What is reasonable for landlord inspections?

meeps

we had our inspection this morning, I make an effort to blitz the place so its good for me as it makes me keep the place in shape. we had them 3 monthly for the first year or so and now 6 monthly. we have been here nearly 5 years so have a good rapport with the lady from the agency, and she asks if we have problems, checks anything that has been done (new door and some plumbing this time), and looks in all the rooms, puts on the lights, flushes the loo etc- the new thing this time is that she has started taking photos for her report.

ExchangeMonkey

meeps wrote: »

we had our inspection this morning, I make an effort to blitz the place so its good for me as it makes me keep the place in shape. we had them 3 monthly for the first year or so and now 6 monthly. we have been here nearly 5 years so have a good rapport with the lady from the agency, and she asks if we have problems, checks anything that has been done (new door and some plumbing this time), and looks in all the rooms, puts on the lights, flushes the loo etc- the new thing this time is that she has started taking photos for her report.

Why do you put up with this?

DGJsaver

meeps wrote: »

we had our inspection this morning, I make an effort to blitz the place so its good for me as it makes me keep the place in shape. we had them 3 monthly for the first year or so and now 6 monthly. we have been here nearly 5 years so have a good rapport with the lady from the agency, and she asks if we have problems, checks anything that has been done (new door and some plumbing this time), and looks in all the rooms, puts on the lights, flushes the loo etc- the new thing this time is that she has started taking photos for her report.

The thought of this sort of charade every few months makes me angry

cheltenhamgirl

ExchangeMonkey wrote: »

It might well be thier asset / investment, but it's also your home. If you don't want the inspections then you're well within your rights to refuse them, even if it is mentioned on your AST.

Yes, and then the L/L is well within his rights to give you your two months notice.

I really can't see the problem. I rent. the agent pops round every 6 months, has a cup of tea, has a look in each room, then leaves me to it.

I have also been a letting agent (yes, boo, hiss), and the reason for these inspections is that some people don't treat the houses they rent well, and sometimes they may start off well, but then things change. I used to go and visit a lovely couple in their 4 bed detached home....never any problems, immaculate etc. One time I go to visit, it emerges Mrs has moved out, and he's started up a drugs factory in there. Really. There were holes in the ceilings, black bin liners over all of the windows, and all sorts going on that even I as a relatively streetwise 25year old didn't understand. As a landlord, surely you have the right to know what's going on in your property? (Incidentally the front room, which is what the guy tried to keep me in was still fairly ok, so a good job I looked upstairs in the bedroom).

I just don't see the problem, if you've got nothing to hide, why worry about it?

DGJsaver

cheltenhamgirl wrote: »

Yes, and then the L/L is well within his rights to give you your two months notice.

I really can't see the problem. I rent. the agent pops round every 6 months, has a cup of tea, has a look in each room, then leaves me to it.

I have also been a letting agent (yes, boo, hiss), and the reason for these inspections is that some people don't treat the houses they rent well, and sometimes they may start off well, but then things change. I used to go and visit a lovely couple in their 4 bed detached home....never any problems, immaculate etc. One time I go to visit, it emerges Mrs has moved out, and he's started up a drugs factory in there. Really. There were holes in the ceilings, black bin liners over all of the windows, and all sorts going on that even I as a relatively streetwise 25year old didn't understand. As a landlord, surely you have the right to know what's going on in your property? (Incidentally the front room, which is what the guy tried to keep me in was still fairly ok, so a good job I looked upstairs in the bedroom).

I just don't see the problem, if you've got nothing to hide, why worry about it?

Spoken like a true letting agent


you go girl:T

cheltenhamgirl

DGJsaver wrote: »

Spoken like a true letting agent


you go girl:T

Not a letting agent any more. Tenant though. What did I say that was so 'letting agent'? I just said what I saw as a letting agent, and how I feel as a tenant.

As someone has said before, if you don't like it, go and live in your OWN house, not somebody elses. Just because you pay a monthly fee to borrow it , doesn't mean it's yours. If you're awkard, the L/L will give you notice, and then you won't have a home. There will be people out there who are happy to let people look around the rented house, who will be more than willing to take on the tenancy.

DGJsaver

cheltenhamgirl wrote: »

Not a letting agent any more. Tenant though. What did I say that was so 'letting agent'? I just said what I saw as a letting agent, and how I feel as a tenant.

As someone has said before, if you don't like it, go and live in your OWN house, not somebody elses. Just because you pay a monthly fee to borrow it , doesn't mean it's yours. If you're awkard, the L/L will give you notice, and then you won't have a home. There will be people out there who are happy to let people look around the rented house, who will be more than willing to take on the tenancy.

And again !! :T

SquatNow

meeps wrote: »

we had our inspection this morning, I make an effort to blitz the place so its good for me as it makes me keep the place in shape. we had them 3 monthly for the first year or so and now 6 monthly. we have been here nearly 5 years so have a good rapport with the lady from the agency, and she asks if we have problems, checks anything that has been done (new door and some plumbing this time), and looks in all the rooms, puts on the lights, flushes the loo etc- the new thing this time is that she has started taking photos for her report.

Taking photos sounds like the LL is secretly planning to sell the place.

ExchangeMonkey

cheltenhamgirl wrote: »

Not a letting agent any more. Tenant though. What did I say that was so 'letting agent'? I just said what I saw as a letting agent, and how I feel as a tenant.

As someone has said before, if you don't like it, go and live in your OWN house, not somebody elses. Just because you pay a monthly fee to borrow it , doesn't mean it's yours. If you're awkard, the L/L will give you notice, and then you won't have a home. There will be people out there who are happy to let people look around the rented house, who will be more than willing to take on the tenancy.

I don't think there would be many landlords that would serve notice on a tenant who pays rent on time every month just because they were denied an inspection. Would it really be worth the potential void period?

If the landlord doesn't understand or like the tenant exercising their rights maybe they should invest in another business.

You certainly speak like a 25 year old :rotfl:

We make it clear to tenants moving into our properties that we inspect EVERY 3 months. We've added a clause in the AST to this affect and before anybody comments ......it would be regarded as a perfectly fair requirement.

We carry out inspections at greater intervals for tenants who have been with us for more than 18 months.

Nope, the clause is completely unenforcable :rolleyes:

ramellous1

Exchange Monkey, how is is this clause unenforcible? Do you have any links I can check out?
I am amazed people find these inspections perfectly reasonable. I cannot wait until my new place is ready. We are private people , where we live IS our home with our kids and to have some 20 yr old wanting to come and make sure we have not wrecked the place and snoop around our personal space to me is an insult. They have been round 3 months ago and surely any mature person should be able to weigh up who they have as tenants.