Viewing a rental property

LEJC

I'm just after some general thoughts here and am in no way trying to start a debate over how tidy/clean/uncluttered a place should be etc...


I have a rental property for which the current tenant has given notice and the letting agent is now in the process of remarketing.


They are using the original photos took last year when property was empty to advertise ...which in itself I have no problem with as hopefully the property once vacated will be either returned in that quality or we are able to freshen it back to that standard...


however following the first viewing on the property over the weekend it has become clear that whilst the internal decor is much the same ....there is a huge amount of clutter within the house that is extremely untidy and apparently has prompted the viewing prostective tenants to complain that they feel the photos have been misrepresenting of the property.


My question for anyone considering renting therefore is...
Are you put off by a property if the previous tenant is untidy or can you look past that in order to see the potential of the house being your next home?


It is of course early days,but I am considering waiting for the tenant to vacate before we remarket if it is likely to cause further issues with viewings...


I would like to point out that the present tenant has been very helpful in allowing viweings and leaves whilst they are being conducted,and I have had no issues with them during their tenancy.
I am just curious to establish if when viewing a property as the prospective next tenant the ambience of it would put you off or not?


TIA

benjus

Sounds like the prospective tenants are idiots tbh... if the photos are of the property, the decor is broadly the same, and the only differences are caused by the current tenant's possessions, there's no cause for complaint.

Of course the presentation of a property is important - it can be hard to see through clutter, but unless you want to wait for the current tenant to move out before marketing it, there's nothing you can do about it.

00ec25

I would suggest that just as with house buying the majority of viewers struggle to see past the contents and can only relate to their future in the property by reference to what they see before them.

of course the opposite also applies, an unfurnished property is hard for people to visualise how their furniture will fit in, even if they bring a tape measure with them on the viewing

as you are presumably letting an unfurnished property, I would not at this stage be concerned over negative feedback from one or two early viewers. Carry on marketing it given you have a cooperative tenant and see what happens, afterall you are not going to drop your rent price because of initial negativity since you can, as you say, carry on marketing it when it is empty

as for misrepresentation then as long as the agency ad clearly says it is unfurnished I would give feedback to viewers that they have not been misled at all

LEJC

thanks for your views...the current tenant has 6 weeks or so remaining on the tenancy and has been very accompdationg over allowing viewings so I have no axe to grind in that direction...in actual fact I think that the LA has started marketing very early considering the earliest hand over date would be at the beginning of August.


I was just curious as to whether when renting a property you are able to look past the current occupiers belongings.
I am very confident that the property will rent and for the asking price and am also prepared to allow a week or two after vactaion of the existing tenant in order to achieve this if necessary.


I did visit the property,although not inside recently and have noticed that there are substantial weeds in both front and back garden....again at this stage I'm not overly concerned as it may be that that tenant is planning to rid the gardens of these prior to leaving and the condition of both areas was fully documented and photographed as part of the inventory as to represent how the property was to be handed back.


I welcome feedback from anyone who has viewed a cluttered property and then subsequently gone on to sign up to it...or indeed those who feel they need to have a blank canvas or nicely presented accomodation in order to make a choice .

Jenniefour

Yes, I rented a house for a year and was cluttered when I went to view as previous tenants were still there. Photo's were of the house when vacant, so very different. I had no problem with it whatsoever. And it was as in photo's when I moved in.

Just inform any viewers that as tenants still live there house looks different, of course, because all their belongings are there too.

Though I would ask current tenants to remove the weeds - if it's in the contract they do so, or ask them if they mind you removing them now. It might give the impression that the property is in disrepair inside. That might be more of an issue for viewers than untidiness/personal belongings of current tenants.

LEJC

Jenniefour wrote: »

Though I would ask current tenants to remove the weeds - if it's in the contract they do so, or ask them if they mind you removing them now. It might give the impression that the property is in disrepair inside. That might be more of an issue for viewers than untidiness/personal belongings of current tenants.

Thanks jennie thats a good point....most of the weeds are superficial and to be honest a morning working on the front and and afternoon working on the back and it will br back to its move in condition...
and that documented in the check in inventory.




I do believe that the tenants will vacate the property in a similar standard as they moved in,and anything that will need to be done wont take too long to do or cost substantially...


I think they havent bothered at all with the gardens whilst they have lived there...but each to their own

jayss

When a place is cluttered it can be off putting working out where stuff will go but only if it's furnished. Although even unfurnished seeing Hoover/ironing board/airer out suggest there's no cupboard to put them in.
Same with kitchens, appliances and chopping boards are one thing but if lots of food, pans and crockery out suggests not enough places to put things (or too much landlord supplied stuff not enough space for own things).

PasturesNew

LEJC wrote: »

....there is a huge amount of clutter within the house that is extremely untidy

My place will be like that. Currently I've stuff "in storage" stacked up in one room (with my bike and all sorts of stuff) - and the minute I give in my notice all that lot's getting moved around, everything unpacked/checked/repacked; new boxes being brought in and there'll be barely one square foot of space to walk on until I move out as I'll be randomly packing/sorting/folding stuff, then changing my mind and getting more/different boxes until I'm sure I've got it nailed.

I'd also say that the room probably doesn't present that well at the best of times, with the lawnmower leaning against the wall and the vacuum in the middle of the floor and my washing airer up ... but that's the trouble with small spaces and no shed. I can't even turn the telly on/off without careful positioning of my feet/self and moving the lawnmower.

I'll not be allowing viewings though as it wouldn't be safe for anybody but me to walk in the space.... and I don't want to feel a need to "tidy up" and leave while it goes on.

firebird082

LEJC wrote: »

....there is a huge amount of clutter within the house that is extremely untidy and apparently has prompted the viewing prostective tenants to complain that they feel the photos have been misrepresenting of the property.
TIA

How very odd - they are renting the property, not the previous tenant's clutter! I've always been able to look past clutter, but understand that some people struggle.

In any case, a tenant moving out is always going to look like this - boxes everywhere, can't be helped!

We were the same as the tenants in this situation a couple of months ago, and our landlord said to me on the phone that the reason the house isn't selling is because because the garden is a mess and because of all our c**p in it. My response to that as a tenant was to refuse to allow any more viewings (we had in fact bent over backwards to help out to start with, including clearing up as far as possible, considering we were out every night looking at houses to buy). As it happened, the house was sold to someone who viewed it with all our stuff in, so it obviously wasn't that much of an obstacle! That was all a bit of a long-winded way of saying be careful how you talk to your tenant about this, if you are intending to do so...

HappyMJ

You could also wait until the tenants have vacated to market the property...you'll lose a month's rent whilst empty but you won't get the complaints. Up to you.

LEJC

firebird082 wrote: »

My response to that as a tenant was to refuse to allow any more viewings (we had in fact bent over backwards to help out to start with, including clearing up as far as possible, considering we were out every night looking at houses to buy). As it happened, the house was sold to someone who viewed it with all our stuff in, so it obviously wasn't that much of an obstacle! That was all a bit of a long-winded way of saying be careful how you talk to your tenant about this, if you are intending to do so...

I have been very mindful of not interfering with the tenant over the course of the tenancy...the LA suggested that we could have requested periodical checks however I discounted this as I firmly believe that whilst the tenant is paying rent why should I instruct the LA to carry out checks on the condition of the property....not only does it cost me additional money each time they do it but it means that the tenant may indeed feel obliged to present the environment they live in a way that they are uncomfortable with afterall not everyone lives in a show home!...who gains from repeated checks...in my mind only the LA as they benefit from the charges made.




at the start of the tenancy we produced a detailed inventory which really does reflect the condition of the property on check in and minus wear and tear am hopeful it will be returned in a similar condition.


Prior to the tenant moving in the house underwent a subtantial refurbishment of significant cost so areas that are not up to par will be easily identifible once their belongings are removed and they move on.
The property rented at full price within a short period of just a few days first time round,partly based on the fact that it was a complete renovation and much thought had been put into bright open spaces which were evident in the initial photographs...its possible that much of this light and spacious feel may not be quite so easy to visualise...again with the gardens the emphasis was placed very much on easy/low maintainance....however weeds do grow and it would appear they have....but as I said earlier its not for me to judge how someone lives...there are 2 snapshots -created when the property is handed over and returned....as long as there are no great anomilies from that how the tenant lives inbetween is their choice.


As its the first changeover of tenants I have become curious as to how tenants view properties...I have the ability to look past but it appears from the reaction of the viewers at the weekend that not everyone can