Landlord refuses to pay agreement repairs.

Sick_Boy

Hi everyone

We are a private tenants for the last three years and we hold a shorthold term contract.
The problem is at the very begining when we moved in we met with our landlord.We asked for some work to do in the flat (painting,replacement of radiators,repairs of floor and doors,cleaning the carpets and many more).

Our landlord was very nice so we trusted him too easily (we were a bit naive) as he agreed to do everything verbally (in contract is stated we can not do any work without his written consent).
He said whatever needs to be done we can do it as he trusts us and he requested all invoices after all work is done.

Unfortunately we do not have a written consent with him about all work we done and we paid from our pockets.
We spent £2000 within a year and we sent him invoices for all parts and labour.
He replied that this is too much and he is ready to give us only 30% of the amount we have had spent.

CAB said that I should negotiate with my landlord,.
We tried to contact him and he promised to get back to us but he has not done it so far.

We got stuck as first of all we would love to stay in the flat we do not want to move as we have a little baby and we are out of pocket.
I would really apreciate it if you could advise me what we could do to resolve the problem in the best way.

Fire_Fox

Sorry to say I don't think there is anything you can do if you don't have anything agreed in writing. Normally the landlord should organise and pay any essential repairs, the tenant might organise and pay for anything that is merely decorative and they asked for.

danielanthony

Just undo everything before you leave, in line with what was in the inventory

Mr_Pitiful

Accept the 30% and don't rely on the good nature of someone you don't know. Don't move into a property that needs work doing, having a monthly income will give a landlord very little incentive to put things right, especially if they're not part of their repairing obligations, such as decorating and cleaning.

G_M

I'm afraid others are right - all you can do is negotiate, and hope to increase the 30%.

Has the LL actually been round and seen what you have done? Invite him for tea!

Perhaps if you point out how much you've improved the property, and increased its value, he will become more generous.

Unfortunately, without written agreements, he does not have to.

Turnbull2000

Sigh. Yet another tenant on MSE who naively improved their landlord's property.

With more and more families set to rent, landlords up and down the country must be rubbing their hands at the prospect of not only seeing tenants pay the mortgage, but also eager to decorate and improve a property - with the inevitable rent hike or eviction that soon follows.

tbs624

G_M wrote: »

Has the LL actually been round and seen what you have done? Invite him for tea!

Perhaps if you point out how much you've improved the property, and increased its value, he will become more generous.

Or, more likely, depending on the standard of the work, the LL will decide that the property is now worth an increased rent either from the OP or from new Ts

OP - as other posters have said, without any written agreement as to a figure that would be reimbursed by the LL after you had sorted the work out you are unlikely to get back anywhere near what you have paid out.

Bear in mind too that, in the absence of written consent for any alterations, the LL could if he was so minded ask you to return the property to the original condition: people do not always agree on what can be classed as an improvement.

If the LL won't budge on his offer of 30% of what you say you have paid out then you perhaps have to look at it as 1400 over 3 plus years to have the property how you wanted it,ie less than a tenner per week. If the rent was on the low side for the location perhaps your "loss" will seem more bearable that way.

You will no doubt be less trusting of "very nice" LLs in the future and choose not to improve their asset at your own expense on the basis of some chat designed to get you signed up and moved in.