Moving out of rented house

downshifter

monkeychops wrote: »

That's not what the job centre or the council said. They told us we should have got new agreements. The one we had was just for a year so we had no real proof that we even had a rented house or how much the rent was when it was a couple of years out of date.

The local authority told me exactly the same thing, in the end I typed out the original one put new dates on it and got the landlord to sign it. Ended up cancelling the claim but still, council were happy.

Everyone seems to have become so grumpy on this board recently, even really helpful people like GM etc. I know the same questions are asked over and over again, and people don't understand that if they choose to do up a rented property and make it into their home, the landlord isn't going to care but still, I feel for this poor poster. I'm in a very similar situation with a landlord who has done nothing and in 15 years I have virtually rebuilt the house because I want it to be my home and it's in a perfect locality with views to kill for. My current battle with him is for a new boiler (this one is deafeningly noisy), a new door that you can't see daylight through and new windows that don't pour water in when it rains. It's been going on and on all year and he doesn't agree with the quotes, so I will probably end up paying myself. It's just what you do to make your home comfortable.

Interesting that the landlord would only accept payment in cash!!!

DS

franklee

It's awkward when the landlord won't behave in a business like manner but that doesn't stop you doing so. In your shoes I'd have written to the landlord informing him that the cooker was broken. If if he ignored the letter at least you would now have something to point at to prove the missing cooker is virtually worthless.

The old curtains could easily have been stored and the reinstated.

Now you are left with either replacing what was old and clapped out that you disposed of with similar old and clapped out or leaving nothing. If you leave nothing then you will owe the landlord for replacements taking fair wear and tear into account. So an alternative is to find out what the cooker would now be worth second hand and offer the landlord that in cash. Get any agreement documented.

Alternatively explain the situation to he landlord and see what he'd be happy with to settle up.

As for replacing the boiler at your own cost that's a silly, risky and expensive thing to have done and frankly I'm surprised the landlord allowed it. Did you get it done by properly qualified engineers? If it's gas who is then responsible for the gas safety. Who is responsible if it breaks down or leaks. This should all be clearly the landlord's responsibility but by replacing the boiler you've opened yourself up to more costs if anything goes wrong.

steph2901

I would do as someone else suggested and buy some cheap curtains and a second hand cooker. No need to leave the things you bought which you obviously want to take.

I'm currently renting temporarily until I find another house to buy and took the shabby curtains and lampshades down which were here when I moved in and stored them away until I leave. There's no way I'll be leaving my nice things when I move out!

G_M

downshifter wrote: »

Everyone seems to have become so grumpy on this board recently, even really helpful people like GM etc.

DS

:grouphug:

:grouphug:

:kisses3:


:lovethoug

downshifter

G_M wrote: »

:grouphug:

:grouphug:

:kisses3:


:lovethoug

...that's more like it!

G_M

Note that there is a difference between

1) a landlord's obligations under the law (eg to provide an EPC, gas safety certificale, deposit protection - but NOT a written tenancy agreement

and

2) the requirements of the council/job centres on applicants for various benefits

charlishae

I would just take what is yours and if he kicks up a fuss about there being no oven, curtains etc then just buy the cheapest ones you can find. When your oven packed up then im sure its the landlord that should be paying for a new one not you so he would have had to buy a new one anyway.

FBaby

So it sound like you had a unspoken agreement. You did the repairs, he didn't increase the rent. It suited you both. You because you liked the property and believed that you couldn't get a better deal elsewhere (if only because of your pets) he liked it because it saved him putting the cash in, however, now you are going, you want to go back on this unspoken agreement.

If I were you, I would actually speak with the landlord and try to see if you could negotiate something. For all you know, he will be happy to buy another cooker if by you going, he'll be able to put the rent up again.

Or you can be sneaky, and just take everything saying nothing. He's angry, he takes you to court, and you have the uncertainty of hoping that the judge will see it your way, and the stress of building up your case, having to go to court etc... whilst moving into a new house.

It's up to you how much saving a few £££ means to you and the risk you are prepared to take.

monkeychops

franklee wrote: »

It's awkward when the landlord won't behave in a business like manner but that doesn't stop you doing so. In your shoes I'd have written to the landlord informing him that the cooker was broken. If if he ignored the letter at least you would now have something to point at to prove the missing cooker is virtually worthless.

The old curtains could easily have been stored and the reinstated.

Now you are left with either replacing what was old and clapped out that you disposed of with similar old and clapped out or leaving nothing. If you leave nothing then you will owe the landlord for replacements taking fair wear and tear into account. So an alternative is to find out what the cooker would now be worth second hand and offer the landlord that in cash. Get any agreement documented.

Alternatively explain the situation to he landlord and see what he'd be happy with to settle up.

As for replacing the boiler at your own cost that's a silly, risky and expensive thing to have done and frankly I'm surprised the landlord allowed it. Did you get it done by properly qualified engineers? If it's gas who is then responsible for the gas safety. Who is responsible if it breaks down or leaks. This should all be clearly the landlord's responsibility but by replacing the boiler you've opened yourself up to more costs if anything goes wrong.

My OH is a qualified gas engineer. He has done a gas safety check every year and not charged the landlord. If it were up to the landlord it would never get done

steph2901 wrote: »

I would do as someone else suggested and buy some cheap curtains and a second hand cooker. No need to leave the things you bought which you obviously want to take.

I'm currently renting temporarily until I find another house to buy and took the shabby curtains and lampshades down which were here when I moved in and stored them away until I leave. There's no way I'll be leaving my nice things when I move out!

I might buy some curtains from a charity shop but the more I think about the more I am sure I am not replacing the oven or hob.

Posters are saying because they were there when we moved in we have to make sure they are there when we move out. So surely when they stopped working he should have replaced them? We didn't change them because we didn't like them or wanted a better model etc. We had no choice but to buy others if we ever wanted to cook again!

FBaby wrote: »

So it sound like you had a unspoken agreement. You did the repairs, he didn't increase the rent. It suited you both. You because you liked the property and believed that you couldn't get a better deal elsewhere (if only because of your pets) he liked it because it saved him putting the cash in, however, now you are going, you want to go back on this unspoken agreement.

If I were you, I would actually speak with the landlord and try to see if you could negotiate something. For all you know, he will be happy to buy another cooker if by you going, he'll be able to put the rent up again.

Or you can be sneaky, and just take everything saying nothing. He's angry, he takes you to court, and you have the uncertainty of hoping that the judge will see it your way, and the stress of building up your case, having to go to court etc... whilst moving into a new house.

It's up to you how much saving a few £££ means to you and the risk you are prepared to take.

Not having to buy a new oven and hob is not really saving a few pounds is it?

As I said above surely he should have replaced those items when they packed up? He didn't so the oven and hob became ours as we bought them.

I can understand about all the work we have done - decorating and repairs and believe me there have been lots of repairs which HAD to be done.

Not sure there was an "unspoken agreement". He just would not do any work or replace any items so we had no choice but to sort things out. We will never know if he would have raised the rent if we had not done work will we?

I have spoken to the tenant who lived her before us and she said he would never do anything even if she kept on at him. She was a single mum with 3 children so couldn't do work and couldn't afford to pay someone to do it. He didn't put her rent up in 3 years.

He may have been good about letting us do want we wanted (although obviously he was for his good) and not increasing the rent but I still believe he has got the better deal. The house now, apart from the falling apart kitchen and the totally knacked double glazing is in a far far better condition than it was. Imagine if we had just ignored all the repairs needed as he did what sort of state the house would be in. No heating or hot water, no cooker or hob, filthy disgusting bathroom, a big leak which flooded the whole of the downstairs - it was literally under 2 foot of water, no fascia boards, a couple literally rotted away and fell off, leaky roof. I could go on but won't.

Not sure how long he has had the house but I would guess around 20 years and probably never had anything done to it. How long before that did any owner/tenant do any work? Does he think it is a magic self maintaining house?

Guest101

FBaby wrote: »

So it sound like you had a unspoken agreement. You did the repairs, he didn't increase the rent. It suited you both. You because you liked the property and believed that you couldn't get a better deal elsewhere (if only because of your pets) he liked it because it saved him putting the cash in, however, now you are going, you want to go back on this unspoken agreement.

If I were you, I would actually speak with the landlord and try to see if you could negotiate something. For all you know, he will be happy to buy another cooker if by you going, he'll be able to put the rent up again.

Or you can be sneaky, and just take everything saying nothing. He's angry, he takes you to court, and you have the uncertainty of hoping that the judge will see it your way, and the stress of building up your case, having to go to court etc... whilst moving into a new house.

It's up to you how much saving a few £££ means to you and the risk you are prepared to take.

What is the value of the items the LL would claim for?