Renting property - landlord has left rubbish in the house

SRH_2

I picked up the keys today to a new rented house I have signed a lease on. Only problem is - apart from the house being very dirty and not ready to move into as agreed - there is also a considerable amount of items left behind.

These include broken garden furniture, battered decorating equipment and nearly empty tins of paint, candles, broken vases, a filthy toilet brush, dirty clothes in a wardrobe, socks and a g-string (!).

We have taken the property on 'unfurnished' and I really don't want to have to store these items for the landlord. They are only fit for the bin and the landlord has not provided an inventory or check-in/check-out list, so am I okay to just bin them? There is no record, as far as I am concerned, that these items were left in the house and garden in the first place anyhow.

Am I also right that by not providing an inventory agreed by both parties, the landlord is at greater risk if don't return the property in the state in which it was left? I just want to make sure we are not at risk as tenants by not having an inventory (although I would hasten to add the first thing we are going to do it clean it top to bottom and will hand it back in a year's time in a better state than we have received it).

Thanks.

F_Bear

sell them.............how much for the g-string?

theartfullodger

Deliver everything to his home address - with a witness. With g-string on top "I think you forgot something". Hopefully you'll find only Mrs in.

Don't think your landlord has a clue: plan on move.

SRH_2

Ha ha! It's a bit grim to leave grubby underwear, isn't it? The way I see it without an inventory he has no proof of what was left and I really don't want to have to store big items such as tatty garden furniture that we will never use (and it is outside anyway, so who is to say that it wasn't pinched, if he asks).

I also think he's been a bit of an idiot not to sort out an inventory/check-in list. We will take care of the house but many people wouldn't.

Guest101

I wouldn't be handing it back better, I'd be taking photos and when I left I'd make sure it was exactly as bad, including the dirty underwear!

[Deleted User]

This exact thing happened to me last year! I posted a topic here about it, I also found a pair of pants haha. This is what G_M said at the time:

G_M wrote: »

Has he provided an inventory and if so
a) what items are on it?
b) does it describe the condition of the property/items within it?
c) have you signed it?

So - advice:

1) the note is fine - keep it obviously! Is it signed? best if it is.

2) I would not phone on Monday. To cover yourself, write him a letter & send to him at the address "for the serving of notices" (has he given you this? It's a legal requirement). Thank him for his help and for his note, and confirm that as per his note you are going to dispose of the items he has left and which
a) are not on the inventory and
b) you do not want

Add a question like "please let me know if there is anything you do not want me to dispose of within the next few days or I shall assume everything is unwanted.

3) I see no reason you shouldn't sell the odd item on ebay if you want - he is making you do his clearance work; he's given you permission to do as you wish; so.... your choice

4) Do not dispose of anything on the inventory!

5) If there is no inventory, don't worry. His problem not yours. But

6) do not sign the inventory unless it is is accurate ie if it lists something not there or describes something as 'good condition' when it is damaged, do not sign without amending it.

Sounds like a first time landlord. Best approach is to balance between keeping a friendly, informal relationship, with covering yourself by getting things in writing (hence the letter). But just because you are writing semi-formally to cover yourself does not mean you can't word it as a friendly letter!

(My situation was slightly different, there was a note saying we could keep whatever we wanted, but the principle is the same).

SRH_2

Thank you Citric. I'm thinking then that because there is no inventory we can bin the stuff (and burn the g-string) without any fear of them asking where it all is in 12 months' time. No inventory, no proof?

ConfusedofYorkshire

I also have no inventory for our current house. we did our own one and took photos for piece of mind, but the advice on here was that the onus is on the landlord to prove things aren't as they were- and without a dual sign inventory he will find this very hard.

Thankfully we weren't left with a gstring. however, i once moved into a house and found a !!!!!! dvd under a bed. I reported it to the letting agent and he came to collect it as "evidence".....:rotfl:

SRH_2

Ooer! As long as it wasn't a home movie

theartfullodger

Depending on your interests, it may be worth trying to contact the previous occu..pant

ConfusedofYorkshire

SRH wrote: »

Ooer! As long as it wasn't a home movie

well in all honesty i didn't watch- but from the cover it didn't look like very high quality :rotfl:
now i think about it there might have been a pair of boxers in one room... it was a pretty grim flat - something was left in the loo also.:eek: