Landlord wants to inspect the property before renewing contract

longforthesun

is this normal.

I am happy for the landlord to come out but we have rented the house for 3 years and each year they have just renewed without an inspection.

They only inspected the house once about 3 months after we moved in and we have never seen them again (apart from the gas man who comes once a year)

As I said I am happy for them to come but wondered if I should be worried or is it actually the norm for this to be done before a tenancy is renewed and we have just been lucky before that they haven't done this.

[Deleted User]

The letting agents managing the property that I'm living in at the moment do inspections every couple of months, the previous letting agent that managed the previous property I lived in only did inspections when renewing, the letting agent before that never did any inspections.

If the landlord has said that he is going to renew the contract then it's most likely that he is just realising he needs to be more proactive in his management of the property, if he's being evasive it's plausible that he may be looking at selling the property and wishes to inspect to assess his position... either way, it's pointless guessing and you'll find out soon enough. Remember that no matter what you will have months worth of notice if you do have to move.

longforthesun

Thanks citricsquid.

Yes no point worrying as I will find out soon enough it's just I wasn't expecting them not to say yes we will send out a new contract, as they have done every year.

jessbailey

Usual reasons for inspection before renewal:

1. Landlord wants to check for maintenance issues, see if new painting or any other work needs doing (do mention anything that needs fixing/ changing).
2. Landlord wants to compare the property to others he has / on the market, to see if he can raise the rent.
3. Landlord considering a sale of property (if he visits with a smart guy in a suit, be wary!)
4. Just a routine check, given that he hasn't viewed the property in some time.

As I said.. do push for improvements / repainting etc, if you've been a good tenant.

LEJC

As a LL i'll give you my perspective on this if it were my situation...

You rent the property and move in...maybe theres a check after a few months to see that everythings going ok....then you renew your contract after a year and things carry on...

You're happy living in the house,I'm happy you've raised no major issues,

3 years down the line and assuming we've had no more contact I may be feeling that its time to check the property over...things dont maintain themselves and yes over time theres wear and tear...I might want to look at the walls with a view to perhaps repaining some...I might want to check that the carpets in some rooms dont need replacing.

I would take it as a good thing that the LL has suggested an inspection...there is always an opportunity for rolling repairs which would benefit us both.

rpc

3 years with no maintenance is a reasonably long time for a house and LL may be concerned that some things need doing. Have a look around and see if you can come up with a list of ideas?

It is possible that your LL is actually a "decent person" (we don't hear about them much on here, but they do exist) and I would be inclined to go along and use the opportunity to show any areas where there is wear and tear - carpets, furnishings, paint finish, old appliances, etc.

G_M

As for the tenancy, see:

Ending/Renewing an AST (what happens when the Fixed Term ends?)(What is a Periodic Tenancy?)(How can a LL remove a tenant?)(How can a tenant end a tenancy?)


Rent increases (how and when can rent be changed)