said it was genuine.

She came today and was pleasant enough and said the house looks fine and asked if I had any concerns - which I didn't. Then after 10 minutes of chat, she pulled out a camera and said, 'right I just need to take a few pictures.' I asked why, and she just said that the property agent asks them to 'for the records,' so that they can show the landlord if need be, that they are keeping an eye on all of the properties.

Well, much to my astonishment, she took about 30 pics inside my home (it may be rented, but it is still my home,) and she took them in the bedrooms and everywhere, even the loo in the back, and the little study with our 1000 dvds and 600 cds and 100s of books and everything. Also, my OH has loads of expensive collectibles in the dining room unit and in the hall, and all that was captured on the pics too! I even had my medicines on the counter that she took pics of!

Also, my OH is on nights, and she asked if we could pop in the room to take pics of the spare room that he sleeps in when he is on nights. I had to say no as I was not going to wake him up!

Is this normal or usual? We have never rented privately before, and although I get the need for inspections, as some 'private let' people trash the place, I found it a step too far to be taking pics of peoples bedrooms. They weren't a mess, but there was stuff lying about, like clothes and washing and stuff and the bed had not been made! I felt like it was an invasion of my privacy! (I wasn't warned or notified that she was going to take pics of EVERYwhere! Or even that she was going to take any pics at all.)

I didn't say anything to her because I was kind of taken by surprise and didn't want her to think we had something to hide by refusing. (We haven't got anything to hide by the way; it just made me feel a bit uneasy that she took so many pics and especially that she took 4 or 5 in each of our bedrooms!)

Does this sound normal? Or like something that a property agent would do?

redapple1

Maybe they are going to put it on the market to sell it??

Gra76

I'd guess they are using the photos to show the current state of repair in the property. Good or bad, it doesn't matter. I'd be surprised if it was for any other reason.

When you move out and there's any disputes over who's marked some wallpaper, or who's put a huge scratch in the solid wood flooring, it'll be an easy one to solve. They'll look at the photos they took and see if the marks were there before.

Stormchaser_2

redapple1 wrote: »

Maybe they are going to put it on the market to sell it??

So do you think what happened is unusual? Or like something that private landlords do? And if they were going to try and sell it, then they would want room dimensions and also they will struggle, as we only signed a new 12 month lease in May. So I doubt it is this reason.

Stormchaser_2

Gra76 wrote: »

I'd guess they are using the photos to show the current state of repair in the property. Good or bad, it doesn't matter. I'd be surprised if it was for any other reason.

Thanks Gra, so is this kind of fairly normal for them to take lots of pics then?

Stormchaser_2

Gra76 wrote: »

When you move out and there's any disputes over who's marked some wallpaper, or who's put a huge scratch in the solid wood flooring, it'll be an easy one to solve. They'll look at the photos they took and see if the marks were there before.

Problem with that is (with us anyway,) is we have already been here 1.5 years and they never did it before today, so it's a bit late LOL! Oh well, guess the landlord is doing it all across the board.

AlexMac

I've not come across this in 15 years as a Landlord... but I hope the innocent explanation is that the new managing agents are keen to show their clients that they are busting a gut to take care of their property, and thus just doing a thorough job. I must admit that I was taken aback by how comprehensive the inventory clerk was when, for the 1st time after the TDS scheme came in, I commissioned a professional inventory, and subsequent check-out report. This was unbelievably detailed, and the exit report (on email) included photos of amazingly insignificant marks on carpets and scuffs on walls, with the constant litany that these 'be remedied at the tenant's expense'. The final inventory report even included the suggestion that three bottles of wine which my tenant had left in the fridge for me as a thanks and farewell present be 'disposed of at the tenant's expense'! Naturally I ignored these rec's and instructed a 100% refund of deposit as you expect fair wear and tear. But the system seemed loaded in the client's; ie my- the landlord's favour!

Werdnal

Back when I used an agent, they used to do 6 monthly inspections and send me photos. My flat is tiny, so 4 shots used to cover most of it! In the end, I had a long-term tenant who was elderly and got a little flustered over this, so I asked the agent to make it an annual inspection instead.

However, I think if you are long standing, loyal tenants, and the agent comes too heavy handed with 4-5 monthly visits, this is a little OTT. If they ring again in a few months and ask for another visit, you can always refuse, but beware if you get the agent/LLs back up over it, you may be given notice in return - not morally correct but it happens!

Do you know who your LL is? If you have concerns about this intrusion, you could always write direct to them expressing your concern and asking whether this is actually something they require? Agent works for the LL, so if LL is happy for less inspection, they should tell agent to butt out!

Fire_Fox

You should be getting 24 hours written notice of any visits. I'd be concerned they are trying to do a belated inventory and will attempt to use these photos against you in any deposit dispute. Maybe write to the landlord and ask them to delete all the photographs of your personal property. You have the right to quiet enjoyment so can refuse any inspections or photographs.

lowlitmemory

We've had inspections before but never photos and certainly I can understand you feeling... unsettled?... by them. Not sure if that is the right word but it does seem an excessive amount of photos, especially if it's photos of medications etc.

Stormchaser_2

Werdnal wrote: »

Back when I used an agent, they used to do 6 monthly inspections and send me photos. My flat is tiny, so 4 shots used to cover most of it! In the end, I had a long-term tenant who was elderly and got a little flustered over this, so I asked the agent to make it an annual inspection instead.

However, I think if you are long standing, loyal tenants, and the agent comes too heavy handed with 4-5 monthly visits, this is a little OTT. If they ring again in a few months and ask for another visit, you can always refuse, but beware if you get the agent/LLs back up over it, you may be given notice in return - not morally correct but it happens!

Do you know who your LL is? If you have concerns about this intrusion, you could always write direct to them expressing your concern and asking whether this is actually something they require? Agent works for the LL, so if LL is happy for less inspection, they should tell agent to butt out!

Thanks Werdnal, and thanks to the others here too. Glad to hear that it's not 'unheard of' to have pics taken. Also, I posted on a certain 'questions' website and whilst 2 people said it seemed unusual; they also all said that they have never rented privately LOL. Out of the other three answers; two of them said it was not uncommon for some agents to do this, as it helps them keep a record of what the property is like at that time. And it covers the tenant (me) as it shows that the house was kept nice. And yes, maybe it depends on the property agent.

I was also worried that if I refused or insisted that I contact the property agent first, they may think me difficult and not renew the tenancy. I have a bad credit record, (rather not go into it why,) and this property agent gave me a chance when nobody else would back in the springtime of 2011. I also want to move out of the area next spring and want this property agent (who have offices nationally,) to help me again. So I would prefer to not rile them. They are actually pretty nice to us too.

Re the comments from Firefox, I'm wouldn't have thought that they are taking pics for a belated inventory, as an inventory was done when we moved in, when we went around with the property agent.

One of my friends suggested that because they hadn't ever done an inspection, (when they are supposed to be done 4 or 5 monthly; ) the new owner has asked their representative to make sure they get a good lot of pics of the place, so the people above him (who own the chain that he has the franchise with,) can see exactly what condition the property is in. My OH reckons that someone got their butt kicked for this property not having an inspection at all; ever.

They weren't major close-up pics; just snapshots, but she took about 4 in each room: kitchen, dining room, study with all our dvds and collectibles and so on, and the lounge and hall and landing and bathroom and 3 of the 4 bedrooms. Even the back loo!

Oh BTW, she didn't take the pics of the meds specifically; they were just there on the worktop, (as I said before, I wasn't aware that she was going to take pics or I would have put everything away.)

Maybe she was just getting a good overview of how the house looks and what condition it's in, and she did say about 4 times, that we were keeping it in a lovely condition and that a landlord's life would be so much easier, if everyone was so good to their rented property! She was nice, and I don't think there is anything sinister going on, but it did freak me out a bit.

I guess if it had been done every 4 months since we moved in, it wouldn't be so strange, but for some reason we slipped through the net for 18 months. As I said, maybe someone kicked off, when it emerged that we had never had an inspection. After all, we could have utterly trashed the place by now!

I did call the property agent and just said 'that rep has been and done the inspection and took a few pics and that: just to let you know,' to see what they said, and the woman said 'oh that's smashing, thanks for that, we can strike that off as done now.' Like I said, I never rented privately before, so am still a bit green.