private renting responsibilities

sofsofsof

asking on behalf of friend


is it right she will have to maintain the garden to the full extent? so if grass needs reseeding (because its died, her cats have done something to it etc) & having to buy grass seeds, weed killer etc etc, rake spade etc all on her back?

is it right she has to repair fences broken in the wind?
is it standard for her to have contents insurance?
if she wants the property redecorated to her taste, she has to pay for this? ll said yes to allowing her to redecorate but not to paying for it.
and lastly, if she has a wasp nest in her loft or rats or any other type of vermin.. whos job to pay for.
what about mould, say she gets condensation and mould due to her being frank not ventilating the place properly.. does she have to pay for mould remover and try and sort it?



thank you in advanced to all with insight + experience.

anselld

sofsofsof wrote: »

asking on behalf of friend
is it right she will have to maintain the garden to the full extent? so if grass needs reseeding (because its died, her cats have done something to it etc) & having to buy grass seeds, weed killer etc etc, rake spade etc all on her back?

Most agreements will require the garden to be maintained, yes.

sofsofsof wrote: »

is it right she has to repair fences broken in the wind?

Usually fences break because they rot. Anything like that purely caused by the passage of time will be the L responsibility to repair. If there is damage done by pets or other accident that would be for T.

sofsofsof wrote: »

is it standard for her to have contents insurance?

Her choice. Some agreements may attempt to insist but I am not sure any such clause is enforceable.

sofsofsof wrote: »

if she wants the property redecorated to her taste, she has to pay for this? ll said yes to allowing her to redecorate but not to paying for it.

Technically, she should return it in the state at the start of the tenancy less wear and tear so she could decorate it however she likes and then re-decorate on leaving. However in practice it is better to ask permission. Tenant will almost certainly have to pay unless it can be negotiated as a condition of taking the contract on day 1.

sofsofsof wrote: »

and lastly, if she has a wasp nest in her loft or rats or any other type of vermin.. whos job to pay for.

If vermin or pests were not present at the start and unless the cause is building defect then the T pays.

sofsofsof wrote: »

what about mould, say she gets condensation and mould due to her being frank not ventilating the place properly.. does she have to pay for mould remover and try and sort it?

Tenant pays if it is caused by lifestyle factors (not ventilating, not heating, drying washing indoors, etc) L pays if it is building defect.

Slithery

sofsofsof wrote: »

is it right she will have to maintain the garden to the full extent?

That depends on what the tenancy agreement she signed says.

so if grass needs reseeding (because its died, her cats have [STRIKE]done something to[/STRIKE] weed all over it etc) & having to buy grass seeds, weed killer etc etc

That's damage, your friend is liable.

is it right she has to repair fences broken in the wind?

She doesn't have to, but then again neither does the landlord.

is it standard for her to have contents insurance?

Only if she wants to.

if she wants the property redecorated to her taste, she has to pay for this? ll said yes to allowing her to redecorate but not to paying for it.

Both. Ask permission and usually pay as well (unless the landlord offers to pay instead).

and lastly, if she has a wasp nest in her loft or rats or any other type of vermin.. whos job to pay for.

Not sure on this one but I'd say it's up to your friend. Any homeowner would have to do the same.

what about mould, say she gets condensation and mould due to her being frank not ventilating the place properly.. does she have to pay for mould remover and try and sort it?

Again that's damage. Your friend is liable.

00ec25

sofsofsof wrote: »

asking on behalf of friend

she sounds like trouble

sofsofsof wrote: »

is it right she will have to maintain the garden to the full extent? so if grass needs reseeding (because its died, her cats have done something to it etc) & having to buy grass seeds, weed killer etc etc, rake spade etc all on her back? define "full extent"?
she is required to return the property in the same (or better) than it was at the moment she took it over

the tenancy agreement may specifically mention the garden or it may be silent on the subject, for example some may say the tenant must cut the grass or trim the hedge. Those are not unreasonable as they fall into the concept of "behave in a tenant like manner" , ie do the little jobs that any householder would be expecting to have to do

if grass dies because of her animals then that is her causing damage for which she will need to pay - if it can be proved she caused it...

is it right she has to repair fences broken in the wind? no, LL responsible

is it standard for her to have contents insurance? if the property is furnished by the Ll then its the LL's stuff and the LL should insure it. She however remains liable if she breaks it
if unfurnished, then she can do what she wants with her own stuff

if she wants the property redecorated to her taste, she has to pay for this? ll said yes to allowing her to redecorate but not to paying for it. that is pretty much the norm, LL does not have to pay, only has to give permission since her taste may not be the LL's and certainly won't be the taste of the next tenant, so why should the LL pay for it, as it may all have to be undone

on that basis I hope her permission is in writing and covers whether she has to reinstate to original colour or not... ?

and lastly, if she has a wasp nest in her loft or rats or any other type of vermin.. whos job to pay for. her lifestyle, her dirtiness, hers to pay

yes of course the LL may be held responsible fro structural defects allowing vermin in the house, good luck arguing that one

what about mould, say she gets condensation and mould due to her being frank not ventilating the place properly.. does she have to pay for mould remover and try and sort it?. what caused the condensation: tenant lifestyle? building defect?

prepare to battle who is right on that one

as above

[Deleted User]

1) If her cat or she has done something to damage the grass, of course she has to reseed/returf so that it is left in the condition she found it when she moved in, of course at her expense. She/her pets caused the damage.
2) She should be able to ask the LL to repair/replace the fence unless it was all brand new when she moved in but the LL may not do it or may not do it as soon as she'd like. It would be helpful if she had evidence of the fence being in a dilapidated state when she moved in.
3) If she wants contents insurance, it is normal to pay for it to have her contents protected.
4)Of course, if she wants the property painted differently to how she found it when she moved in, she has to pay for it, and unless she reaches an agreement with the LL that the colours she uses are ok, she will need to pay to return it to the colours it was in when she moved in. This permission should be in writing. Otherwise she could very easily find a large redecorating bill being taken from her deposit.
5) Depends how co-operative the LL is. Some LL's will pay, some will not. Things like bed bugs etc occurring 6 months after moving in, the LL could easily say are the tenants fault (they weren't there when she moved in). I had mice, I used a fluorescent powder to see where they were coming in the house, did some research on habits, bought traps and they died. Cheap quick and effective (although rather gruesome), probably better than getting rentokill etc in. I knew my LL was a pain in the behind about anything so it was easier doing it myself.
6)If she isn't venting the rooms, then yes of course she should pay to remove any mould. Its called being responsible. I bought Cillit Bang mould remover for a pound from a pound shop. Huge expense but it dissolved the mould off the walls.

Cross posted with Ooec, he is bang on with his comments, put it better than me lol.

sofsofsof

Haha about sounds like trouble but is legit for a friend i dont rent

sofsofsof

Thank you everyone for your replies. We figured it would be this way but wanted confirmation