Tenants fitting a solid fuel stove to a rental property

testtech05

Hi all,

Bit of a hypothetical question at the moment but if feedback is positive I would be looking to take it further. I am currently renting an old 2 story house in the countryside with OFCH and an open fire in the sitting room area. As the house is quite old we have the fire on most nights to keep the house comfortable but as with most open fires a lot of the heat is going straight up the chimney.

My question is this, if I was to offer to have a solid fuel stove fitted in place of the open fire and to come to some kind of arrangement with the landlord over costs v rent etc (not full reimbursement of costs from them but something perhaps).
Apart from ensuring everything was done to the correct safety standards etc what else would I need to be aware of?

Before anyone mentions it obviously I would not do something like this without permission etc but a neighbor in a similar house recently fitted a new stove in place of the open fire and are very happy with the results. So it got me thinking.

Our landlord has been extremely helpful to us for any issues since we have moved in and I don't want to change that but I'm curious what other people would think of such an idea?

Baby01032012

You won’t know unless you ask. The factors that will determine this will have nothing to do with the sold fuel thing. Factors will be cost, how long you’ve been tenants, what else you’ve asked for, the level of rent, the landlords finances, landlords interest in keeping you happy versus finding another tenant. If he is someone who is making very little money from the rental and doesn’t want to spend money, something that is a want and not a necessity will probably receive a flat no. Definitely do your homework in terms of cost, benefit to you benefit to landlord ie adding value and have a chat and make him offer.

the_syco

I think if you have a Class 1 chimney, you can fit a wood burning stove in an existing fireplace.

Other than in the existing fireplace, things that you'll need to consider are nearby flammable materials, such as a wooden floor, etc, if the new stove doesn't fit in the existing fireplace. Also, if not in the existing fireplace, the LL's insurance may not like it.

The DayDream

Thing is why would they reimburse you? They don't live there so they aren't getting the benefit of it, you are. They're not gonna want to pay for it. And then you are basically paying for something you have to leave behind.

10pennymixup

Can't speak for your Landlord but I wouldn't do it.

You sound like you might have your head screwed on, but I would have to rely on every subsequent tenant being the same way.

I had a lovely heavy quality circa 5kw non boiler stove in a inglenook stone chimney breast, Period property, stove made by Aga. Worked without complaint from three different tenants over 8/9 years, Then I got this tenant in that could talk the talk but turns out that was all he could do.

Two weeks in to the tenancy (in August of all months) got a call to say that he could see the fire through a crack in the back of the stove. Had a look and the back plate was coming loose, but it had no problems when I had polished it and fired it two weeks before. I gave him the benefit of doubt and put it down to the age of the stove so I took it out and had another new one fitted. Installer and I both told him to light small fires for the first week or so in order to "season in" the new stove.

Three days later got a call to say they had to call out the fire brigade day before. He had cracked the glass two nights before (over loading), then took out the glass for repair (not telling me) and replaced it temporarily with a bit of kitchen tin foil and loaded up the fire again.

It was like adding an electric bellows and over heated the stove, burning off all the new stove paint, filling the room with smoke so panicking, he called the brigade.

FB emptied/dug out the fire and along with burning blocks (wood) he was burning all kinds of rubbish and plastics (nappies even). The FB had to break through the lovely stone work and the wall upstairs to ensure there were no other problems before leaving (there wasn't).

Cost me a small fortune to repair.

Replaced it with an electric imitation stove. No way was he getting a third go to burn down the house.

TL/DR: Some people are too thick to be able to use a simple stove properly

Oh and just remembered, he was the same thick that chopped kindling on the hearth tiles, rather than outside. Only one was cracked but if the stove had stayed ??

JeffKenna

What kind of dope replaces the glass from a stove with kitchen foil? That's hugely dangerous.

MAJJ

testtech05 wrote: »

Hi all,

Bit of a hypothetical question at the moment but if feedback is positive I would be looking to take it further. I am currently renting an old 2 story house in the countryside with OFCH and an open fire in the sitting room area. As the house is quite old we have the fire on most nights to keep the house comfortable but as with most open fires a lot of the heat is going straight up the chimney.

My question is this, if I was to offer to have a solid fuel stove fitted in place of the open fire and to come to some kind of arrangement with the landlord over costs v rent etc (not full reimbursement of costs from them but something perhaps).
Apart from ensuring everything was done to the correct safety standards etc what else would I need to be aware of?

Before anyone mentions it obviously I would not do something like this without permission etc but a neighbor in a similar house recently fitted a new stove in place of the open fire and are very happy with the results. So it got me thinking.

Our landlord has been extremely helpful to us for any issues since we have moved in and I don't want to change that but I'm curious what other people would think of such an idea?

My wife's tenants did just that, it's an old country house and was seen as a benefit to the house and my wife paid most costs.. A registered stove installer is needed and the costs you can work out. There was a family discount involved in the stove purchase as tenant knew someone so it was a good opportunity and easier decision.

malinheader

I know people who fit these multi fuel stoves as a means of burning there waste as well as cheap coal and wet logs.
There not made for this purpose and need to be used correctly for safe and maximum affect.
I would be very wary of letting someone in a rental property fit a stove unless I knew they were responsible and trustworthy.

Kaybaykwah

10pennymixup wrote: »

Can't speak for your Landlord but I wouldn't do it.

You sound like you might have your head screwed on, but I would have to rely on every subsequent tenant being the same way.

I had a lovely heavy quality circa 5kw non boiler stove in a inglenook stone chimney breast, Period property, stove made by Aga. Worked without complaint from three different tenants over 8/9 years, Then I got this tenant in that could talk the talk but turns out that was all he could do.

Two weeks in to the tenancy (in August of all months) got a call to say that he could see the fire through a crack in the back of the stove. Had a look and the back plate was coming loose, but it had no problems when I had polished it and fired it two weeks before. I gave him the benefit of doubt and put it down to the age of the stove so I took it out and had another new one fitted. Installer and I both told him to light small fires for the first week or so in order to "season in" the new stove.

Three days later got a call to say they had to call out the fire brigade day before. He had cracked the glass two nights before (over loading), then took out the glass for repair (not telling me) and replaced it temporarily with a bit of kitchen tin foil and loaded up the fire again.

It was like adding an electric bellows and over heated the stove, burning off all the new stove paint, filling the room with smoke so panicking, he called the brigade.

FB emptied/dug out the fire and along with burning blocks (wood) he was burning all kinds of rubbish and plastics (nappies even). The FB had to break through the lovely stone work and the wall upstairs to ensure there were no other problems before leaving (there wasn't).

Cost me a small fortune to repair.

Replaced it with an electric imitation stove. No way was he getting a third go to burn down the house.

TL/DR: Some people are too thick to be able to use a simple stove properly

Oh and just remembered, he was the same thick that chopped kindling on the hearth tiles, rather than outside. Only one was cracked but if the stove had stayed ??

Sorry to hear about your misfortune with a felllow human of the knucklehead variety.

My mother once had a tenant who got an outrageously expensive gas bill he wanted her to pay part of. This is thirty years ago. The guy had a wife and two kids, had immigrated from Argentina. Turns out he used to barbeque on his back balcony and leave the door open a lot in the winter. This in Montreal, where the weather is brutal, and as the saying goes: "shut the damn door, you're heating the outside!"

I hope he.learned his lesson, he didn't get a penny from us. Lol

testtech05

Thanks guys, lots of valid points there, both for and against. I would like to think I am not a chancer like some of the people described here anyway!!
It seems the best course of action is to have a chat with the landlord and see what they think about the idea. They are very good family friends of my OH family so we wont be doing anything to mess things up but it cant hurt to have the conversation anyway.

Hooked

testtech05 wrote: »

Thanks guys, lots of valid points there, both for and against. I would like to think I am not a chancer like some of the people described here anyway!!
It seems the best course of action is to have a chat with the landlord and see what they think about the idea. They are very good family friends of my OH family so we wont be doing anything to mess things up but it cant hurt to have the conversation anyway.

Yep - Deffo have a chat.

You seem like a VERY genuine tenant - and if the landlord is ANYWAY like minded... they should easily see it as a win/win for you both.

malinheader

Good luck OP. If successful in getting permission make enquiries about a flue liner also. You mentioned it being an old house so myself definitely would not fit a stove without a flue liner.
I would also recommend a flue liner with any stove for that matter but that's my opinion.

JimmyVik

Reading these stories remind me of a house i renovated once that had a lovely wood burning stove on the fireplace.
When we looked up the chimney the flue was only going ou about 1.5 ft into the chimney.
Surprised noone died of CO in that house.