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Landlord wants whole house decorated.
Sorry, this is rather a long post, but I'd value peoples' advice .
My elder daughter & her partner have lived in the same rented house for 5 years. The paintwork newly done when they moved in, & they've been model tenants ( according to their letting agents )
Now their landlady has said she's going to have the whole of the interior of their house decorated in one week. I thought Landlords usually redecorated between tenants, not insisted on doing it mid tenancy.
This means they're going to have to pack the entire contents of their house into boxes, & move them from one room to another at the painters progress.
My elder daughter's got a long term neck & back chronic injury, which means she can't lift heavy boxes.
Her partner's got a very stressful job, is on anti anxiety medication & is often asked to work away from home at very short notice.
Can their landlady do this ? & have they got grounds for trying to persuade her to compromise, on the grounds that she's being unreasonable ?
My elder daughter & her partner have lived in the same rented house for 5 years. The paintwork newly done when they moved in, & they've been model tenants ( according to their letting agents )
Now their landlady has said she's going to have the whole of the interior of their house decorated in one week. I thought Landlords usually redecorated between tenants, not insisted on doing it mid tenancy.
This means they're going to have to pack the entire contents of their house into boxes, & move them from one room to another at the painters progress.
My elder daughter's got a long term neck & back chronic injury, which means she can't lift heavy boxes.
Her partner's got a very stressful job, is on anti anxiety medication & is often asked to work away from home at very short notice.
Can their landlady do this ? & have they got grounds for trying to persuade her to compromise, on the grounds that she's being unreasonable ?
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Comments
1) The Landlady is not being unreasonable, so long as there are no underhand reasons.
2) Compromise, explain the situation to the LL/agency, the LL can't deliberately inconvenience you but having workmen in can be inconvenient but maintenance has to be carried out.
Furniture to the middle of the room, drop cloths, and bob is your uncle.
did you read the op? all the information is in it.
This!
This is what my parents used to do, they may have packed away ornaments and things like that but not the entire contents of a room
Or state that she will do this if this uncalled for decoration goes ahead.
Of course, they might actually have to follow through with the threat to quit and move.
Landlords take special courses in being power-crazed insensitive bastards you see. The only thing that get's through to them is money.
It's a redecoration that might enhance their stay in the house better than it has been before!
Even if it's not mentioned in the agreement, you can have verbal agreements too (although a pain to prove). Plus it's not an unreasonable request and the landlady's given notice for something that seemingly happens every five years.
Above info taken from this Shelter page: http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/repairs_in_private_lets/disruption_and_poor_work
I suggest you buy your own dust sheets like these polythene ones from Wilkinson's that I have used myself when a property I was renting was double glazed: http://www.wilko.com/preparation/wilko-polythene-dust-sheet-12x9ft/invt/0343811 and as Espresso posted, move the furniture in the centre of the room (or ask the landlord to get the decorators to do it, if you trust them to move your stuff without damaging it), and make sure that all the floors especially access routes are covered too.
Take photos with the date imprinted on them of furniture and fixtures/fittings/anything you can't hide under sheets then if they are splashed with paint etc you have proof, and can put in a claim, if your landlord has agreed to this first.
I would just offer to help them out shifting stuff around from room to room if I was you, or if you can not help out I am sure some other nice person can if they can not do it themselves.
Decorators are quite apt at moving stuff as well if needs be, but it is always good to try to sort it yourself.
Quite often this is done between tenancies, but sometimes if it's a longterm tenancy it has to be done with an existing occupying tenant.
Landlords are well within their rights to do this occasionally.
If the last time it was decorated was 5 years ago - I'd be more than happy to have the whole house redecorated. I think it's a tad excessive to say everything has to be packed up and moved out of every room. As others have suggested, furniture in the middle of the room under a dust sheet. Sorted.
If they've been model tenants, then I'd imagine they'd be on good terms with the landlady. Explain your worries and the landlady may be able to put you at ease.
Yeah I agree with you in principle. Unfortunately not all landlords and tenants can work with each other. I missed that post by maximo but I'm pretty sure it can be ignored and that redecorating is classed as improving the property, so the landlord can do it without reference to the tenancy agreement.
Of course I read it. I said stop moaning because most landlords won't decorate for you. So be grateful.
Yes it is an inconvenience, but
- how can the landlord redecorate in between tenants when this is seemingly a very long term let
- what if the landlord doesnt redecorate and then when the tenants move out and the inventory and check list is done, they can accuse the tenant of making marks or damage to the decor and charge this from the deposit?
- as others have said, move your stuff to the centre of the room and just take lightweight things out of the room bit by bit
- who wouldnt love to have their whole house decorated
- I assume that as the tenants have been there for so long, they like having the house, the rent is ok and the location is good, therefore dont rock the boat by going to solicitors and CAB. All the landlord has to do in that situation is simply give notice and follow the procedures to chuck them out.
She presumably has at least one sibling and a mother who cares about her so why cant her family help her out? Can you store some stuff in your own loft or home for a couple of weeks whilst this goes on?
I've been in rented accommodation for years, would love it if the landlord redecorated. Starts looking grubby after 5 years. I'm no good at painting.
This is the key point. It's not worth making a fuss as the landlord would be well within their rights to serve notice for the tenants to move out and then take as long as they want over redecorating.
It sounds like the OP has a good landlord (which is a rare thing) so just be grateful that they are wanting to look after the property.
Professional decorators are well used to working around other peoples shit.
What??
You're joking, right?
And if not, then you have a very strange attitude.