Is it me or my landlord crazy!!??!!

[Munch]

I have received an email today and this is how it reads!!!

To Adam & Jo Ross

With reference to my visit last week to the house and talks with Jo regarding the new Tenancy and jobs to do at the house.

New Tenancy

It is a 12 month term tenancy at £825.00 per month as from 1st September 2011. The existing £800 deposit will be place into the Approved Deposit Scheme run by "My Deposits". A new inventory list will be made. I require Jo to email me the items that have been removed or no longer needed, (eg. Wooden Futon in the cellar). The landlord will bear the cost of the new tenancy and Inventory. The tenants will pay £35.00 to place the deposit with "My Deposits".
You will have an option to renew next August at the same rent, but with a review of rent on 1st APRIL 2013.
If you are ok to go ahead, email me by Friday 26th August, so I can prepare the tenancy and inventory.
Few errors in the tnancy and th edates have been corrected.

Jobs and Painting to be done by the tenants
This will be your 4th year at the house. The house was completed refurbished and decorated in Summer of 2007
1. The kitchen needs a good clean and the oven.
2. The bathroom fan to be cleaned out. The toilet and basin have the limescale marks removed
3, Paint the kitchen, lobby and Hallway + bathroom ceiling Walls and Ceiling. I will supply the paints
4. The doors and door frames needs to be rubbed and painted with undercoat and white gloss. I will provide white paint.

All the above need to be done by 30th September 2011. I will supply the materials and paint required.

REALLY???????

I think I need to find a new house.... bye bye chickens

[cardiffsteve]

Kin hell!!!!

I think hes taking the pith.

(Excuse my language)

[Florence Fennel]

I don't know much about rental agreements Munch, but surely you're not expected to do what he's asking.

[bobleponge]

Pffffffff

As we say on our side of the channel. No idea of the rentable value of the house, but the painting etc does appear to be outside of the remit of the tenant, n'est ce pas?

[zazen999]

Jo - it sounds wrong from top to toe.

You need a specialist tenants forum so that you know your rights. Or get some info from the local housing assn.

[Jelliebabe]

I know in business leases you are expected to keep things decorated nicely etc but I would have thought in a residential one if he wants it decorating he should do it!

It depends on your lease I guess!

[reetnproper]

Depending on the terms of your original agreement (i.e. who is responsible for general upkeep etc) I think a visit to your local CAB is definitely in order.

Not sure about your having to pay an additional £35 to place what (if I'm reading this right) is the bond you originally paid when you took the lease. This really doesn't sound right because surely you are extending an exisiting agreement and not starting a new one

Independent advice is definitely the order of the day.

Reet
x

[Potstubsdustbins]

Depending on your original agreement you may be responsible for interior decor although some lease's forbid any change of decoration without written permission.

As to cleaning if it is required then that is down to you.

As to your bond, I am reasonably sure this should have been placed in a seperate, secure account anyway although I am not sure when this law was enacted. I can check with one of my letting agencies on the morrow if you wish.

Colin

[zazen999]

Surely, this is negotiated at the end of the lease, not during the middle. As long as the property is returned in a decent condition [that's what the deposit is for, after all] then you can have it as clean or dirty during the interim as you want it.

And the deposit should have been protected at the start, not during the middle.

[Bagpuss]

I think some agreements have a provision (quarterly) which enable an inspection. Any issues can, I think, be raised by the landlord and remedial action required.

Re. the painting, this will be down to the terms of the tenancy agreement I suspect so have a read of that.

The deposit issue is very odd. I had thought that once the deposit was in the bond scheme it was not to be removed ?

[Bagpuss]

ps - are you sure that he is not getting ready to sell it either with or without you in it ?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Most domestic lease agreements have a clause that allows for a six monthly inspection of the property.

Defects picked up by either side at this time have to be dealt with in a reasonable time scale.

Failure by the tenant to address problems can result in the issue of a notice of termination.

Colin

[cptncrackoff]

Sounds a bit harsh!

I think we're lucky, our LL is nice, we have redecorated, painted etc etc which it says in the contract we are responsible for, it didnt need doing but his mother was living here before being taken into care...its all a bit flowery!! haha.
This year we asked him to look at two worn carpets, they werent threadbare but were worn, he sent us down to the local carpet shop to choose new ones and he picked up the bill.
apart from that he fixed a leak in the roof, painted all the outside of the house/conservatorty/garage, fitted a new garage door, paid for all the windows to be updated, we rarely hear from him, although he lives just 1 mile down the road.
Once the hot tap got stuck on and the stopcock would work, had to turn the water off at the meter, he was down the next day, new taps, new stopcock.
And when i inquired about the garden... ''do whatever you like, its all yours!''

Some landlords are really picky, we had one once who asked why we had changed a lampshade and where the old one was...on one of their two monthly checks. And insisted i 'weed' the garden whilst pointing at my basil! lol

also I'm pretty sure that if the landlord is found to have not paid the deposit into a government approved scheme they will be required to pay you back three times the amount you paid them.
I'll stick a little quote in to make it look good...

'The penalties of non-compliance are the full return of the deposit without deductions + x3 the depsoit amount'

[Munch]

Our deposit was put into a security scheme when we paid it 4 year ago, now the landlord want to move and want us to pay the charge. Unfair!

In our tenancy agreement it says we need to maintain good upkeep of the property not redecorate, I have a feeling he wants us to revamp the house to sell whist pulling the wool over our eyes!

I would also like to add that the house is kept well, there is no 'damage' caused by us! just general wear and tear!

Just feel like he is really pushing his luck with us as he knows we will have trouble moving, ie: chickens and bankruptcy behind me.

Feeling a bit bullied to be honest!

[Munch]

We have just looked at the original agreements and he is asking us to pay to move our deposit to athe very same company scheme/company that we are already with!