footdoctor Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I consider myself a good, fair, responsible landlord but need your advice on demands being made by new tenants that I think are unreasonable. They viewed the flat in October and took in on. Then within a month they asked for a double bed instead of a single - I sorted it.The following month they asked for a new wardrobe and new drawers as the existing ones made their clothes smell funny. I refused after going to smell them (weird I know!)but they don't smell. Now they want new blinds and curtains because the light is keeping them awake. They pay the rent but I think they are wrong to take on a flat which they viewed then request 4 changes in as many months. They are also wingeing about the agent they used and condensation (dehumidifier supplied but they complain "it fills up with water"). Who is wrong? Me or them? Advise me please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numero uno Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 tricky one you are fortunate to have good paying tenants I know landlords that have been took for money by shady tenants. Usually landlords will give customers the basics if they want blackout blinds curtains shagpile carpets etc i'd say its down to the tenant. A friend of mine was renting the house was abit shabby and the landlord wouldnt do anything so he jus found somewhere else. There are alot of empty properties out there, with that in mind id be inclined to keep them in there paying for the sake of £100 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrejuan Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I consider myself a good, fair, responsible landlord but need your advice on demands being made by new tenants that I think are unreasonable. They viewed the flat in October and took in on. Then within a month they asked for a double bed instead of a single - I sorted it.The following month they asked for a new wardrobe and new drawers as the existing ones made their clothes smell funny. I refused after going to smell them (weird I know!)but they don't smell. Now they want new blinds and curtains because the light is keeping them awake. They pay the rent but I think they are wrong to take on a flat which they viewed then request 4 changes in as many months. They are also wingeing about the agent they used and condensation (dehumidifier supplied but they complain "it fills up with water"). Who is wrong? Me or them? Advise me please. Double bed, fair enough. Robes and drawers, picky. Blinds/curtains, picky. Agent, not your problem. Condensation, worth checking the cause (could be drying stuff on radiators with windows closed) possibly more ventilation needed. It could be a LOT worse, but I know how u feel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain Talker Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I consider myself a good, fair, responsible landlord but need your advice on demands being made by new tenants that I think are unreasonable. They viewed the flat in October and took in on. Then within a month they asked for a double bed instead of a single - I sorted it.The following month they asked for a new wardrobe and new drawers as the existing ones made their clothes smell funny. I refused after going to smell them (weird I know!)but they don't smell. Now they want new blinds and curtains because the light is keeping them awake. They pay the rent but I think they are wrong to take on a flat which they viewed then request 4 changes in as many months. They are also wingeing about the agent they used and condensation (dehumidifier supplied but they complain "it fills up with water"). Who is wrong? Me or them? Advise me please. Bed:- there's two of them so, fair enough, I suppose, if it's let as a furnished property... Drawers and wardrobe:- it would have been a fair enough request had the things actually caused their clothes to smell... seeing as it was fine, then no, you didn' need to replace them. Curtains? Do you have any rules in the tenancy agreement to say "The tenant is forbidden to change the curtains themselves? if not, what's stopping them going down to TJ Hughes and paying a tenner for some darker curtains? You supplied a dehumidifier, but they are moaning that it "gets full of water".. Huh? what? Erm... DUH, mister and missus Tenant that... is... what... a... dehumidifier... DOES! DUHH!! (* Also I agree with andrejuan's comment that the condensation is probably caused by not enough ventilation) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte_24 Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I think that the bed was a fair request, however now i think they are just pushing it really. When you say they are complaining about the dehumidifier filling with water (which is very odd as this is what they do!), did they mean that they are no longer using it due to this? I would think that if they want new blinds and curtains, as long as the ones you supplied are in good condition, then the tenats would need to sort this out. They can always store the ones that you supplied and change them back when they leave if required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gethical Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I normally have no sympathy for landlords. But yeah, they sound pretty demanding. But it is a renters market. I'd request a meeting and find out what they expected when rented and their point of view and if they are gonna need new stuff every month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstar Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 How about you kick them out and let me rent the place. You sound like the best landlord in the world! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medusa Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 Unless there's a 'no changing' rule in your tenancy agreement I'd think that the choice of curtains comes down to the tenants, assuming you provided adequate curtains in the first place. I'd also tell them that allowing the rooms to fill up with condensation without using the dehumidifier (and so possibly causing damp issues) would break the terms of their tenancy. A dehumidifier is supplied and they are expected to use it to maintain a good moisture balance in the property (they're probably drying clothes indoors) and to prevent future damage to the fabric of the building from damp. It's quite possible that the condensation is the cause of their clothes smelling musty too. When I was renting I wouldn't have dared to ask my landlord to replace curtains because I didn't like them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kel83 Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I rented a room where I didn't like the curtains. I bought my own, stored the provided ones and then put them back up when I left. Sorted. So I think the curtains thing is a bit weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footdoctor Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 Thank you all so much for your comments. I am really torn because - yes they are paying the rent and times are hard but also they are costing loads with their monthly requests. The flat has been checked for damp - it isn't, it is condensation hence the dehumidifier. The existing blinds are new in a neutral colour so i am reluctant to change them, but as numero uno said, i don't want to lose paying tenants for the sake of £100. I have now had a meeting with them to try to find out what the real problem is. I offered them an "out" as in 'you may end the contract now if you are not happy' but they want to stay. They don't think their requests are odd. I do. The deadlock remains. Anyone want to buy a flat with sitting tenants? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.