Curtains in rented?

Mitsouko

We are (touch wood!) close to exchange on our house sale and are going to rent for a while to see what the market does.

We went to view our first prospective rental house today. It was quite nice, unfurnished (which is what we wanted - don't want to have to put our furniture in storage) and we noticed it had carpets (seemed to be new ones downstairs) but no curtains or blinds at all. It is many years since we last rented so can you tell me, it this usual?

We can't live in a goldfish bowl, so obviously there have to be some, but seems a bit daft that we would have to provide them, since we may possibly only be there for 6-12 months, to buy curtains throughout would cost us, and then they probably wouldn't fit into another house. What usually happens?

littleemmie

When we looked round our current house it was unfurnished and no curtains but when we moved curtains had appeared from nowhere! Turns out our landlady had taken them down to wash them while the house was empty and put them back up in time for us to move in.

Might be worth asking your landlord to see if will be some.

PasturesNew

Every property is different and you'd have to ask the agent/landlord what was being provided.

However, you could use your current curtains, supplemented with some from charity shops or freecycle.

When I moved into my ground floor flat I had curtains, but being out all day and sometimes away I didn't want people to be able to see in to see if I was there or not. So I popped out to the local curtain shop and got some expanding curtain poles and their cheapest nets that fitted. Whole issue sorted for under £20 without any drilling/fitting required.

neverdespairgirl

I don't think this is much of a problem, get some super-cheap Ikea or charity shop curtains, and Bob's your uncle.

franklee

I would guess it's normal for a landlord to supply curtains, you could enquire what the plan is.

But I quite like proving my own as a tenant. Reasons are that I can choose my own style and choose washable ones.

If the landlord supplies them there may be the issues of getting them dry cleaned etc. etc.

Much easier to be in control. Places like Argos and IKEA sell curtains that are very cheap these days or there are the other suggestions above.

I brought on the big size so as to fit more windows. I prefer mine to my last landlord's that were very heavy good quality lined curtains but could not be washed and they were "fashionably" long which made them dust magnets.

Curtain poles are another matter, I'd definitely ask the landlord to supply and fit them.

sarah_elton

When I rented there were curtain tracks up, but curtains weren't supplied.

Unless the house has really odd shaped windows, you should be able to get ready mades for under £50/pair (linen shops always have sale bargains). Depends how big the house is and how many windows we're talking as to what it'll cost you.

When you're looking at rental houses, ask about the curtains in each one. If you come down to one with and one without curtains, look at the rent and the cost of buying curtains and work out what's best from there.

When I moved out of my rented flat I just left the curtains I'd put up for the next tenant, but I'd only bought two pairs and I'd been there two years.

withabix

I wouldn't expect curtains to be there in an unfurnished property.

Curtains are furnishings.

kunekune

I think most rentals have curtains but there is no obligation on a LL to provide them, any more than there is an obligation to provide carpets or a cooker.

We rent a new-build and when we came to see it there weren't even curtain rods. I asked to have rods put in, because I didn't want to get into trouble for damaging the plaster when drilling holes. We might have been able to negotiate window coverings of some kind but I preferred to buy my own curtains. If the LL had done them we would have ended up with beige vertical blinds with beige carpet and magnolia walls ... urgh. I bought quite a few second hand curtains on e-bay, and got others in sales. It was fairly expensive but that was because three of the windows are 3m wide.

Yes, it is a pain when you only have a short lease. I had managed to persuade the LL to give a 12 month AST (and am going to ask for an 'early' renewal so that we have security until this time next year, when we may be ready to buy). But if you do have to get them, either go cheap as you can get (just remember that thin curtains and bedrooms in summer don't go together) or buy something you can use in your next house.

Hermia

I have never rented a property with curtains, but I have only ever rented unfurnished. I usually just pick up some from Rosebys. I am currently in a flat with high ceilings and still managed to get curtains for two rooms for about £60.

barrymoney

- anyone know places to get expanding curtain poles (cheaply!)? all I can see from quick web search is expanding shower curtain poles...
Or just try homebase/B&Q? no ikea near me.

dobbie82

littleemmie wrote: »

When we looked round our current house it was unfurnished and no curtains but when we moved curtains had appeared from nowhere! Turns out our landlady had taken them down to wash them while the house was empty and put them back up in time for us to move in.

Might be worth asking your landlord to see if will be some.

Same happened to us, i was wondering how we would afford to put curtains in as they are very odd shaped windows but the day we got the keys they were back :-)