Renting an unfurnished property

Voyager2002

Why is this issue such a big deal? If you have a good tenant, who looks after the property and pays rent on time, then keep him/her happy. The cost of getting a new tenant (including time when the property is empty) would be many times the cost of a cooker. So, if for whatever reason he wants you to provide a cooker then do so.

If he is asking for compensation for there not being a cooker, then the situation is rather different. He obviously agreed to move in knowing what was and was not included. He would only have a right to complain if he could demonstrate that a cooker had been promised or not provided. In any case, if he went out and bought a cooker then you could offer to buy it from him, but at its current second-hand value (plus a tenner for his trouble in getting it). If he has been living there unable to cook, then simply say there there must have been some misunderstanding, nobody's fault, and offer him ten or twenty quid towards what he had to spend on takeaways.

Of course, if he is not a satisfactory tenant then this issue could be used to encourage him to decide that he would be happier somewhere else.

CYBERCIDERSAVER

clutton wrote: »

if a LL asks for a full NICCIE inspection of the electrical installation - s/he will get either a 5 or 10 year Certificate - why on earth would you want to test electrical equipment annually ??? - you can seee if the wires are exposed or the sheathing broken - and if they are, repair them or throw the item away - there is no need to employ expensive NICCIE electrical engineers for something so easy to maintain ones self.

The only reason I queried it was because we have all our appliances at work tested every year. Even the kettle. Wouldn't cost much for a cooker to be tested surely. Think you can do the PAT course at college for about £80

So it's not alright to gas your tenants but electricuting them with a sh**ty old cooker you recovered from the recycling centre is okay?

clutton_2

"" it's not alright to gas your tenants but electricuting them with a sh**ty old cooker you recovered from the recycling centre is okay?""

that is exactly why all the Landlord & Tenant legislation is so difficult to comprehend - this different legal treatment between gas and electric makes no sense


btw - i never provide stand alone cookers, other than if i refurb a kitchen and then i buy a brand new built in gas one - so my CORGI certificate covers it

btw - i do resent your implication that i would provide a !!!!!! old recycled cooker - dont judge others by your own standards please.

dobbie82

If its unfurnished I would not expect there to be a cooker let alone washing machine??

I have rented a "fully furnished" house with no washing machine :-)

current home has a cooker and a fridge, but that only mean that I had to get rid of the ones I had as previous home was totally unfurnished so i had my own cooker with me when i moved.

In the homes that my sister has rented (about 6) only one had a cooker and that was because it was rented as furnished?

Vincenzo

clutton wrote: »

if a LL asks for a full NICCIE inspection of the electrical installation - s/he will get either a 5 or 10 year Certificate - why on earth would you want to test electrical equipment annually ??? - you can seee if the wires are exposed or the sheathing broken - and if they are, repair them or throw the item away - there is no need to employ expensive NICCIE electrical engineers for something so easy to maintain ones self.

I would still recommend a PAT test.

Consider this scenario: you supply a kettle in working order. The tenant damages the power cord and goes on to harm themself using it. They speak to a lawyer....etc......

How else would you prove that you supplied the kettle in safe working order and checked it regularly?

Horasio

We have had cookers in all our unfurnished rentals, washing machines and dishwashers in most.

We have had to buy fridges, curtains and freezers in an unfurnished property before. Usually, they state what is being supplied and it usually reflects in the rent.

Newer places tend to have it all built in. Older places tend to have freestanding furniture that can be removed.

Our next place has two cookers and a small fridge. No washing machine. freezer or dishwasher is supplied

LittleTinker

CCStar wrote: »

We have had cookers in all our unfurnished rentals, washing machines and dishwashers in most.

We have had to buy fridges, curtains and freezers in an unfurnished property before. Usually, they state what is being supplied and it usually reflects in the rent.

Newer places tend to have it all built in. Older places tend to have freestanding furniture that can be removed.

Our next place has two cookers and a small fridge. No washing machine. freezer or dishwasher is supplied

Merry Xmas?? :rotfl:

clutton_2

""you supply a kettle in working order. The tenant damages the power cord and goes on to harm themself using it. They speak to a lawyer....etc......

""How else would you prove that you supplied the kettle in safe working order and checked it regularly?"

this is why i never supply electrical goods in any of my properties

tbs624

clutton wrote: »

if a LL asks for a full NICCIE inspection of the electrical installation - s/he will get either a 5 or 10 year Certificate - why on earth would you want to test electrical equipment annually ??? - you can seee if the wires are exposed or the sheathing broken - and if they are, repair them or throw the item away - there is no need to employ expensive NICCIE electrical engineers for something so easy to maintain ones self.

NICEIC = National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting

LLs have to comply with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 & the Consumer Protection Act 1987 : these regs are enforced by HSE. In the event of a tenant being injured by unsafe electrical systems/equipment, and court proceedings arising from that, a LL would need to show documentary evidence of “due diligence” against a charge of negligence.

IMO, generally that’s best done by having appropriate testing/visual checking done on a regular basis and keeping proper records. In the event of any court proceedings you would certainly be asked what checking systems you had in place & what experience/qualifications and level of provable competence those doing the checks/testing had.

It’s why LL should provide safety/operating instructions for all equipment provided, including correct fuse rating info and make sure that tenants know how to switch mains supply off safely. Any LL supplying second hand white goods would be failing in their obligations if they didn’t get them properly checked out before having them installed.

All this is why, as Clutton has said in a later post , some LLs choose to keep the supply of electrical items to an absolute minimum.

On a more general note it is scary that a survey a couple of years ago showed that around 58/59% of the general public didn't use qualified electricans.

clutton_2

another reason for not supplying any white goods - is that tenants who come fully furnished with all their own furniture and white goods are probably a lot less likely to do a runner !!!

If a tenant has been in dire straits, i have occasionally bought a new cooker and the tenant has paid me for it over a period so it becomes theirs.

NICEIC - thanks TBS - i always did get that NICCIE business the wrong way round !!

"On a more general note it is scary that a survey a couple of years ago showed that around 58/59% of the general public didn't use qualified electricans"

and PART P aint gonna change that !!!!

i know we needed regs for electrics, but, officially i cannot do ANYthing in my own kitchens and bathrooms without a qualified NICEIC guy to do it for me - nannyness gone mad !