Viewing a rental property

Pandilex

I think inspections are worth doing, even if you just do them yourself, just to ensure there is nothing going wrong that can be be fixed now to save money, e.g. a damp problem the tenant is ignoring or the tenant is smoking or doing some other activity that is harmful etc.

LEJC

HappyMJ wrote: »

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.

a point I made reference to in my original post....and would be willing to do if I felt that all prospective tenants view in such a blinkered fashion as Satudays couple


Hence asking in gereral terms if this was a normal or standard reaction to a cluttered property.

LEJC

Pandilex wrote: »

I think inspections are worth doing, even if you just do them yourself, just to ensure there is nothing going wrong that can be be fixed now to save money, e.g. a damp problem the tenant is ignoring or the tenant is smoking or doing some other activity that is harmful etc.

I take your point however I am led to believe that there is no such problem with this tenant or indeed the property...the issue is the sheer amount of belongings and general tidyness of them....

jjlandlord

Certainly this does not help.

You can wait until they leave or offer something to your current tenant in exchange of them tidying up the mess.

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.

You probably don't want to let to anyone who drops claims of 'misrepresentation' at the first viewing, anyway.
So take that as soft referencing.

LEJC

jjlandlord wrote: »

You probably don't want to let to anyone who drops claims of 'misrepresentation' at the first viewing, anyway.
So take that as soft referencing.

Thank you...I had not thought of it on that level!

G_M

You say you have a good relationship with the current tenants, who have been cooperative with viewings?

Why not build on this?

Offer them an incentive (rent reduction? One-off payment if a new tenant signs up before they leave?...?) if they make the effort (that they are not otherwise obliged to do) to tidy up, do the washing up, etc etc on certain agreed days when you will arrange viewings.

They might welcome the extra cash, understand your dilemma, and appreciate the offer.

You could also consider asking them to consent to a gardener and/or cleaner coming in at your expense?

LEJC

Thanks for your thoughts GM
Your suggestions are all reasonable...however in this circumstance I believe the tenants not to be in need of any form of financial sweetener in order to tidy up the property...


The property is rented to a professional couple who appear to have spent little time at the address over the last year as evidenced in a comment that had been made by the person showing round the viewers at the weekend....it is possible that they have used the house as a rather large storage container for want of a better description so it may not even be a case of making it look presentable to show at viewings.
When they viewed the property last year they ideally wanted a shorter tenancy than we wanted to offer as they were considering their own purchase in the area....it is entirely possible that their purchase happened quicker than they had planned and that they have been supporting both a purchase and the rental....hence the untidy clutter and not doing the garden etc...
In making an assumption it could be that they have put their life into something new and are simply biding their time to the end of this contract


I am looking at it with an open mind at present and if it means that we will need to forgo a couple of weeks to bring it back to standard after vacation then I think I would possibly prefer to go that route rather than offer a financial "bribe".


I have spoken to the LA this afternoon and suggested on the back of feedback from weekend viewing that they do advise potentisl viewers that the property is not empty as perhaps assumed by the online photos....and that any adjustments needed will be made following the end of this tenancy period to bring it back to the standard reflected in those photos.


I am grateful that the tenant is allowing viewings,but have realistically planned that the property may not get marketed and viewed to its full potential until the end of this tenancy.


I'm not really looking for ideas as to how to re let the property given the fact that its cluttered at present ...more of a staw poll opinion as to whether it would put someone off if they had assumed from the online photos showing an empty property that that would be the case on viewing...
As I havent seen inside the property I dont know the level of clutter but assume it is at present enough to put one set of viewers off...
There is another viewing later this week so hopefully this potential will go into it a little more prepared.

Sheldor

I'm soon to be a renter (after 15 years of being a home-owner) and your post has got me wondering about whether it makes more sense for the landlord to pay someone to come and do a couple of hours garden-tidying once a month and include that in the rent, rather than expect the tennant to do it.

Should you really expect someone who may only be there a few months to make any efforts to look after the garden? I mean, things inside the property are easy enough to maintain and mess only happens if you make it but gardens are a different matter. They're wild and will do things when you're not looking!

Annie1960

I'm looking to buy a property at the moment, and went to see one where
the photos made it look very clear and uncluttered.

When I got there, the vendor conducted the viewing (if you can call it that). The place was an absolute tip, he told me he had split up with his partner, and he clearly hadn't done any cleaning or tidying since she had left.

It really put me off because I thought if he doesn't bother with the basics, what else will be wrong with the property. I know buying and renting are different, but if you see a set of photos that give one impression, and the house when you get there is in a mess, then it is very off-putting.

He was also playing very loud heavy-metal music, which also did not help!

LEJC

Annie1960 wrote: »

I know buying and renting are different,

Which is why I specifically asked the question as to prospective tenants rather than from the point of view of a purchaser.


I am confident that once the tenant has left the property wont take long to restore to its previous tranquil,open plan glory....with a lovely low maintainence garden.


The poster who suggested a gardener...thank you again its an option that I am mulling over for an additional fee per month should they require it.....but again perhaps you good people out there would like to indicate if you would like to be given the optional extra of a gardener at the cost of say £25 per month...or is it something that you wouldnt want preferring to tend it yourselves.


but then I had the thought that if you didnt want the hassle of a garden then you would rent a flat....but thats another debate perhaps for another time!