Landlords job to paint interior or Tennants

greatcrested

oops_ive_done_it_again said:

 greatcrested said:

There is case law suggesting that gutters are routine maintenance and fall under acting in a  'tenant-like' manner.

There is also case law suggesting tenants should not be required to undertake dangerous maintenance which working at height might be. So it's not clear cut legally.

The mouldy conservatory: you can clean it if you want it clean. But if it was mouldy when the tenancy started, as evidenced in the inventory/photos, then you can return the conservatory to the LL at the end of the tenancy in the same mouldy condition.

There are several concepts here:

* repairs, maintenance and improvements a landlord is legally obliged to undertake. Does not appear relevant here (possibly the gutters)

* condition of the property when the tenancy ends, compared to at the start, and the tenant's liability for deteriorating. Normally inventory Vs check out report.

* improvements the tenant chooses to make (eg painting). Should only be done with LL's (ideally wrtten) permission.

* contractually agreed improvements when the tenancy started. Again, ideally written to avoid disputes over what was promised.

Thanks for reply Stupidly i didnt take pics  when i first mived in.
He does have some form of cover for the boiler  plumbering but i guess he wanted to do a cheap deal because he told the company who he took the cover out with  he was living there when actually rents it out   thats a whole another  story .
Ill ask about the guttering again    but i think hes not really that bothered. He doesnt have listen to the constant drip when it rains 
As to the conservatory   im just wondering whether a dehumidifier would be good in the conservatory  to stop it getting damp 

But did the LL have pictures attached to the inventory? When did you first report the poor conditionof the conservatory, and was it in writing? All useful evidence should the LL claim you are responsible when the tenancy ends.

How the LL chooses to have his boiler maintained is up to him. He does not need to take out cover at al. Provided there is a valid gas safety report, and provided he gets it fixed if it breaks down, he is doing all he need do.

Rather than focus o the annoying drip noise,point out that an overflowing guter results in water running down the wall, which can cause penetrating damp and internal damage. That why gutters exist!

A conservatory is not really designed for winter use......

oops_ive_done_it_again

OldMusicGuy said:

Have you read your tenancy agreement? We rented recently and ours made it clear that we were responsible for things like window cleaning and gutter clearing. Like greatcrested said, gutter clearing is usually something you would expect tenants to do.

I will double check that    thanks 

oops_ive_done_it_again

Mnoee said:

Get written permission to paint before you do anything. I've had landlords like this who refuse to do basic maintenance then try to take from your deposit if you do it yourself. It's not worth the hassle of debating, get permission and get it in writing. 

Ive got a feeling that i won't get the whole deposit back  landlord doesnt like parting with money 

greatcrested

oops_ive_done_it_again said:

Mnoee said:

Get written permission to paint before you do anything. I've had landlords like this who refuse to do basic maintenance then try to take from your deposit if you do it yourself. It's not worth the hassle of debating, get permission and get it in writing. 

Ive got a feeling that i won't get the whole deposit back  landlord doesnt like parting with money 

That's why evidence is important.

It's also why deposit protection schemes, with dispute arbitrators, were set up.

oops_ive_done_it_again

greatcrested said:

oops_ive_done_it_again said:

Mnoee said:

Get written permission to paint before you do anything. I've had landlords like this who refuse to do basic maintenance then try to take from your deposit if you do it yourself. It's not worth the hassle of debating, get permission and get it in writing. 

Ive got a feeling that i won't get the whole deposit back  landlord doesnt like parting with money 

That's why evidence is important.

It's also why deposit protection schemes, with dispute arbitrators, were set up.

I so wish i took pictures for evidence  its too late now 

Jeepers_Creepers

OIDIA, I think you need to get it clear in your head what is your responsibility, and what is the LL's. 

IF the connie was mouldy when you moved in, that's the LL's responsibility. Once you have moved in, keeping it clean is yours. 

IF the gutters were overflowing when you moved in, that's the LL's responsibility. Once you have moved in, keeping it clear and free-flowing is yours. In fact, if you fail to do this and the overflowing water causes damage to the house, you could be held liable.

IF the walls were nicotine stained when you moved in, that's the LL's responsibility. Once you have moved in, yougettheidea?

If these issues were present when you moved in - and the poor paintwork certainly seems to have been, then you should have made that an issue at the time. It seems, tho', you don't have a proper inventory? And a LL who is renting out the place whilst telling his insurance company he's living there? (How do you know this?)

If you want to keep living there, then you need to check you have an annual Gas Safety Cert at the very least. You should also have a cert showing where your deposit is kept. You should also have T&Cs about renting (and I don't know what else LLs are meant to give). You should also ask for a copy of the inventory. Do you have any of this?!

You can ask about him supplying paint, but I wouldn't hold out much hope. It's up to you what you then do - either go on to paint it yourself so you have a nicer place to live in, or live with the nicotine walls, or move.

If you move, expect hassle from this guy about your deposit - unless you can demonstrate you are leaving the flat in the same condition as you moved in.

He sounds as tho' he shouldn't be a LL...

MalMonroe

Reading through all these comments has led me to one conclusion: leave.
You've had 18 months to look for somewhere else and this sounds like the habitat from hell. Please read the information from the government in this link - 

https://www.gov.uk/private-renting

Landlords have duties and responsibilities and cannot afford to be lazy, or tenants will take them to court. Don't let this LL mess you about. You DO have rights, with or without photos. Start sticking up for yourself because you can guarantee that nobody else is going to do it for you. 

MalMonroe

Mutton_Geoff said:

I searched the forum for the word "tennant" and "tennants". There's hundreds of them

That's great but what we're dealing with here is 'tenants' not tennants. What did it say about the hundreds of tennants you searched for, though? 

MalMonroe

greatcrested said:

Mutton_Geoff said:

I searched the forum for the word "tennant" and "tennants". There's hundreds of them

Isn't it some kind of European lagar? Presumably we'll see less of it post Jan the 1st....

Isn't European lagar some kind of bird? Or did you mean lager? In which case, nobody needs that because we can make our own here in the UK.

oops_ive_done_it_again

Jeepers_Creepers said:

OIDIA, I think you need to get it clear in your head what is your responsibility, and what is the LL's. 

IF the connie was mouldy when you moved in, that's the LL's responsibility. Once you have moved in, keeping it clean is yours. 

IF the gutters were overflowing when you moved in, that's the LL's responsibility. Once you have moved in, keeping it clear and free-flowing is yours. In fact, if you fail to do this and the overflowing water causes damage to the house, you could be held liable.

IF the walls were nicotine stained when you moved in, that's the LL's responsibility. Once you have moved in, yougettheidea?

If these issues were present when you moved in - and the poor paintwork certainly seems to have been, then you should have made that an issue at the time. It seems, tho', you don't have a proper inventory? And a LL who is renting out the place whilst telling his insurance company he's living there? (How do you know this?)

If you want to keep living there, then you need to check you have an annual Gas Safety Cert at the very least. You should also have a cert showing where your deposit is kept. You should also have T&Cs about renting (and I don't know what else LLs are meant to give). You should also ask for a copy of the inventory. Do you have any of this?!

You can ask about him supplying paint, but I wouldn't hold out much hope. It's up to you what you then do - either go on to paint it yourself so you have a nicer place to live in, or live with the nicotine walls, or move.

If you move, expect hassle from this guy about your deposit - unless you can demonstrate you are leaving the flat in the same condition as you moved in.

He sounds as tho' he shouldn't be a LL...

Im getting your point....  i should have mentioned it at the time but i was so relieved to find somewhere to live  as my circumstances had drastically changed  i remember on viewing  there was a bottle of mould remover in the kitchen and the lino was rippling up in the middle he said he was going to change it then changed his mind told me to cover it over.
As i moved in in the summer didnt hear the drip for months but when i did i made sure he knew about it he just classed as me moaning.
I had my boiler serviced this morning thou i have been putting it off until they contacted my landlord i just felt i was put in a position  i dont like lying and i shouldnt have to,  my landlord wasnt happy with me when i told him 
I think next year I'll look for somewhere to buy