Landlords old furniture, where to put???

gemini_girl

Myself & my family will be moving house soon. The house we are moving into is furnished but the furniture is very old (3 beds, 2 piece suite & kitchen table with chairs) We have children & would really like to buy our own esp the beds but Landlord said they have no where to put the furniture which is fair enough but i dont want my kids sleeping on old old mattresses. I'm thinking of offering to buy the stuff thats there so i can get rid of it myself then. Would that be only option? Thanks

jlm29

Could you rent a small storage unit for it?

The_Conductor

Garden shed?

gerrykin22

Hi op.
Your main concern seems to be the matresses chuck the
old ones out and replace them, rest of stuff should be
fine if you get covers for them.
No point replacing furniture for the landlord when he
can decide in a few months to sell up or you may decide
to move on again.

Chattastrophe!

I'd say, "I'm happy to take the place, but without these [x] items." Let him take care of the problem.

Otherwise buy the old stuff off him at as low a price as possible (and I'd expect a generous discount from him), sell at a similar price, replace with your own stuff.

Or ask the landlord to sell, cutting out you as the (non-profit-making!) middle-man.

Having said that, they're not obliged to do any of the above. But if they're not willing to, well to be perfectly honest I'd hate to be dealing with them if any issues ever arose in the future ...

The_Conductor

Its quite unfortunate that we have enshrined letting furnished property, in law. Frankly, I'd rather bring my own furniture/buy my own furniture- even if it were spartan in nature. In the absence of the landlord agreeing to store furniture- which is his or her prerogative- your only real option is to have it independently valued, buy your own stuff- and accept that at the end of the rental, you'll loose your deposit.

We have set deposits in Ireland at an artificially low level of 1 month's rent- which doesn't really lend itself to tenants dumping furniture- it could cost a lot more than this to replace furniture.

We really need to seriously look at wider acceptance of letting property unfurnished- though obviously this doesn't help the OP in their current predicament.

gemini_girl

The value of the items is about 500 euro max. The kitchen table is very old & small, the beds are old & the 2 seater & 2 arm chairs might be worth a few hundred (if i saw them on adverts i wouldnt pay more than 250). One of the beds is a double in a box room so nothing else fits in room, you open door & have to go onto the bed. This will be my 3 yr olds room so need to put his toddler bed in there. I'd forfeit the deposit but dont want to be getting into trouble with prtb either. Its an agent managing the house

gemini_girl

The_Conductor wrote: »

Garden shed?

It has no roof so stuff will get soaked

makeorbrake

The_Conductor wrote: »

Its quite unfortunate that we have enshrined letting furnished property, in law. Frankly, I'd rather bring my own furniture/buy my own furniture- even if it were spartan in nature.

It is quite unfortunate - as it's a situation that suits neither landlord nor tenant. With the best will in the world, landlords simply can't justify outlay on better quality furniture and fittings. Nobody ever looks after stuff like they do if it's their own.

From the tenants perspective, he/she ends up with manky furniture.

One day, it's inevitable this has to change - but who knows how long we will be waiting for that change. The current rental shortage in Dublin surely provides the most timely opportunity to get this in play.....but can only assume that's still not happening.

jlm29

jlm29 wrote: »

Could you rent a small storage unit for it?

Maybe not if it's only worth €500!

The_Conductor

Those storage lockers are quite ridiculous in their rental fees.......

OP- you're saying its worth Euro 500, tops.
Its the replacement value that will be gone on- aka what would it cost to replace the items- not what would they get if you tried to clear them. Their age, unfortunately, is immaterial.

You need to sit down and come to an arrangement with the landlord- procastinating- or suggesting you'll dump them and it'll cost you 500 to replace them at the completion of the tenancy- doesn't help matters. You need to come to an arrangement with the landlord- if the arrangement is that you dump the lot, and forfeit your deposit at the termination of the tenancy (as I suspect)- then so be it.

Next time- if you don't want the furniture in a rental property- take this into account before you agree to rent the place- you haven't a leg to stand on, once you've signed the lease.

jlm29

Op, is the garden a reasonable size? Would you have room for another garden shed? A quick look on done deal shows garden sheds anywhere from €300 up. Some have free delivery. If you could get one for less than the value of the furniture, you'd be able to throw it in there for the time you're in the house. Not ideal, but it might be an option if the landlord doesn't play ball regarding getting rid of his own stuff

sligoface

WhiteTiger wrote: »

The value of the items is about 500 euro max. The kitchen table is very old & small, the beds are old & the 2 seater & 2 arm chairs might be worth a few hundred (if i saw them on adverts i wouldnt pay more than 250). One of the beds is a double in a box room so nothing else fits in room, you open door & have to go onto the bed. This will be my 3 yr olds room so need to put his toddler bed in there. I'd forfeit the deposit but dont want to be getting into trouble with prtb either. Its an agent managing the house

You, as a tenant, cannot be punished by the prtb. You might lose your deposit but that would be the end of it. But since you'll have to pay to dump it as well so that will mean it will cost a lot for some manky furniture. I wouldn't bother trying to sell it.

Or, stick it in the garden shed, cover it with plastic (you could use largebin bags, tear along the bottom to make them as big as possible and use a staple gun to fix it in place) and a few sheets of timber, it will get moldy but you could probably give it a quick wipe, put it back and spray with febreze when you move out to retain your deposit. It will still take up room but I suppose you wouldn't be storing much in an unroofed shed anyway. But if the landlord was ever to have to enter the dwelling during your tenancy you'd either have to move everything again or explain what you've done which are not great options.

Greenmachine

Perphaps your landlord would be willing to inspect the furniture you are planning on replacing his with. Perhaps he would accept them as like for like.
If he was to agree to that, then flog the old stuff yourself. And set the money aside for a rainy day fund.

gemini_girl

jlm29 wrote: »

Op, is the garden a reasonable size? Would you have room for another garden shed? A quick look on done deal shows garden sheds anywhere from €300 up. Some have free delivery. If you could get one for less than the value of the furniture, you'd be able to throw it in there for the time you're in the house. Not ideal, but it might be an option if the landlord doesn't play ball regarding getting rid of his own stuff

Another shed is a good idea but id never fit in 3 double beds, table & chairs & 2 seater & 2 arm chairs!

gemini_girl

The_Conductor wrote: »

Those storage lockers are quite ridiculous in their rental fees.......

OP- you're saying its worth Euro 500, tops.
Its the replacement value that will be gone on- aka what would it cost to replace the items- not what would they get if you tried to clear them. Their age, unfortunately, is immaterial.

You need to sit down and come to an arrangement with the landlord- procastinating- or suggesting you'll dump them and it'll cost you 500 to replace them at the completion of the tenancy- doesn't help matters. You need to come to an arrangement with the landlord- if the arrangement is that you dump the lot, and forfeit your deposit at the termination of the tenancy (as I suspect)- then so be it.

Next time- if you don't want the furniture in a rental property- take this into account before you agree to rent the place- you haven't a leg to stand on, once you've signed the lease.

This is the only place we could rent. Our rented house was sold & new owners want to move in, we are on rent allowance & the house we are moving into is the only house in a 25 mile radius that would take rent allowance. I have also noticed the person im renting off is a banned user here on boards which is prob not a good sign!

matrim

sligoface wrote: »

You, as a tenant, cannot be punished by the prtb. You might lose your deposit but that would be the end of it. But since you'll have to pay to dump it as well so that will mean it will cost a lot for some manky furniture. I wouldn't bother trying to sell it.

I don't think that's true. I think you can be pursued for other costs but it's normally not worth it because of the time and hassle

The_Conductor

sligoface wrote: »

You, as a tenant, cannot be punished by the prtb. You might lose your deposit but that would be the end of it.

That is not true.
It would be a civil matter between the landlord and tenant (as opposed to a criminal matter)- but the landlord could potentially pursue you through the court system and use a sheriff to enforce any order against you. Whether it would be worth his while- is entirely another matter- some landlords do pursue to the bitter end, if they've been annoyed sufficiently by a tenant- but they are in a minority. Have a read of this forum- you'll see a few landlords currently chasing tenants over all manner of issues.

A PRTB adjudication results in a judgement. Normally people abide by the judgement. Where they don't- it then becomes a civil matter (unless criminal matters are found- in which case they obviously take precedent).

gemini_girl

The_Conductor wrote: »

That is not true.
It would be a civil matter between the landlord and tenant (as opposed to a criminal matter)- but the landlord could potentially pursue you through the court system and use a sheriff to enforce any order against you. Whether it would be worth his while- is entirely another matter- some landlords do pursue to the bitter end, if they've been annoyed sufficiently by a tenant- but they are in a minority. Have a read of this forum- you'll see a few landlords currently chasing tenants over all manner of issues.

A PRTB adjudication results in a judgement. Normally people abide by the judgement. Where they don't- it then becomes a civil matter (unless criminal matters are found- in which case they obviously take precedent).

Dont really want to be doing anything untold so best option might be to offer to buy the furniture & then we can do what we want with it.

murphaph

LL is unlikely to sell you his furniture so you can dump it. It's not just about the value...there's the hassle to replace everything when your tenancy is over.

He will possibly allow you to dump the stuff, replace it with newer stuff (I'm assuming that as you're on RS that you won't be splashing out on anything brand new) and then he could keep the newer stuff when you leave.

You need to offer him a hassle free solution, not just one that "balances the books". The reality of your situation (RS dependent) also means you should be doing everything in your power to maintain a low profile. You don't want to make the LL take a disliking to you or you could find the rent jacked up over the max threshold to get rid of you. This is the harsh reality.

Mrs OBumble

OP, IMHO you need to lose the attitude about "old stuff".

Mattresses I can understand. And the answer is simple: buy new ones of a similar quality to the existing ones, get rid of the old ones, and leave the new ones there when you eventually leave. So long as the mattresses are there, the LL won't know if they're the same or different.

As to the rest - f it's old, but not broken, then what's the problem. Use it and be thankful that you don't need to invest in your own - since you're on RS I'm assuming you're not exactly swimming in spare cash. And besides, having furniture will make it more difficult the next time you move house too.

gemini_girl

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

OP, IMHO you need to lose the attitude about "old stuff".

Mattresses I can understand. And the answer is simple: buy new ones of a similar quality to the existing ones, get rid of the old ones, and leave the new ones there when you eventually leave. So long as the mattresses are there, the LL won't know if they're the same or different.

As to the rest - f it's old, but not broken, then what's the problem. Use it and be thankful that you don't need to invest in your own - since you're on RS I'm assuming you're not exactly swimming in spare cash. And besides, having furniture will make it more difficult the next time you move house too.

I think you have misunderstood me. I'm coming from a practicality point of view. There is a double bed in a box room that you cannot even open the wardrobe (built in) or walk on the floor, you have to throw yourself onto the bed. Where am I to put my toddlers bed or how do i use the wardrobe? The kitchen table is big enough for 2 people & there are 4 of us. Front room has a small 2 seater & 2 small arm chairs. Other 2 beds are very old. I'm not trying to cause problems for the landlord just seeing if I can make things more practical for us. I would rent unfurnished but there were none available

Teyla Emmagan

My Dad has a few apartments he rents. Whenever people want to bring in their own furniture, he says 'fine'. He takes the knock on the storage costs (he has a shed, somewhere). It's more important to him to have the place rented/good tenants than worrying about a spare sofa or two. If you really want your own stuff, ask him if he will pay to take away his stuff, and leave him yours when you move out, so he's not at a loss. TBH, I think you should push it again with him. If he has a few properties he's more than likely faced this before.

makeorbrake

WhiteTiger wrote: »

I think you have misunderstood me. I'm coming from a practicality point of view.

Open to correction of course but I don't think she did. This is an expense you don't need (or at least you shouldn't need if you are on RA). Things may not be ideal but work with what you've got.

Teyla Emmagan wrote:

TBH, I think you should push it again with him. If he has a few properties he's more than likely faced this before.

I think you're wrong. The time to do this was prior to signing a lease - to try and negotiate this afterwards is not really appropriate - particularly given he is on RA.

gemini_girl

makeorbrake wrote: »

Open to correction of course but I don't think she did. This is an expense you don't need (or at least you shouldn't need if you are on RA). Things may not be ideal but work with what you've got.



I think you're wrong. The time to do this was prior to signing a lease - to try and negotiate this afterwards is not really appropriate - particularly given he is on RA.

I havent signed lease yet. The window handles are broken so we are waiting for those to be fixed first. Its not a major deal with the furniture. It would be handy if we could buy them & sell them on ourselves. I havent asked the agent about it, she just said there was no where to put double bed thats in the box room so I was thinking it would be more practical for us to have our own stuff esp with kids (marker on table etc!)

makeorbrake

Up to you. However, if I was on RA, I wouldn't be spending an extra cent on this - if it could be helped.

Rother

We left furniture in a rental in a garden shed once as we had our own.
When we were moving out we were putting the stuff back in and it was ruined, between mice, insects and damp. We never noticed as all the damage was in at the back.
We had to replace it with all new stuff. Cost us a fortune.

You could dump the furniture and leave what you get to replace it at the end, with the landlords permission of course.

If you want to value it yourself its not really fair on your landlord. He has work to do to replace it and he will have to buy new, when he wouldnt have been shelling out money on furniture in the first place. So I cant see him agreeing to that.

It is high time unfurnished became the norm here, but irish people just dont want it. God forbid they had to look after something in a rental, because the had an interest in it.

sligoface

murphaph wrote: »

LL is unlikely to sell you his furniture so you can dump it. It's not just about the value...there's the hassle to replace everything when your tenancy is over.

He will possibly allow you to dump the stuff, replace it with newer stuff (I'm assuming that as you're on RS that you won't be splashing out on anything brand new) and then he could keep the newer stuff when you leave.

You need to offer him a hassle free solution, not just one that "balances the books". The reality of your situation (RS dependent) also means you should be doing everything in your power to maintain a low profile. You don't want to make the LL take a disliking to you or you could find the rent jacked up over the max threshold to get rid of you. This is the harsh reality.

Again with the

pwurple

The furniture sounds ridiculous tbh. A double bed in a room where you can't open the door of the wardrobe?

A discussion with the landlord about this again might work out. Maybe explain your issues? I rent out both furnished and unfurnished. I prefer unfurnished, as it's easier to clean and maintain between tenancies, less stuff to break etc.

But if a tenant was moving into a furnished place asked me to change the furniture, i usually would if it was reasonable. I can update furniture and claim it back off my tax afterwards anyway.

lintdrummer

WhiteTiger wrote: »

I have also noticed the person im renting off is a banned user here on boards which is prob not a good sign!

How do you know this? I'm just curious!

MadDog76

WhiteTiger wrote: »

Myself & my family will be moving house soon. The house we are moving into is furnished but the furniture is very old (3 beds, 2 piece suite & kitchen table with chairs) We have children & would really like to buy our own esp the beds but Landlord said they have no where to put the furniture which is fair enough but i dont want my kids sleeping on old old mattresses. I'm thinking of offering to buy the stuff thats there so i can get rid of it myself then. Would that be only option? Thanks

We were in a similar situation a few years back, the house had very very cheap furniture that was extremely old with a lot of wear & tear but it didn't bother us at first as we had signed a 6 month lease and planned to move on when the lease was up ........ but 2 months in our plans changed and we decided to stay longer (ended up staying for 5 years) so the furniture was then a problem for us .......... we asked the LL if we could throw out whatever we wanted with a promise to replace it with similar quality items when we were moving out, he agreed so we sold his stuff for a pittance (still better than paying for it to be dumped) and bought our own quite expensive good quality furniture .......... when we moved out we took our stuff with us and replaced the LL's furniture with low quality (still better then the LL's previous furniture) second-hand furniture for a surprisingly small amount of money .......... this solution worked for us because we there so long and was worth the little bit of expense to live comfortably for 5 years .......... also the LL gave us a little extra in the deposit as a thank you for "new" furniture.

Would this be a possible solution for you?