I am a tenant: Can I change the flooring?

MoonJelly

Hello All,
I have come to accept I will never buy a home so I am facing years of renting. My present house is pleasant enough except for the fact that the landlord has cream carpeting throughout the house (not the kitchen or bathroom of course). Despite our best efforts the carpet has suffered -we steam clean it and all but cream is cream and it not faring well. On top of it we all suffer from allergies.

My question is, I can't see living with the present carpet for years. What are my chances of the landlord giving us permission to install different colour carpet in the future or even laminate flooring?

theartfullodger

What does your tenancy agreement say about such matters or redecoration?? Does the inventory mention the carpet?? Very sorry but I can't read either tenancy agreement or inventory from here..

Assuming this is a private landlord I would very much expect you may not change flooring (you can - as in I CAN drive down M4 @ 123mph...).... but it might be negotiable..

shop-to-drop

I don't see why s/he wouldn't agree as long as you get your choices OK'd with them first and have it professionally laid.

benjus

If you offered to do it at your own expense, using good quality materials and reputable installers, it would seem strange for the LL to refuse. Make sure you get permission in writing to cover yourself.

However, with this improvement there's nothing to stop the LL terminating your tenancy at the earliest opportunity and re-letting it, possibly even at a higher rent if you've made the place more desirable. That's the risk you take with this, really.

HappyMJ

MoonJelly wrote: »

Hello All,
I have come to accept I will never buy a home so I am facing years of renting. My present house is pleasant enough except for the fact that the landlord has cream carpeting throughout the house (not the kitchen or bathroom of course). Despite our best efforts the carpet has suffered -we steam clean it and all but cream is cream and it not faring well. On top of it we all suffer from allergies.

My question is, I can't see living with the present carpet for years. What are my chances of the landlord giving us permission to install different colour carpet in the future or even laminate flooring?

If you pay for it and it's the same quality as the existing floor coverings and you don't mind losing your investment if your landlord decides to terminate the tenancy then I don't see why the landlord wouldn't agree to the change. I would at the very least ask to sign a 12 month tenancy so you could at least get the use of the new floor coverings for 12 months.

shop-to-drop

What I would do is buy good quality gun tuft rugs and take them with me when I leave.

MoonJelly

theartfullodger wrote: »

What does your tenancy agreement say about such matters or redecoration?? Does the inventory mention the carpet?? Very sorry but I can't read either tenancy agreement or inventory from here..

My landlord I suspect if a first time LL and the inventory doesn't actually mention carpets! (It doesn't mention a lot to be honest). I've asked her if I can paint the place (I hate magnolia) and she said I could as long as it is not lime green

HappyMJ wrote: »

If you pay for it and it's the same quality as the existing floor coverings and you don't mind losing your investment if your landlord decides to terminate the tenancy then I don't see why the landlord wouldn't agree to the change. I would at the very least ask to sign a 12 month tenancy so you could at least get the use of the new floor coverings for 12 months.

OK I like you suggestion of signing a 12 month tenancy so at least I get some use of the new carpet/flooring.

I know lots of LL use cream carpets to make sure they keep some of your deposit money but I can't see this poor carpet surviving another 3 years. We always take our shoes off in the hallway and vacuum weekly -but dirt seems to travel in mysterious ways. :think:

Pixie5740

MoonJelly wrote: »

My landlord I suspect if a first time LL and the inventory doesn't actually mention carpets! (It doesn't mention a lot to be honest). I've asked her if I can paint the place (I hate magnolia) and she said I could as long as it is not lime green

OK I like you suggestion of signing a 12 month tenancy so at least I get some use of the new carpet/flooring.

I know lots of LL use cream carpets to make sure they keep some of your deposit money but I can't see this poor carpet surviving another 3 years. We always take our shoes off in the hallway and vacuum weekly -but dirt seems to travel in mysterious ways. :think:

I don't think LLs use cream carpets so they can keep deposits. If a LL has a light coloured carpet it's probably because it was cheap and/or the carpet that came with the property when they bought it (How many new builds come with light coloured carpets? Most that I've seen). If none of those reasons apply it'll be because the LL was silly and didn't think it through.

Besides, tenants can't be charged for fair wear & tear and cream carpets in heavy traffic areas won't last long.

agrinnall

What type of property is it? If it's an upper floor flat then it may not be just down to the LL, there could be restrictions on flooring materials, such as no laminate/wood, placed by the freeholder.

theartfullodger

MoonJelly wrote: »

My landlord I suspect if a first time LL and the inventory doesn't actually mention carpets! (It doesn't mention a lot to be honest). I've asked her if I can paint the place (I hate magnolia) and she said I could as long as it is not lime green

..

Any photos of the place showing carpets - eg LL took them & gave you a copy?? If no evidence of there being carpets or what shade you should be safe to change, but I'd go for the put down rugs option..

Get "yes you can paint" in writing - or maybe just drop her an email saying what was agreed, keep copy...

MoonJelly

Pixie5740 wrote: »

I don't think LLs use cream carpets so they can keep deposits. If a LL has a light coloured carpet it's probably because it was cheap and/or the carpet that came with the property when they bought it (How many new builds come with light coloured carpets? Most that I've seen). If none of those reasons apply it'll be because the LL was silly and didn't think it through.

Besides, tenants can't be charged for fair wear & tear and cream carpets in heavy traffic areas won't last long.

Last property we rented I got money taken away because of "stains" -read dirt that left a mark on the carpet despite professional cleaning. This property is from the 1950s for hardly a new built.

agrinnall wrote: »

What type of property is it? If it's an upper floor flat then it may not be just down to the LL, there could be restrictions on flooring materials, such as no laminate/wood, placed by the freeholder.

It is a semi. The house next to ours have laminated in the ground floor.

theartfullodger wrote: »

Any photos of the place showing carpets - eg LL took them & gave you a copy?? If no evidence of there being carpets or what shade you should be safe to change, but I'd go for the put down rugs option..

Get "yes you can paint" in writing - or maybe just drop her an email saying what was agreed, keep copy...

Yes, I think it is a very good suggestion to do emails to have the paint thing in writing. :T