I feel like my Landlord is pushing me out.

Gracie66

Hello All

I have privately rented my home for 10 years with the same landlord. In the last 5 yearly visits I have asked for new flooring in the hallway and sitting room and been refused ( the carpets were already here ). She has given me excuse after excuse about replacing it. After this last visit last week I thought I might be getting somewhere as the agent seemed happy she might be able to get me some new carpets. Now the landlord has said that if I decorate my home then she will lay carpet. I am on long term ESA and Higher rate DLA for mobility and care. I cant afford to decorate the whole bungalow, does anyone know of any help I can get to this ?

Also when I rented this property in 2004 I was allowed to smoke indoors ( although I mostly smoke in the kitchen ) unless I am totally incapacitated then I smoke in the sitting room. Because of my condition I cant get out the back or front unaided most of the time and I am 90% housebound. My landlord has now changed her insurance to no smoking and sent a letter out saying with immediate effect I am not to smoke in the house (bungalow). This is not in my current contract and I have no way of getting out the back door and down the step. While I can understand why she has done this, I feel that with wanting me to decorate and stop smoking and wanting everything immediately adhered too she is pushing me out. She also said that alternatively she feels I will need to find alternative accommodation.

Any thoughts plz

Gracie

jc808

give up smoking

Pixie5740

I don't think your LL has any obligation to replace the flooring unless it is dangerous in its current state.

As for the smoking there's not much your LL can do about it. She can't stop you from smoking inside the property but she could put the wheels in motion to have you evicted (not on the grounds of smoking but on the grounds of something else).

What type of tenancy do you have?

princeofpounds

Your landlord doesn't need to play games to push you out, unless you are on some kind of protected tenancy (and I doubt you are given the timescales you talk about above). If she wants you out she can just issue a Section 21 notice to expire when your fixed term ends, if you are even in a fixed term at the moment (are you?).

Your landlord is not obliged to spend money on anything cosmetic.

The most likely thing that is going on is that she is maximising profit, spending as little as possible on the property.

Or maybe she does want you out but for some inexplicable reason is reluctant to actually do the push herself. Guilt? Worrying about confrontation?

Your option is to move, but if you've got such a good deal you don't want to do that, it might account for why your landlord wants to spend little money on the place.

Maybe you should ask outright what the intention is.

As for the smoking, she can't tell you what to do. It does cause damage however, and you are obliged to return the property in the same state you found it minus fair wear and tear.

You would probably have to pay for a redecoration on exit anyway as a result of this, although if it has been 10 years you might get away with paying very little as the decoration is probably heavily depreciated anyway.

ognum

Gracie66 wrote: »

Hello All

I have privately rented my home for 10 years with the same landlord. In the last 5 yearly visits I have asked for new flooring in the hallway and sitting room and been refused ( the carpets were already here ). She has given me excuse after excuse about replacing it. After this last visit last week I thought I might be getting somewhere as the agent seemed happy she might be able to get me some new carpets. Now the landlord has said that if I decorate my home then she will lay carpet. I am on long term ESA and Higher rate DLA for mobility and care. I cant afford to decorate the whole bungalow, does anyone know of any help I can get to this ?

Also when I rented this property in 2004 I was allowed to smoke indoors ( although I mostly smoke in the kitchen ) unless I am totally incapacitated then I smoke in the sitting room. Because of my condition I cant get out the back or front unaided most of the time and I am 90% housebound. My landlord has now changed her insurance to no smoking and sent a letter out saying with immediate effect I am not to smoke in the house (bungalow). This is not in my current contract and I have no way of getting out the back door and down the step. While I can understand why she has done this, I feel that with wanting me to decorate and stop smoking and wanting everything immediately adhered too she is pushing me out. She also said that alternatively she feels I will need to find alternative accommodation.

Any thoughts plz

Gracie

Your landlord assuming you have an AST can ask you to leave at any time as long as she gives you 2 months notice, if you have another form of contract you need to say what it is to get advice.

As a landlord I would not spend any money replacing carpets or decorating the house of someone who smokes! it is your choice to smoke, if you want to I have no problem with that it is just that I would not invest any money in the property. I would also never have allowed you to smoke there, as she has then she may need to change your contract to stop you.

However be aware that the more you push the more likely you are to need to look for other accomodation.

princeofpounds

As a landlord I would not spend any money replacing carpets or decorating the house of someone who smokes!

Good point, I hadn't made that connection.

pmlindyloo

Gracie66 wrote: »

Hello All

I have privately rented my home for 10 years with the same landlord. In the last 5 yearly visits I have asked for new flooring in the hallway and sitting room and been refused ( the carpets were already here ). She has given me excuse after excuse about replacing it. After this last visit last week I thought I might be getting somewhere as the agent seemed happy she might be able to get me some new carpets. Now the landlord has said that if I decorate my home then she will lay carpet. I am on long term ESA and Higher rate DLA for mobility and care. I cant afford to decorate the whole bungalow, does anyone know of any help I can get to this ?

Also when I rented this property in 2004 I was allowed to smoke indoors ( although I mostly smoke in the kitchen ) unless I am totally incapacitated then I smoke in the sitting room. Because of my condition I cant get out the back or front unaided most of the time and I am 90% housebound. My landlord has now changed her insurance to no smoking and sent a letter out saying with immediate effect I am not to smoke in the house (bungalow). This is not in my current contract and I have no way of getting out the back door and down the step. While I can understand why she has done this, I feel that with wanting me to decorate and stop smoking and wanting everything immediately adhered too she is pushing me out. She also said that alternatively she feels I will need to find alternative accommodation.

Any thoughts plz

Gracie

You could apply for a budgeting loan

Fill in this form and then post to your Job Centre:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/300453/sf500_print.pdf

IronWolf

You can smoke in the house if you want to, but the landlord can choose to evict you after the fixed period of the tenancy is up, there is nothing they can do about it until then though.

marliepanda

Stop smoking.

Use money saved to decorate house.

Get new carpets.

Everyones happy!

G_M

As others have said, the key here is finding out what security you have and how easily the LL can evict you:

* Do you have a fixed term tenancy?
* If yes, what date did it start and for what period or until when?
* you are (pretty) safe till the fixed term ends.
* if any FT has already ended, the LL can serve you a S21 notice at any time gicing you 2 months.

If there is not a 'no smoking' clause in the original contract, the LL cannot suddenly impose this. Ignore. The insurance is the LL's problem.

The carpet replacement is up to the LL.

You could, of course, replce the carpets yourself, but I would not do so unless you either already have, or can negotiate now, a fixed term of, say, 2 years +.

sartois

marliepanda wrote: »

Stop smoking.

Use money saved to decorate house.

Get new carpets.

Everyones happy!

This!

I stopped smoking a year ago and according to the little App on my phone I would have spent £2750 in that time on cigarettes (based on 15-20 a day).

Apparently there are some health benefits too....