Tenant complaining about garden

RuthL

Have never posted in this section before but I just wanted to know what people think about this issue.

Our latest tenants moved into the house in June this year and although we didn't want pets we agreed to them having their dogs there as they are outside ones.

Got a phone call a couple of days ago to say that the back garden is flooded and of course I panicked thinking a pipe had burst or the oil tank had leaked! But no, after 3 days of solid rain in Northern Ireland there were puddles in their garden and they wanted me to fix it! She now wants us to dig up the whole back garden and lay down drainage pipes to stop it being soggy. The problem is that they want to build dog pens and say that the ground is too wet and the dogs are getting dirty. :huh:

The rental agreement says that we are to maintain the house etc which we do but does not cover the garden.

I think that they are being a bit ridiculous after the amount of rain we have had, no other tenant has ever had an issue nor ourselves when we lived there. What would you do if a tenant came to you with this problem?

Thanks

RAS

How long is the fixed term of the tenancy (assuming NI law is similar to England and Wales)?

You allowed dogs but have you agreed to dog pens?

RuthL

The agreement is set to be reviewed yearly.
Yes I agreed to the dogs and a pen but by the sound of what they want to build it is going to be a huge run. I'm not annoyed too much about the pen but now they are complaining that they can't build it with a wet garden. I thought I was being pretty nice by letting them have it in the first place lol

Okydoky25

I would be politely be telling them where to go in regards to the garden and the house and I am a private tenant myself not a landlord.

RAS

RuthL wrote: »

The agreement is set to be reviewed yearly.
Yes I agreed to the dogs and a pen but by the sound of what they want to build it is going to be a huge run. I'm not annoyed too much about the pen but now they are complaining that they can't build it with a wet garden. I thought I was being pretty nice by letting them have it in the first place lol

In which case I suggest that you serve the relevant notice NOW to terminate the tenancy at the end of the fixed term.

That will allow them to decide whether they want to expend that time and effort making the run and taking it down and making good at the end of the tenancy.

You have got a proper inventory and pictures of the garden prior to their move in?

Voyager2002

If you particularly want them to remain then you are free to spend lots of money getting the garden the way the like it. Otherwise you need say 'no' and ask them to think about what they want to happen at the end of the tenancy.

I do suggest being sympathetic, seeking to make helpful suggestions about what to do with their dogs. Worst case: they have a problem now, and if they knew they would have to move on at the next review they would be tempted to bring the dogs into the house. It is entirely possible that the damage that would result would cost more than the amount of their deposit, so you could end up with a nightmare situation if you really upset them.

RuthL

Yes we have pictures of the garden and house before they moved in. They did say that the garden would be returned to its original state when they left, which I was fine with.

Speaking to her again this morning I told her that we don't want to be digging up the garden to put in pipes as it isn't really a big problem, it is only due to a large volume of rain at once and quite a clay based soil and it will drain away. I offered for my husband to go around tomorrow evening with a pitch-fork to aerate the soil a bit to help but she told me that it would be useless and the garden is a 'muddy pit'. She then started to tell me about how they have spent £700 on extra fencing to keep the dogs in (it was perfectly fenced in to begin with) and that 'they will have to think about what they are going to do now that they can't build the pen'. I'm taking it that this was her trying to hint at leaving if I don't do it.

The only reason that the garden could be in a muddy pit state is because of the dogs running around in it already!

G_M

It sounds to me like the best solution for both you and the tenants is an agreement to an Early Surrender.

You (quite rightly) don't want to re-landscape your garden.

They clearly don't find the property suitable.

End the tenancy. Amicably.

The £700 they spent on a fence is a problem - they will not be happy writing that investment off, but equally there is absolutely no reason you should pay for it.

Ideally, for you, wait till the idea of leaving early comes from them. You can then 'generously' agree, and let them leave without penalty, but obviously without compensation for the fence.

If they wish to take the fence with them for the next property, they can, provided they re-instate your original fence.

sulphate

:rotfl:

All my previous landlords would have laughed in my face if I had gone to them with this request.

Rain alone would not have made the garden a "muddy pit" but her dogs are running around churning it up, I expect. Not your problem.
The £700 is not your problem either, if she wants to improve the fencing to make it more suitable for her dogs that's up to her. Not you.

Perhaps it would have been a better idea for them to build the pen in the summer months?

No wonder some landlords specify no pets...

maninthestreet

Now you know why landlord's state 'No Pets'.

ging84

i don't think this really has much to do with having or not having pets, it's about a tenants strange idea that they should be entitled to have an irrigation system fitted to the garden. This could just as easily be someone complaining their kids can't play in the garden because it's flooded