Is this ok to put into lease??

Midnight Sundance

Hi, I'm considering renting out my home for a little while.. (few reasons)
Anyways, it's my home n I've put a lot of money into making it nice for myself. I'm a little bit concerned that if I rent it out my property could be ruined.
I know I'm sad for worrying about it but im especially proud of my suite of furniture n I don't allow eating n drinking on it for fear of spillages. (pls don't berate me for this!)

Would it/is it possible to put into lease that no drinking / eating on couches is allowed??

Any insights into what is and isn't allowed on a lease would be very much appreciated!!!
Ps
I'd move the couches elsewhere only for I've nowhere to leave them ...

Thanks a million!

Agent J

I'm sure you can put it in a lease .

However i can't see anyone paying it any attention or getting it enforced by the PRTB in any claim you might make. So in effect it would be useless (imho)

Any spills (Within reason) could easily be argued within normal wear & tear.

If you are that concerned about your couches.. What are you going to be like with the rest of the house?

ProudDUB

You can put what ever you want in a lease, but the odds of you finding a tenant who would agree to such a clause are pretty slim. My mother had an identical rule in our house, but she was the mammy with a bunch of messy kids, she got to call the shots. Telling grown adults that they can not enjoy a cup of tea and and a biccie in their own home while sitting on the sofa watching the Late Late is a bit much.

If you are going to be a landlord, you have to be willing to accept some collateral damage of your stuff. Food spills on furniture would be considered normal wear and tear. How about a clause that specifically mentions the state of the sofa now, and that if it has to be steam cleaned when the tenants move out, the tenants are liable for the expense, or will have it deducted from their deposit?

Midnight Sundance

ProudDUB wrote: »

You can put what ever you want in a lease, but the odds of you finding a tenant who would agree to such a clause are pretty slim. My mother had an identical rule in our house, but she was the mammy, she got to call the shots. Telling grown adults that they can not enjoy a cup of tea and and a biccie in their own home while sitting on the sofa watching the Late Late is a bit much.

I totally agree! And I know it's totally up my own ass to even think about it. I guess it's just a case of when you work hard to get something you don't want to see it ruined.
I really have no problem with normal wear n tear it's fears of house parties n red wine that gets me!!!!

Im sure I'd have to just be careful about who I'd let lease it. Ie a couple instead of students etc.

silja

Even if you put it in there, it will be ignored. If a spill does happen, the tenant will just say they were standing behind the sofa and stumbled or something.

matrim

Would you consider removing that suite of furniture to storage and getting in a cheaper one while it's being rented

The_Conductor

Alternatively- consider removing all the furniture and letting the property unfurnished? Depending on the location, there could well be demand for unfurnished property in your area. Have a scan on this forum- you'll find several people looking for unfurnished property and seeking advice etc.

Ultimately it will probably become the norm to let property unfurnished here- which is the norm in the US and on Continental Europe. Ireland and the UK with their furnished property- really are an abnormality more than anything else........

Re: putting a clause in the lease about no eating on the sofa- it would be totally unenforceable- not worth the paper its written on.........

the_syco

Midnight Sundance wrote: »

Would it/is it possible to put into lease that no drinking / eating on couches is allowed??

With that mindset, you shouldn't rent.

The_Conductor

the_syco wrote: »

With that mindset, you shouldn't rent.

I wouldn't have put it quite so bluntly- but I concur.
No tenant, regardless of how good they are, will ever treat your property like you would treat it yourself. Its a simple fact of life.

amdublin

Dude you're rentng them house not your life.

Put your self in a renters shoes. Would you rent a house from someone who stated that in the lease.

You need to realise that the house you rent now will not be the hous you get back in the future. If that is not acceptable to you then best you don't become a landlord.

djimi

Ill go along with what has been said so far; as a tenant there is no way on earth I would agree to a clause like that, and Id say youd be very lucky to find a tenant who would sign a lease with that clause in it. Most tenants will take care of the furniture, and if they cause any damage outside of what would be considered to be normal wear and tear (ie big stains from food/drink spills) then you are entitled to persue them for repair/cleaning costs or deduct it from their deposit, but you have to accept that while the accomodation is rented out it is the tenants home, not yours, and as such the tenant does not want to be made to feel that they are tip toeing around their own home in an effort to avoid the wrath of the landlord! You must have a certain level of trust when renting out an accomodation that the tenant will look after the place as their own and make every effort to minimize damage. If you cannot accept that then you are better off either not letting the accomodation at all, or else taking everything out of it and letting it as unfurnished.

toexpress

rent a self storage unit and put the stuff you feel is too good for tenants into it. There are lots of these that are cheap enough these days. I know it might seem like a bit of an expense but it will be worth it if you are that attached. There is one out near the airport that is meant to be cost effective.

You could also consider letting them have whatever and just writing the stuff off so that you can buy yourself new stuff when you move back in.

Ray Palmer

It will be cheaper to recover the sofa after they move out than put it into storage.If you are renting expect damage and carelessness. Nobody treats a rented place like they paid for everything.

jackal

Could you put a cover on over the couch or something?

If such a small thing has you worried, renting out your house may not be for you. Its your pride and joy, for the renter its a service they are paying for and at best they will be decent people who would not damage anything intentionally, but at worst...