Does a landlord have to provide new mattresses?

sparkthatbled

Hi, i'm looking at places to move into right now but a lot of them have old mattresses and i'm not keen on sleeping on top of someone elses sweaty patch. Is a landlord legally obliged to provide new mattresses when new tenants move in or is there leeway for reasonable condition? I could probably get new mattresses but i don't want it to impact on my ability to bargain on the rent. Some of them have mattresses that are clearly used but don't look in bad condition, its just that for me the smell of some stranger off them is stomach-churning, as is the thought that people had sex on that mattress and it may resultantly have invisible stains. Surely it's just plain unsanitary...

antoinolachtnai

A mattress should last a few years, longer than one tenant.

A landlord might agree to provide new matresses, but you can forget about negotiating the rent. Ikea provide very fine mattress covers.

The_Morrigan

You're never going to get a completely clean mattress - in the showrooms you have people trying them out, and kids climbing up on them, in the delivery process you've got strangers loading them into trucks that may be used for more than just delivering mattresses/beds. I know they all have plastic covers but they are always ripped when the bed arrives.

Now you could always have the mattress steam cleaned, that will sanitise it, then go buy yourself a mattress cover.

Cathmandooo

No of course they wouldn't provide new mattresses for each tenancy. Do you think hotels or B&B's or Hostels do that?

You can always buy your own mattress if it bothers you that much.

If a mattress is broken or damaged, that's another matter.

Xiney

Just get one of those dustmite covers. You can steam clean mattresses as well.

Expecting a new mattress in every furnished place you're ever going to rent is rather unreasonable.

AARRRRGH

Tell him you'll dump the existing one and buy a new one yourself. If you leave it behind you when you go then no loss to the landlord for dumping the existing mattress. Get a cover and put it on it so its clean when you leave.

purpur1

sparkthatbled wrote: »

Hi, i'm looking at places to move into right now but a lot of them have old mattresses and i'm not keen on sleeping on top of someone elses sweaty patch. Is a landlord legally obliged to provide new mattresses when new tenants move in or is there leeway for reasonable condition? I could probably get new mattresses but i don't want it to impact on my ability to bargain on the rent. Some of them have mattresses that are clearly used but don't look in bad condition, its just that for me the smell of some stranger off them is stomach-churning, as is the thought that people had sex on that mattress and it may resultantly have invisible stains. Surely it's just plain unsanitary...

You need to ask, because if you dont ask you dont get!! My former landlord bought myself and my flatmates new mattresses, but we were in the property a few months and had already steam cleaned them ourselves. We just asked him one day because they were probably a few years old and he said yep no problem.

I'd suggest you move in, steam clean them, prove you're a good rent paying tennant and then ask for a new mattress in a while if its still bothering you. Legally they dont have to but if you're a good tennant then i dont see why he wouldnt want to get them for you, esp if they're already a few years old.

sparkthatbled

might be of some interest to other tenants wondering the same thing that i consulted a letting agent friend of a friend on the matter and they say a landlord is legally obliged to replace or thoroughly steam clean mattresses for new tenants but if you don't ask they'll try to get away with not doing it. i guess a lot of people offering 'advice' on here are landlords themselves!

Paulw

sparkthatbled wrote: »

might be of some interest to other tenants wondering the same thing that i consulted a letting agent friend of a friend on the matter and they say a landlord is legally obliged to replace or thoroughly steam clean mattresses for new tenants but if you don't ask they'll try to get away with not doing it.

A friend of a friend said ... hmmmm.

Can you please ask your friend of a friend where this "legal" requirement is?

Yes, of course, it should be cleaned, and fit for use. But that doesn't mean it has to be replaced and I can't find any link to a legal requirement to have it steam cleaned (just clean for use).

Oh, and I'm NOT a landlord.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

sparkthatbled wrote: »

might be of some interest to other tenants wondering the same thing that i consulted a letting agent friend of a friend on the matter and they say a landlord is legally obliged to replace or thoroughly steam clean mattresses for new tenants but if you don't ask they'll try to get away with not doing it. i guess a lot of people offering 'advice' on here are landlords themselves!

It's not a legal requirement. Sorry bud.

I mean, if it's manky, broken or just worn down then yea, you could ask him, nicely of course. Otherwise I suggest just getting a matress cover, they are great and pretty cheap. I lived in plenty of houses and only asked one landlord to replace a matress, and that was after I lived there for two years and it wasn't my matress :P

athtrasna

sparkthatbled wrote: »

i guess a lot of people offering 'advice' on here are landlords themselves!

Looks like others offering legal "advice" don't actually know what they're talking about

Absolutely no legal requirement, as someone else pointed out, what would hotels do?