If your landlord's refusing a reasonable request, who do you escalate to?

Allegedly the hall was repainted just before I moved in. Thing is, if you try and clean the wall, the paint comes off on the cloth and leaves a mark – just using water to clean with.

I’ve said I’d either like the hall repainted with better quality paint or a note on the file to say I’ll not be expected to pay for any repainting when I move out.

There’s other issues too, like the whole house stinking of smoke from the previous tenant, so I asked for the carpets to be cleaned. They’re refusing that too.

I think this is typical “do a half-arsed job and then sting the tenant for repairs” approach so I want to get it resolved now and not get stung when I move out.

What are my options for escalating this to a third party if they refuse to do what is clearly reasonable?

The guy who runs the managing agent is also the landlord… so I have to go elsewhere to get some leverage

Tick

First thing, where is your deposit? Half arsed may mean it’s not in a DPS which means a fine for the landlord and money to you.

Secondly whats the rental market like where you are, moving is probably the better option and keep all correspondence for the DPS.

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

just using water to clean with

Water based paint?
Most paint will come off if you clean it with water. If its a minor mark that goes under ‘wear and tear’ anything major its up to you to repair.

the whole house stinking of smoke from the previous tenant

Surely this was noticeable when you went for the viewing?
Either it should have been sorted before you signed the contract or you were happy with the house ‘as seen’.

Welcome to the world of renting, your landlord will do try to shaft you at every turn. Take lots of photos of the damage, or even a video demonstrating the paint coming off.

Also withhold your last months rent to the same amount as your deposit. I rented for best part of a decade before I could buy somewhere. Each and every landlord I encounterd was less trustworthy than a politician.

Landlords are renting their house to you as a business, therefore it’s all about maximising their returns. Paying £x to re paint a hallway will eat into their profit for no benefit to them(you have already signed a contract after all). Why would they pay for it to be done when they can charge it to you at the end of your tenancy?

This particular landlord is also an estate agent, I know I’m dealing with someone who puts his business before my needs…

The deposit’s with the DPS. I took loads of my own photos on top of the inventory ones, and also made tons of amends to the inventory and kept my own copy.
Re the smell. I can’t remember but I think the windows were open when I went round – stupid of me to miss that one! I’ve made some progress with copious amounts of shake n vac, girly candles and cans of air freshener.

Either way, anything they won’t sort that they could try and take deposit for, I’ll make notes of all correspondence, take photos and send in advance to DPS so they know there’s a possible dispute. Best I can do I suppose.

I would just get on with my life, and not let it eat away at me.
It’s a bit of paint coming off when you rub it, and the smell of smoke from a previous tenant.

Get out on your bike, work for free in a hospice shop, do something to take your mind off minor annoyances

Doh. Dont wash water basedd paint off with a cloth.

Use sand paper. Sand the marked top layer of paint off.

I personally dont see how you can expect not to pay you made the marks.

Where do you live? I have an excellent Vax if your near Manchester.

I won’t list the problems we have been having but they are a lot more serious and some dangerous, and lots of silly little ones that should be easy to sort.

when I asked for one to be sorted out as it was getting to be a real nuisance I got accused of breaking the tenancy agreement and sent a termination notice. out of fixed period so nothing I can do about it and at the current rate I am going to be buying a caravan and asking a local campsite if we can live there for a few months.

I won’t list the problems we have been having but they are a lot more serious and some dangerous

Maybe it would be better to ask advice about those then ?

I suggest that you
a) Vaccuum & clean all the soft furnishings to get rid of the smell.
b) Buy some paint & a brush and get on with it yourself.

Frankly, you sound pathetically unwilling to do anything yourself.

scruff9252 – Member
Welcome to the world of renting, your landlord will do try to shaft you at every turn. Take lots of photos of the damage, or even a video demonstrating the paint coming off.

Also withhold your last months rent to the same amount as your deposit. I rented for best part of a decade before I could buy somewhere. Each and every landlord I encounterd was less trustworthy than a politician.

Landlords are renting their house to you as a business, therefore it’s all about maximising their returns. Paying £x to re paint a hallway will eat into their profit for no benefit to them(you have already signed a contract after all). Why would they pay for it to be done when they can charge it to you at the end of your tenancy?

This happens every time 🙂

All landlords are ****.
Everyone is making a huge profit
Why should I have to pay rent it should be free as I’m doing them a favour looking after there property.

Ops landlord sounds like a arse but some tenants can be also 🙂

I’ve been renting both commercial and residential property out for years.Maybe I’m a bit different to other landlords but I have pride in my properties.
When a tenant moves out I repaint the interior completely and wash the carpets.The only time I am reluctant to do this is when the tenant has only been in for 6 months.This should be up to my agent to point out any problems to the tenant for him to rectify.A property should not need a full repaint just 6 months on.If a tenant has been in many years then I accept that more work would probably need to be done.I have NEVER found a property to be in more or less the same condition as when it was initially let, even for just six months.

I’m a landlord. I have one house that I used to rent out but unfortunately the last tenant was a dirty, scruffy, lying, benefit cheating, thieving ****. He was evicted in January along with his stinking, enormous dog (& son). Leaving the place in such a state that my mrs was almost on the point of throwing up when we got it back. I felt sick as it was my home beforehand. Because of time & money constraints It’ll be about another 3 weeks before it can be inhabitable again.
Not all landlords are ‘in business’ to fleece tenants, but a lot of tenants are just plain nasty.

To the OP, when my house is ready, your’e not getting it.

Re the paint, I always use dulux soft sheen wall paint. Have done for about 15 years, but I think you can now only get it if you have it mixed trade (they have replaced it with their endurance Matt, that is crap). This paint I can wash down, clean marks off with cif (carefully), and reprint bits that have been knocked and filled years later (with it drying exactly the same colour).

I do think lots of other wall paint is nowhere near as easy to live with.

I’d say, get a tin of dulux soft sheen and repaint.

Simone

Here’s how I found my flat had been left a couple of weeks ago, I’ve had the lawyers on to the tenant for months.

Here it is today:
http://www.gumtree.com/p/flats-houses/beckett-road-doncaster-2-bed-first-floor-flat/1058446666
Landlords are scum. Tired and skint scum.

Just paint the wall yourself & suck it up – we’ve re-painted most of our large flat to more suit ourself & the property, nothing gaudy but subtly different from the usual magnolia. Helps it feel more like our home instead of just somebody else’s investment. Paint doesn’t cost much & only needs take a day if you prep well & do it efficiently.

worked for many tennants and landlords, some are great and spend their cash and some dont, thy think its dead money.

If youre a tennant and want somewhere nice to live, paint and a dep clean cost little, and if youre a landord, paint and deep clean and add it onto the rent.

Frankly, you sound pathetically unwilling to do anything yourself.

He pays his rent that is what they have to do. You seem to not understand the tenant landlord relationship.

Landlords responsibilty is not to clean tire marks off the wall..

Ive yet to see a particulars that states “benifits from wipe clean walls ”

Do you also phone when a light bulb blows ? Be in for a shock when you do buy …

Having a similar issue whereby the landlord is ignoring a reasonable request plus a few other things whereby it could all get messy (really they just think we’re the wrong ‘type’ for their house and want shot). Having looked around, the Shelter website suggests the council housing department and sure enough the local council website lists a private landlord/tenant dispute service which I will be calling on Monday.

I’ve always found when renting, that the best way to get what you want from a Landlord is to help out when you can.

Eg, the electric hob needed replacing, and I could source one at trade and fit it for free. So he paid less and had no hassle whatsoever.

When stuff happened that I couldn’t help with, he couldn’t have been more helpful and sorted things fast.

(Painting a wall would certainly come under the “you pay for the paint and I’ll do the job” category)

We withheld SIX MONTHS rent before our landlord bothered to do anything about the problems we raised. Leaking roof, damp on the walls, leaking back door, etc.

Previous one we took to small claims court to get our deposit back (despite being with DPS).

One before that used to show potential new tenants around – while we still lived there – without any notice. Had to change the locks to stop him!

Most people I know who are/have rented, have had unpleasant experiences with their landlords.

I like the way some of you are passing character judgement on someone you don’t know from Adam 😯

Tbh, using paint in a narrow hallway which can’t take a wipedown seems like a bit of a poor decision to me. I want to keep the place in good nick so I’ll ask them if they can supply the paint and offer to paint it myself…

I’ve nuked the place with shake n vac and all kinds of deoderising sprays so we’ll see if that works or not.

What are you carrying up and down the hall that it gets marked enough to notice ?

While you are asking, why not ask for the cost of a Rugdoctor machine for a day, and clean the carpets properly. By the sound of it, that’s what it needs.

xiphon – Member
We withheld SIX MONTHS rent before our landlord bothered to do anything about the problems we raised. Leaking roof, damp on the walls, leaking back door, etc.

Previous one we took to small claims court to get our deposit back (despite being with DPS).

One before that used to show potential new tenants around – while we still lived there – without any notice. Had to change the locks to stop him!

Most people I know who are/have rented, have had unpleasant experiences with their landlords.

We have been tempted to do that but then they can say we are breaking the contract.

Today about 1/3rd of the plaster on our bathroom ceiling came crashing down. I told the landlord 2 weeks ago it was starting to crack and come away from the ceiling but nothing was done.

Fortunately no one was in there at the time as it ha left two cuts in the lino on the floor. Could have given me a sex change!

Brooess – If your not happy just find another place.

You’ve raised the issues in writing I can’t see why they would sting you for carpet cleaning.

Some landlords simply don’t care, can keep asking but they don’t legally even have to supply hot water let alone a suitable paint for a wall.

I have a smoke smell issue in my current house, turns out next door smoke 500 a day. Worse in the summer when all windows are open. No bother now, moving out soon.

So you have marked the wall, and then rubbed-off the paint trying to remove the mark? And this is the landlords fault for not using “decent” paint, and he should have it professionally redecorated accordingly? I think one of you is being reasonable, the other not-so.

As a tenant you need to take a little more responsibility for your home.
Buy a tin of paint and repaint the wall that you have damaged. Be more careful carrying your bike through the hall in future and use your paint to touch up as required.
Rent a carpet cleaner from your local HSS or similar and put a little effort in. For £100 and a lot less time than you will waste trying to get the LL to sort it, you can get back to a normal life.

I have just also remembered to check here
http://www.tpos.co.uk/
If your landlord/agent is registered with the property ombudsman than you may be able to go through them.

By the house not being water tight, they have already broken the contract.

Eventually the father of the property owner came round – and was both mortified and embarrassed the property was in that state. Immediately he got on the phone to his sons, and they send round a team (10 people!!) to start work that afternoon.

The father explained his sons had most likely “forgotten” about the house (they owned the entire close of 10 properties), as they were busy building shopping centres and business parks. So wealthy, they didn’t notice the lost revenue. The houses were built as a tax break somehow…

Me landlord has just said how you getting on with your new upstairs tenants , I said they’re ok but they start stamping and shouting after midnight, he said does that bother you? I said no coz I’m normally playing my trumpet by then.

For £100 and a lot less time than you will waste trying to get the LL to sort it, you can get back to a normal life.

Correct. Just a bit hacked off they’ve not bothered with what I’d consider a few cheap-to-sort basics. If hallway paint can’t take a few scrapes it’s not really much use…

There’s the remainder of the tin of paint under the stairs which I can use. It’ll give me some useful practice learning how to paint but on someone else’s walls 🙂 I’ve mullered the place with perfumed candles and Shake N Vac all weekend and the local Tesco has Rug Doctor for hire…