My landlord wants me to "de-clutter" the flat for viewings

Ramouth

In your position I would try to do as much as possible to help get a new tenant in case the LL changed their mind about ending the tenancy early.  

Clearing kitchen worktops, hiding away toiletries in the bathroom and generally clearing horizontal surfaces can make a huge difference to how a place looks for only minor inconvenience.  

The sooner they find a tenant the less viewings you will need to accommodate so it is in your best interest really.

[Deleted User]

Ramouth said:

In your position I would try to do as much as possible to help get a new tenant in case the LL changed their mind about ending the tenancy early.  

Clearing kitchen worktops, hiding away toiletries in the bathroom and generally clearing horizontal surfaces can make a huge difference to how a place looks for only minor inconvenience.  

The sooner they find a tenant the less viewings you will need to accommodate so it is in your best interest really.

Agreed but i am struggling to accept OP stating that she is doing the accommodating of the landlord, when all of this is actually an initiative to accommodate her leaving early.

Weeinterpreter

Ramouth said:

In your position I would try to do as much as possible to help get a new tenant in case the LL changed their mind about ending the tenancy early.  

Clearing kitchen worktops, hiding away toiletries in the bathroom and generally clearing horizontal surfaces can make a huge difference to how a place looks for only minor inconvenience.  

The sooner they find a tenant the less viewings you will need to accommodate so it is in your best interest really.

That's what I have been trying to do for the last few weeks. The flat is extremely clean (like how I would welcome my guests), I just don't understand how it's increasing the chances of a tenant choosing the flat, because my desk, table is still in the living room. :-(

[Deleted User]

Weeinterpreter said:

Ramouth said:

In your position I would try to do as much as possible to help get a new tenant in case the LL changed their mind about ending the tenancy early.  

Clearing kitchen worktops, hiding away toiletries in the bathroom and generally clearing horizontal surfaces can make a huge difference to how a place looks for only minor inconvenience.  

The sooner they find a tenant the less viewings you will need to accommodate so it is in your best interest really.

That's what I have been trying to do for the last few weeks. The flat is extremely clean (like how I would welcome my guests), I just don't understand how it's increasing the chances of a tenant choosing the flat, because my desk, table is still in the living room. :-(

Perhaps there's no sense to it and the LL is clutching at straws in an attempt to explain why it hasn't been let after the viewings. It sounds like you've done everything you can and you can let him know this, or could ask for specifics as to anything further he'd like you to do (within reason). 

edgex

Are there no photos from when you moved in, or before, that show the flat without the additional furniture?
Could probably take some photos now & photoshop out the bits that are yours.

I assume it's being let as 'furnished', so all the LL needs to do is make sure the viewers have a list of what is/isn't included.

BrassicWoman

I'd see of the wee chat includes the landlord giving use of storage; for all you know it does. In which case, I'd agree in order to make the place look better and get the let agreed, so I could move on without a fuss.

Depending on the price of the furniture I also wouldn't be moving it all the way to Scotland, cheaper to buy second hand at the other end. So I'd offload some too unless it's all solid walnut....

Weeinterpreter

edgex said:

Are there no photos from when you moved in, or before, that show the flat without the additional furniture?
Could probably take some photos now & photoshop out the bits that are yours.

I assume it's being let as 'furnished', so all the LL needs to do is make sure the viewers have a list of what is/isn't included.

Well, that's the thing. The flat is being advertised with the photos of the empty flat (the way, I moved in), so the prospective tenants have those pictures. 

Marvel1

No chance, they can wait until you are gone, at present it's your flat!

You dont even have to clean - only time it matters is when you leave not before.

The downside is he is allowing you to leave early and not making you pay til the end of the fixed term.

Justonemorecupoftea

Maybe ask to go 50/50 on a storage unit, they're pretty cheap for small ones. We've got some stuff in a storage base one for £6/week whilst our house is on the market.

And see it as an opportunity to have a good pre-move clear out as well!

getmore4less

Your new jobs start at the beginning on June.

That's 6 weeks away.

You should have started decluttering and boxing up stuff already.

disposing of anything you are not taking with you and don't need now.

There is a compromise here to meet your objective of being free of the place as close to you move date as you can get by finding new tenants.