I write on this post as many help give me support
After spending on renovations for a rental flat , an interested tenant has told me to discard all the bedroom furniture including a brand new mattress
As this is my main income , I am torn between accepting her request or saying no to further demands as it is costing too much ?
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As the flat is furnished, I would think she either takes it or leaves it, personally.
I can understand a new mattress, with the Covid 19 concerns, but if the rest of the bedroom furniture is wood or hard surfaced, I would think she is trying it on for more, especially if it is in good order.
Problem is she probably realises you are desperate for income.
You are experienced in this sort of thing, What does the current law say about how much a tenant can demand? What does your letting agent say?
Cheers, Midori
Good Evening
I accepted for the wardrobes to go and for the bedframe and mattress to go but I will not give into further demands.
As the tenant has agreed for a term of 30 months the Letting Agent has advised me to accept which I have done subject to satisfactory references but as I refuse to give into any more of her demands
I have already paid £1,100 which has been to pay for repainting if the doors, a total clean and a new mattress
But I will not pay for any more excerpt to dispose of the wardrobe and to give the new mattress and bed frame to British Heart Foundation
I’d wait for another tenant to come along, unless you have somewhere you can store the bedroom furniture at no cost. (Or disturbance to yourself.)
It could work out that this tenant doesn’t stay long and then you might well have to buy it all again.
Thank you for your reply
The wardrobe is a triple wardrobe but over 28 years old but the mattress is new and bedframe bought last year
She has her own bedroom furniture and the flat has been empty for just under two months.
I have agreed subject to satisfactory references but I will not give in to further demands
My business was property management and due to problems like yours, I only took on totally empty properties apart from white goods. Made life much easier for my landlords and no furniture damage to cause disputes at end of tenancy. Tenants are happy to be surrounded by their own furniture too. But maybe things don't operate like this with you. Maybe your agent should be finding you a different tenant as this one sounds trouble already.
Good evening
Thank you for your reply
The tenant has offered to stay for 30months on condition the bedroom furniture is removed
The triple wardrobe to be disposed of and the bed and bedframe
The wardrobe is over 28 years old but the bedframe a year old and mattress brand new
The tenant if she passes the reference check will sign for 30 months and this is what she will sign for
I will also take out rent guarantee insurance to cover the duration of the tenancy
If she makes further demands I will say no
This is a very difficult dilemma Roukaya. One that I would think, needs some thought. With the Covid situation, it could be that the prospective tenant may think the request is a reasonable request and without the Covid factor there would not have been such a request. You need to ask yourself are you in a position where you can hold off and wait for another tenant. Do you think she will make a good tenant. Does she have good references. Is she likely to be problematic. Do you want to give yourself this extra stress of having to empty bedroom furniture. Do you have a place to store it. It is a dilemma that will take careful consideration but you must be happy at the end of the day with the decision you make and what is right for you. xx
Good evening
I hope you are well
Thank you for your reply
I would like to say this is my main income and the flat bern empty since April 19th
The flat has been newly decorated for the sum of £1,100 and I did this to make the flat look better
As soon as this was done, the tenant agreed on condition I remove the triplex wardrobe and the bedframe and new mattress
I have agreed but this is subject to satisfactory references which is being done by a credit referencing agent
If the references are suitable , the agent will get in touch with the council to dispose of the Triple Wardrobes which are good quality wardrobes as they came when I moved into the flat 28 years ago
The bedframe bought last year and new mattress bought a few days ago as the previous tenants had taken the previous mattress.
However if the tenant finds that the back wall needs painting once the wardrobe has been removed and if the carpet is found to be thread bare once the wardrobe is removed , I have explained I will not be paying for any more .
Also I have just paid the contractor to renovate the flat but I asked for a further quote and his quote is too expensive to consider
He is also trying to extract more money out of me as only the back wall needs painting but he insists the whole room needs painting and to decorate a small bedroom he is charging £480 plus £350 to replace the carpet
I sense he is charging exorbitant labour
I think I have agreed for the removal of the wardrobe by the Council and for the bed and mattress to go to the British Heart Foundation
I will wait and see for the reference checks and explain I am willing to do no more
I wonder what you think
I think you are being very reasonable and I do not think you should be paying any more expense out. I think because you offered a furnished flat and are being very flexible by offering to remove the bedroom furniture, the cost of any expenses incurred thereafter, should be the tenant's responsibility. xx
Hi Roukaya,
Agitation with things we can't alter, has to be a part of life, and it's OK to feel this way. This won't be your only potential renter. If you don't want to get rid of the furniture, don't. You will have to wait a little longer, but hold out for the tenant you want who will accept your apartment as it is.🙏
The letting agent has taken a holding deposit
The tenant is subject to satisfactory references
A holding deposit has been taken until I obtain the results of the references
I will need to decide whether the agent will be willing to hand over the deposit back to the tenant
I would say to find another tenant myself as it sounds that this ones going to be awkward!
Good luck with what you decide!
It is a very difficult deciding
I am waiting for the results of the references
But even then I may call the agents and ask if the deposit can be returned back to the tenant
Have you had much interest in the flat Roukaya? Is this the first person to say they will have it since you re marketed it?
Good evening
I hope you are well
The flat has been vacant since 19th April and this is the first person interested
Also there are many properties on the market and many are reducing their rents every week
The Lock Down has impacted on the rental market and tenants have many properties to chose from
The agents have taken a holding deposit subject to satisfactory references and I am concerned if she moved into the flat she may make further demands so I am trying to find out if it is possible for the agent to give the holding deposit back to the potential tenant if I am not in agreement
This is really troubling me
On one hand I could do with the income on the other worried what kind if tenant she will be
Ok well try not to worry. I have my own house now but between 2007 and 2018 I rented and there were definitely more people wanting to rent than houses available. My sister just rented her house out and 10 people looked at it. All wanted it. Said everything is getting snapped up by the time you look at it it's gone. So my point is your tenant might not be in such a good position to demand things. If the flat is in good order and fairly priced either stick to this tenant and dont give in to demands as its rented out as seen except for something packing up like the shower or wait for one you feel more comfortable with. I hope all goes well. (At least you have a tenant and money coming in and maybe that's the thing to focus on)
Your question is unclear. It seems you have accepted her requests and also refused additional demands. As you've already decided what are you asking for from people on HU?
I think its a difficult situation. But if it was me I wouldn't chuck out a new bed because of one potential tenant. What happens when she leaves? You buy another one?
She sounds a bit entitled. If she wants unfurnished, why does she look at furnished ones?
I hope you are well
I would like to explain I have accepted a tenant and a holding deposit has been taken but I will enquire if it is possible for the owner to change her mind with the agent
I may have accepted this tenant but as contracts have not been signed yet I am wondering whether it is possible to pull out
Being in the property letting business myself,we only ever let unfurnished as everyone has their own ideas and usually their own furniture. i would wait until another tenant turns up.Its been empty for just under 2 months you say, and especially in these difficult times that is not very long.
Good morning
I hope you are well
Thank you for your reply
I would like to know as a holding deposit has been taken and if I decide against the tenant , what will be the consequence for me ?
Could you please explain
Well,we have often been faced with this situation,and we hand the deposit back,and we have never had any problem,people may get rattled,but not much they can do about it,its your property and its your choice and you are not obliged to give a reason.
If you pull out I think the prospective tenant gets the full amount of the holding deposit returned. You will still have to pay for any searches that have already been carried out. Your agent should be able to advise you on this.
I do hope this situation resolved itself and having made your decision you feel better.
Hope you have a better day
Roukaya you have made the decision that you feel is right for you ,taken after much thought.
Whatever you decided if that's what you felt was right for you then it is.
Have a better day
This prospective tenant is trying to make you turn a furnished flat into an unfurnished one. The next thing she will try is to get a reduction in rent as a result. If you comply with her wishes, when she leaves, she will take her furniture with her - leaving you to replace it and causing you more unnecessary expense. If you are letting the flat furnished, there is no way tenants can demand you unfurnished it. I had a furnished bedsit many years ago and I put very old dining chair outside the door (not outside the house) and this was used against me when the new landlady took a dislike to me, and that's all I did, so stand your ground Roukaya. This person is just trying to avoid having to pay for storage. Good luck - it's early days and I'm sure you will find the right tenant.
Good morning
I hope you are well
I think yesterday by the input of kind people on this site , I realised it is a furnished flat and the tenant is being to demanding in asking me to remove the existing bedroom furniture
The flat provides me with my main income and I have said that I do not wish to proceed with such demanding conditions
Not an easy decision to make but if she moves in with a legally binding tenancy agreement , I may experience further worries in the long term and be at her mercy every month for the rent
I have been at the mercy of tenants before when I managed my Fathers properties so this is why I decided to pull out
Not an easy decision to make but the right one for my own peace of mind
I hope you are well settled in your home and I hope you are well
Take care Roukaya, an Unfurnished flat used to give the tenant many more rights than a furnished one. Take legal advice, please.
It sounds extremely dodgy to me. I'm no longer up on rental law, but at one time an unfurnished rental gave a tenant security of tenure, which would make it hard to get her out if you needed to.
I think your Estate Agent might be less than honest over this tenant. You need to lay down the law with the Agent over what you will accept and what you won't. Don't let yourself be bullied.
Cheers, Midori
Hi Roukaya, Yes, thanks I am well, if depressed. You have arrived at the right decision, and I think your predictions are very likely happen if you accept that tenant. As someone else wrote, "why is she looking at furnished when she wants unfurnished?"
Good morning
I hope you are well
You say you are depressed
What is making you feel low
Is there something which has triggered this ?
I think as I have been a tenant myself , I would not dare ask for the bedroom furniture to be removed
The flat should be taken as seen
It is very hard to say no but I did this to protect myself from future demands
I was thinking if she is like this now before a tenancy is signed what will see be like once the tenancy is signed
A tenancy agreement is a legally binding legal agreement can be powerful for the tenant to asset her rights
I hope you are well
How will you spend your day ?
Try not to get too depressed and thank you for your advice
Hi Roukaya, I in still in a lot of pain from the second slipped disc in a year and am feeling very lonely, disrespected and unsupported. This has been building for some time and I don't know who to turn to for help.
So sorry to hear that you feel alone and unsupported.
The folk on here will always offer support and are here 24/7.
Hope that you feel better soon.
Thank you, ninelives. I fear that my partner is at the start of dementia as some of his behaviour is just so bizarre but I just don't know where to turn. It would take someone else to be in the house to see what is going on. That's not why I joined this forum. But thank you for your support.
Hi Roukaya
Sorry to hear of your dilema. The fact is, rental properties comes in and are often advertised in three forms. Furnished, unfurnished or part furnished.
As a tenant myself with my own furniture, I only navigate the unfurnished property market.
Unless of course, I have my own agenda, I would never look to the part furnish or furnished market, then ask, expect, or demand of the Agent or Landlord to move what is in place.
If the property is furnished, or part furnished, then it is a case of take it as you find it.
It is never reasonable to expect a landlord or the acting agent, to unfurnish a clearly advertised furnished property.
On the other hand, I have encountered landlords who advertised as unfurnished, however will try to get away with leaving nineteen century item/ s of furniture in the property -so as to avoid storage cost-. Albeit I do not detect that you are in any way trying to do this.
Your are offering a furnished let, Stand firm, in your decisions and ask the agent to comply.
You must be happy and not stressed with the decisions you make in trying to rent your property.
Best wishes
You have been kind enough to listen to me
Many on this site are here to give warmth,kindness and understanding
Hello Roukaya
I live in US so rental property and availability is probably quite different. I provide appliances which can cause damage being installed or removed only. My tenants either take it or leave it. If I rented furnished, which I don't, same thing take it or leave it. New mattress might be in order for sanitary reasons, but that would be it.
It seems like to me since the removal is at her request she should pay the charges to store the items.
Good evening
I hope you are well
Dealing with the agent and the tenant I have found to be exhausting
I agreed and she has said in writing she will pay £350 for the bedroom furniture
I realised that even if I pulled out and paid a penalty fee I would be left to find another willing tenant so this why I agreed
How are you managing in Lock Down
We have a few flats we rent out,but they are all unfurnished except for white goods,and from experience we would never rent furnished again,we did it a couple of times,but never again.
I also believe rented accommodation often attracts the wrong sort,as most responsible people do have their own furniture?
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