First time landlord: What "extras/courtesy goods" to provide in unfurnished flat?

canaldumidi

canaldumidi said:

....bottle of wine next to the property folder in the kitchen .....

bouicca21 said:

.... but the one thing I’d really want is a folder of information.  When to put the bins out (and where), recycling instructions, any quirks about the flat/house, local restaurants/takeaways, doctors surgeries etc.

Absolutely, but I didn't think it even needed spelling out. Don't all LLs provide that as a matter of course? Where's the stopcock, gas and electric cut-off switches for emergencies. Who to call if xyv. User manuals for the white goods (not the original....!). etc

deannagone

Whether even white goods will be appreciated will depend on the tenant, I am afraid.  A lot of people will expect some white goods, but if they already have some (I always had my own energy efficient, good quality washing machine but didn't have a fridge so was very grateful to a previous tenant who left theirs in the house I was renting). 

Also to be considered with white goods is repair responsibilities.  And what you will do if a tenant takes them with them on moving out. 

Some LL's have fully fitted kitchens to help stop ovens disappearing so much.

Curtains/blinds can be very useful but what if they are broken/ruined in some way?  Who replaces them? Blinds can be expensive.  Cheaper ones don't last long.  

Sorry, some of the issues to think about.

I remember when I moved into a HA house, there was a small flower arrangement left there for me.., which I was quite touched by.  Made me feel like the LL cared.  But I wouldn't expect cleaning products generally (I tend to use white vinegar for cleaning more than anything anyway lol) or towels. 

I suppose if you are local, a small bottle of milk, coffee, tea bags and biscuits could create a nice vibe and one less thing to unpack on arrival, having moved heavy furniture around.  

Take lots of photos as proof of condition of property before new tenants move in.  And the hints and tips paperwork is very helpful (particularly where the stop !!!!!! is - if there are stop valves in the house - could save you water damage at some point).  Even local bus routes (my main problem that caused a lot of stress when I moved to a new area with children - I had a continual problem with finding buses going the right way).  

newsgroupmonkey_

canaldumidi said:

canaldumidi said:

....bottle of wine next to the property folder in the kitchen .....

bouicca21 said:

.... but the one thing I’d really want is a folder of information.  When to put the bins out (and where), recycling instructions, any quirks about the flat/house, local restaurants/takeaways, doctors surgeries etc.

Absolutely, but I didn't think it even needed spelling out. Don't all LLs provide that as a matter of course? Where's the stopcock, gas and electric cut-off switches for emergencies. Who to call if xyv. User manuals for the white goods (not the original....!). etc

We've so far rented 4 family houses. never been provided this information ever or shown.

Had to hunt them out ourselves.

I agree that both of those above would be really helpful.

666666

We've been in our rented flat for 7 years. The landlord is pretty chilled, when we moved in the advert was for furnished flat but when we looked at it it wasn't furnished, only had white goods (oven, washingmachine/dryer, cooker and fridge) and curtains, so we asked the landlord how much he would be spending furnishing it and we asked if it would be OK if we use the money to choose what we want/need and of course ask him first before buying them. Gave him a list of furniture we need/want within the budget, got his OK and bought them and he reimbursed afterwards. Worked out great for us because we don't have to live with furniture we don't like and the landlord is still within his budget. We bought all neutral furniture. We bought the following: 

- Bed frame and bedside tables
- Mattress
- Sofa and coffee table
- Dining table and 4 chairs
- Working desk and chair
- 2 book racks
- Wardrobe because there wasn't any built in wardrobe in the bedroom

MaryNB

newsgroupmonkey_ said:

canaldumidi said:

canaldumidi said:

....bottle of wine next to the property folder in the kitchen .....

bouicca21 said:

.... but the one thing I’d really want is a folder of information.  When to put the bins out (and where), recycling instructions, any quirks about the flat/house, local restaurants/takeaways, doctors surgeries etc.

Absolutely, but I didn't think it even needed spelling out. Don't all LLs provide that as a matter of course? Where's the stopcock, gas and electric cut-off switches for emergencies. Who to call if xyv. User manuals for the white goods (not the original....!). etc

We've so far rented 4 family houses. never been provided this information ever or shown.

Had to hunt them out ourselves.

I agree that both of those above would be really helpful.

Same. Houseshares are particularly bad. Everything is left up to other tenants to sort. 

I've never even had a landlord available to provide the key. Letting agents have always made me pick up the key from their office. Once, after driving for 5 hours, I turned up to find a property locked and empty. Landlord just assumed another housemate would be there without checking. I then had to drive across the city to the landlord's friends house to get a key. And that was only the beginning of the ordeal...

PRAISETHESUN

My experience with renting unfurnished properties is generally that they are bare, except for the occasional bit of white goods and curtains/blinds. Most properties have had properties absolutely nothing, but I also had a property that included washer/dryers/fridge/freezer, but with an exclusion in the TA that the LL was not responsible for maintaining them (the washing machine did end up breaking down so I had to buy my own, and when I moved out I just left the broken machine behind). Curtains/blinds are a bit hit and miss - I don't really care how they look personally so long as they are functional, but most of them have been woefully inadequate at keeping out the bright morning sun so I've ended up sorting my own out. At the bare minimum I'd put up curtain rods, unless you're happy with the tenants drilling holes in the walls to do it themselves.

Whatever the case as long as it's accurately described in the listing and/or the initial viewing which goods are provided (or not), then it's up to the tenant to decide if that's acceptable or not.

theoretica

There are things like blinds, lamp shades, (bathroom) mirrors - which reduce the need for your tenant to drill holes and seem sensible.

Then for first turning up before things are sorted out or unpacked some loo roll, hand soap and maybe paper towel or the like to dry hands might be thoughtful.

GraceCourt

Hopefully, the responses already provided will be of assistance to the OP. As an ex-landlord, I'd just like to offer two additional small points...

(1) Believe it or not, some landlords provide unfurnished properties without any light-bulbs in the rooms!  I think most of us will probably see the obvious practical difficulties with that, although we did once have tenants that took all of the light-bulbs with them (we didn't follow that up because we were glad to see the back of them);

(2) In respect of any white goods that you decide to leave, there is a hard-headed decision to make... unless the terms of the lease make specific provision otherwise, if you provide any - e.g. washing machine, fridge, etc. - repair or replacement is an expense that you as landlord will have to meet, on the simple basis that they were provided by you at the commencement of the lease for the tenant's use.  On the other hand, it's reasonable (and legal) for you to deduct cleaning costs where they are reasonable and necessary, for example unhygienic food contamination left on a cooker - but not in respect of "routine" cleaning in preparation for new incoming tenants.

cx6

nothing with a plug on ie no microwaves, toasters, vacuum cleaners, table lights, fan heaters etc (obviously the fridge will have a plug).

Murphybear

canaldumidi said:

canaldumidi said:

....bottle of wine next to the property folder in the kitchen .....

bouicca21 said:

.... but the one thing I’d really want is a folder of information.  When to put the bins out (and where), recycling instructions, any quirks about the flat/house, local restaurants/takeaways, doctors surgeries etc.

Absolutely, but I didn't think it even needed spelling out. Don't all LLs provide that as a matter of course? Where's the stopcock, gas and electric cut-off switches for emergencies. Who to call if xyv. User manuals for the white goods (not the original....!). etc

They should provide details of how to use anything provided such as cookers, white goods etc and/or show the tenants how to use them.