Tenant is now letting house get dirty

bjbyorkshire

I have a house which is let through LA. I have met my tenant once and spoken to him a couple of times on the phone when he needed some work done, otherwise I have left him well alone. On Wednesday morning at 8am I got a call from my tenant on his way to work saying that all the plug sockets in the house were inactive and his new freezer which was full of meat would be at risk if we didn't get the issue fixed fairly quickly. I managed with great difficulty to get someone to come and look to see what the problem was. He came within an hour of my call which is pretty darned good for plumbers/electricians. I went to the property at 9:30am with the permission of my tenant who had gone to work. I turned out that the boiler/heating had come on at 7am, the first time the heating was put on this year, and the pump in the boiler had sprung a leak which had caused the master RCD switch to trip out each time we tried to re set it. Plumber fitted a new pump within 2 hours (I am still waiting for his bill!!) I rang my tenant at work to say all was fixed and he was most grateful for such a speedy outcome. BUT.... Big problem now. I was quite horrified at the state of the house when we went in. Most of the house was just plain untidy. Not a problem there but the kitchen was very smelly (curry smells as they are ethnic professional tenants who eat that type of food). But the grease was very evident on all the kitchen cupboard doors, the kitchen windows and door between kitchen and sitting room were covered in a greasy film. I noticed a griddle on a stand of the type you would use out in the garden was in the kitchen/diner and it is obvious that they are using that as well as the cooker for their cooking. I was so shocked as when the LA did a six month inspection with photos everything was fine but the tenant has since married and his wife has moved in with him and presumably they are cooking at home more than he did as a single bloke. I have tried to contact the LA today to see why they haven't done a second six monthly check. The house has been let to same tenant for almost 12 months. I was in blissful ignorance as to the deterioration in the place since the last check by the agents on 2nd March. I really want the LA to give the tenant his notice (2 months now) and for us to try to sell the house rather than go through all the hassle of finding new tenants. I will keep you informed of progress on this one after the LA gets back to me. I have to go to the house again on Friday afternoon for the gas safety check to be done so am not sure whether to say something to the tenant about the greasy kitchen or to leave it to the agents as I am paying a management fee every month for them to manage it for me. Any advice would be welcome as to what my best course of action should be. This is my first experience of being a landlord and it was all looking good up until this week. I feel that six monthly checks may not be quite often enough as a lot of muck can be generated in that time.
Thanks

pinkshoes

None of your business!

So long as the property is left clean when tenancy ends...

And should it not be, then was there a duel signed inventory highlighting cleanliness, and is deposit protected in one of the government schemes?

chuckley

bjbyorkshire wrote: »

Not a problem there but the kitchen was very smelly (curry smells as they are ethnic professional tenants who eat that type of food).

WOW, i'm offended and i'm not even ur tenant.

STOP THE PRESS: Ethnic people eat food in rented property.

[Deleted User]

Maybe include a line break or 3...

CWSmith

Please don't make a fuss. For all you know, you could return 24 hours later and the place will be spotless.

As you say, most of the house was just untidy, and your agent has not found any problems when they have checked it. Your tenants do have a right to cook what they want and (if necessary) make a mess when they do so! As long as they clean the kitchen at some point, as I am sure they will, it really isn't anything to stress about.

bjbyorkshire

I really didn't mean to be disrespectful re the food. It was just said as an explanation that I realise that the smell is because the tenants eat what they like but that the greasy state of the kitchen is something that may well cause me to ask the agents to issue the required notice period. I wanted to ask if I would be better to have a polite/hopefully civil talk to my tenant as I feel I have a good relationship with him up to now. I really am not happy to let them stay in the house until it is beyond cleaning. I think perhaps I am really not cut out for this renting lark.

theartfullodger

bjb: In Britain we have a tradition of using paragraphs and spacing to assist the reader - you could think about what it is like to try & read your stream of unconciousness (lit. all.)

In Britain we have a tradition and set of values based on welcoming strangers: Why, even the ruddy English were initially welcomed before they took over..

In Britain the tenant has his home, his property (yes, tenant's property not landlord's) for him to enjoy without the unnecessary meddling & prying of the landlord whom he is paying...

Just a couple of thoughts....

Cheers!

Kynthia

Unless they have damaged the property or not reported any faults which could then get worse, you have no right to comment on how tidy or clean your tenants live. You were there purely to do an emergency repair so for all you know you've seen it at its worst, and even if you haven't it's none of your concern. All that matters is how they return the property to you at the end of the tenancy compared to the inventory, less fair wear and tear.

bjbyorkshire

ok, I'm well and truly told off in all ways. I am usually a literate person and can well put a page of words together and usually do put in paragraphs. I was just so upset that it didn't register until pointed out that it was a long post to read without the aid of spacing. I'll try to do better if ever I dare to post again.

See... a new paragraph.....

I will take note of all of you who say I have to let go and realise that it is a rented property now and people do have a right to live as they like.

I truly have no problems with anyone of any nationality living in the house or I wouldn't have accepted them as tenants in the first place. I like the guy but have not met his new wife.

I do now realise however that I have a real problem letting go of this house to other people, so maybe I am not cut out to be a landlord. I will not say a word to him on Friday but I will ask the LA when they will be next doing their inspection and wait with interest to see what they report back to me.

As far as the deposit and cleaning at the end of the tenancy is concerned, yes it is written in that it must be left in the condition it was found and yes the deposit is kept in the correct way so I ought to really step back but I wondered if a friendly approach would be preferable rather than just saying to myself "renting the property is just not for me" and deciding to give them the required notice now and sell up which is what my hubby wanted to do in the first place.

Thanks for all of you for putting me in my place, you have all given me the advice I asked for so I will now let the LA do what I pay them for.

sandsni

The LA won't care whether the tenants stay or go (and you get new tenants) as they get paid either way. And they won't care what state the place is in as long as they are getting their fee from you. As other posters have said, the tenant can live whatever way they like (assuming its legal) as long as they leave the place the way they found it, minus fair wear and tear.

You need to decide whether you want to continue letting the place or not. Even if you give notice, the tenants (if they know their rights) might decide to stay put and you will have to go through the legal eviction process (which could take months).

Building_Surveyor

You could always clean it for them if its not to your standard. :-)