Be Excellent To Each Other

So, I have a new rental property I am about to exchange on. The mortgage company are insisting on professional tenants only, which is fine, but I don't have professional tenants in my other property.

I need to make sure that it is done to a high standard (but in this area not necessarily high spec). It's being completely redecorated throughout with new carpets and there is already a new bathroom in (bath needs turning around for the over bath shower). There will be a new kitchen going in with plumbing and space for integrated dishwasher, washing machine and dryer. There is parking on the drive for two cars and the back garden is slabbed.

So what are your expectations from a private rental property? I would like to avoid a gas hob and the fire is just an electric plug in one, so looking to remove that. Would you expect curtain rails, curtains, blinds etc? Anything that might make you choose one property over another? Anything in a property you have rented that you like? Anything that you might specifically look for?

Thanks for any thoughts on the matter.

I'd expect curtain rails or blinds, mainly because I'm not allowed to drill holes in the walls to fit them.

Other than that - broadband with enough wifi to cover the whole property would be quite a bonus.

Personally, I would expect all the white goods in the kitchen to be in place, curtains/blinds to be up, and the rest of the place to be totally empty. No random bits of furniture taking up space.

Fair point on the rails and blinds. The broadband would be up to them, but I'll find out what is available for them at that property.

Hmm, white good in place is an interesting one. I'll have a word with a local agent and see if that is something people in the area are likely to want. I'd like to include them so I can put integrated in and make the kitchen look smarter.

I'd be amazed if people were renting and expecting to move their own white goods around.

Agreed re: window coverings pre-fitted, white goods in place, no random furniture for an AST let (short term lets are different). That’s been the case in both of my London rentals. I’ve not a lot to add than that; generally in good condition and with bright, neutral walls (but that’s generally true I imagine.)

I wouldn’t expect to find broadband pre-fitted and I wouldn’t regard that as a perk (I’d like to choose my own provider.)

I think the broadband thing is a really bad idea, if you're renting long term you'd want to be able to choose and negotiate your own service suppliers, not have any aspect dictated to you by your landlords choice. And what if something goes wrong and you need support? You'd almost certainly need to engage the account holder which is another barrier to getting shit fixed.

ETA: what Gaywood said basically.

Oh, also — router security. I ain’t trusting that to third parties.

And to further repeat what others have said: I'd expect all white goods to be in place even if it's advertised as unfurnished. Indeed I'd never rent somewhere that expected me to bring my own, that seems like madness to me.

Depends on what they already own if they have already been renting to be honest. I did consider having it as an option. I think it's probably unusual in this area, but at the same time if it's someone just moving in starting from scratch it could be a real bonus. I'll check how much it would add to the monthly rent.

I'm not exaggerating, I've never in my life seen a flat offered without white goods

Oh I believe you, I just wonder if it's more a southern thing.

Assuming Glasgow counts as 'not southern'; it's definitely not.

More of a big city thing then.

I rented my house with white goods

Racist

My flat went to professionals and the letting agent said they'd expect curtains/blinds, a washing machine and unfurnished.

All of them? I've just double checked on Openrent and Rightmove and can't find anything in the area that includes more than an oven, hob and extractor if you are lucky. I'm meeting the estate agent at the property on Monday so will run it by them. In the meantime I'll cost it up and see what it would add to the rent so I could at least offer options.

Yes, cooker, washing machine and fridge freezer

Yeah, I think curtains/blinds are a must. I will be staying there while I do the work, so I'll need them anyway.

Did they say anything else apart from a washing machine? Fridge freezer, etc?

Thanks K.

they were silver

Fridge freezer is built in but they'd probably have said yes. Oven as well but I'm guessing that's built in.

I've stopped renting about 13 years ago, White goods were always included when I did and I had maybe 4 places before buying.

Ageist

As everyone has said really, I've rented as both a "professional tenant" and none before, if you're moving in blind & White goods (Washing machine, fridge/freezer & cooker) as standard.

You can get all of these built in easy peasy.

I've rented 5-6 properties and none of them have ever had white goods. I would expect curtain poles or blinds though.

Whenever I've rented property, I've always included white goods - washing machine, fridge/freezer and dishwasher where appropriate.

But there's always been a clause in the rental agreement that, should they break, it becomes the tenant's responsibility to replace them at their cost (and obviously they would then be able to take it with them when they leave)

Maybe it’s an urban/rural thing.

Have rented or viewed well over 100 places in London, Birmingham and Manchester and never seen or heard of a place offered for rent without white goods.

...whut? I've never seen of or heard of this, and I'd run a mile from it, personally.

Yeah, fuck that noise. If anything in a rented place breaks (assuming it's not because the tenant smashed it up or whatever) the idea that it wouldn't be the landlord's responsibility to sort out is mental.

I have my actual tenancy agreement open, as it happens:



Note you can't have it both ways, in this contract at least; if it's listed on the inventory, the landlord has to keep it working. If the landlord doesn't want to look after it, they can remove it from the inventory, but the tenant isn't responsible for anything. We had our washing machine replaced a couple of months ago. This is KFH's standard contract.

I’d say that was a fairly standard clause too.

Mind you, that clause is silent on replacements due to misuse but I’d imagine that is another clause (but if not it’s poor drafting).

Yeah, probably. It's a pretty long contract.

Proving misuse is very difficult though, so you end up just replacing IME.
"The door just fell off the oven did it? Strange, i've never had that happen to me before..."

I have.

The oven door in my kitchen is too close to the surface, occasionally it catches it slightly when closing - it's happened before that it's been closing caught it and shattered.

10/10 kitchen design...

They've always been in every tenancy agreement I've ever sent to a tenant, and no-one's batted an eyelid at it.

Feex for what's probably going on.

That’s because most tenants don’t argue over the terms of a tenancy agreement. Until something goes wrong or there’s a breach of course.

I read my entire contract and had pet clauses and break clauses added, then negotiated the precise terms of each... to be fair the letting agent was a bit confused that I was this detail-orientated. I was given the impression this doesn't happen often.

It doesn’t.

Trudat. No white goods ever broke while I was renting (or at least if it did, I didn't hear about it) so

Again, it seems to be a normal thing in the area I am renting in. I wonder if this happens more when someone moves out of their own home and leaves behind white goods that they don't need. I was advised by the EA that I could just 'gift' them to the tenants. For someone just starting to get a home together it can be useful, even if it just lasts for a short while. It doesn't need to be included in the monthly rental payment as the LL hasn't had it as a cost in the first place and if it's up to the tenant to replace, then no future cost either. Sorry, rambling now.

It seems a lot like people in your part of the world are perpetually confused about whether they should or should not own white goods.

It's definitely a thing - we were advised to gift the white goods over to the tenant so we weren't then liable for repairing/ replacing them. Not quite sure how that then works out at the end of the tenancy though.... this is presumably what I'm paying the manhunt agent to sort out for me

My tenant broke the front door lock and sweet talked the fucking useless management company so I ended up paying for it. Wankers.

Murderlawyer’s killing spree continues from abroad! That’s dedication.