Why won't my landlord let me replace kitchen

Tansy_1980

I would never encourage any tenant to pay for improvements to a rented home. The risk of being asked to leave as soon as these improvements are carried out is too great. I know one person who took out a loan of £10K to install a kitchen in a rented home, only for the property to be repossessed by the bank 6 months later. LL gave permission for improvements but was well aware (or must have been) that she had defaulted on mortgage and property was subject to possession proceedings.

Maybe looking around for a more suitable property with the facilities you need in the same area would be a better solution. Or talk to your landlord, explain that you're thinking of moving on because of the problems in the property and she might be willing to invest a bit more to keep on a decent tenant. Don't pay for it yourself though -you won't be entitled to any form of compensation for it when you leave.

Pixie5740

HappyMJ wrote: »

If a tenant damages the carpet I would expect them to replace it like for like...i.e not self laid with glue super budget carpet but pretty much what I had and in the same colour and style as was already laid.

You might expect it but it doesn't mean you'll get it. Even if a tenant damages a carpet that was brand new at the start of the tenancy you don't get betterment so you would only get a portion of what a replacement carpet would cost to fit.

ruggedtoast

Someone I used to know spent several thousand pounds once installing sprung wood flooring in her rented house. That was after she had repainted the entire place and made other improvements.

She moved out about 6 months later.

Absolutely barmy.

pinkshoes

Surely you would be better off putting the £1000s it costs for a new kitchen towards a deposit on your own house, where you can do what you like with it?

sandsni

We naively allowed a tenant to replace a kitchen a couple of years ago. When they asked I thought they meant in a few years' time when they'd decided if they liked the place, but they got stuck in within about a month of moving in.


The kitchen is 2nd hand and pretty battered in places, and while it's sturdy enough, the finish is atrocious and nowhere near as good as our usual tradesmen would have done (the tenant said his dad was a joiner, but I'd love to know where he trained ).


Saying "yes" to the kitchen somehow led the useless LA to tell the tenant (in an email I only discovered by accident much later) that we said they could "do whatever they liked as long as it is done to a decent standard" (yes, that is a direct quote), which resulted in the tenants ripping out a fireplace and really good carpet which they stored in a damp outhouse and rendered useless. Needless to say, finish on the new flooring and fireplace is as bad as the kitchen.


We were left in a really difficult position and couldn't even take anything from the deposit since the tenants could argue they had acted in good faith after what the LA had written.


So, while I'm sure you would do a decent job, I can totally understand why your LL is so reluctant to agree to any changes.


Apart from that, I would agree with what the others have said about not sinking potentially thousands of your own cash into someone else's property, when you have no guarantee you'll get to enjoy the fruits of your labour/money.

Cautious_Optimist

How well do you know your LL?
You could meet up and discuss things further.
Find out what her concerns are.
Maybe if you agreed on the kitchen and the fitter together?
Perhaps she has bad experiences of tenants having work done to a poor standard?

But really, you should not be paying for anything like this with a private LL.
(Social / council LL is different).

Kynthia

I can understand the kitchen as others have highlighted potential risks to the landlord. However there's less risk with changing a carpet so that surprises me. Is it possible the landlord has something against you, or would like to move out soon and kindly doesn't want to have let you spend money on a house you aren't staying in?

shell_belle_2

theartfullodger wrote: »

Your landlord sounds either an idiot or overcautious. Were your offers for carpet & kitchen to be done by reputable companies with guarantees etc??

If a tenant said to me "I'll change the carpet, OK??" I'd only agree if he didn't do it but someone OK did...

In your shoes I'd move.

I was going to get the carpet and kitchen fitted by someone qualified.

shell_belle_2

nidO wrote: »

As above, assuming you're making clear that your suggestion to put in a new kitchen is subject to her approval of the design and is being fitted by a reputable fitter and that you're planning on paying for the lot, your landlord is either dumb or not understanding the offer properly.

You paying to buy and fit a new kitchen and acknowledging that you'll leave it in place when you leave is pretty much a dream come true for a lot of landlords.
Even if the kitchen isn't an objective upgrade from the current one, any tenant willing to pay for that kind of change to the property is clearly planning on being there long-term, and who wouldn't prefer a nice shiny new kitchen and a long-term happy tenant, over their current not-new kitchen and a tenant that doesn't like it who may therefore be planning on leaving at any time?

Well I would have liked to be there long term but this is getting to be a deal breaker for me.

BJV

Save your money please do not spend it to improve someone's else's property.