I would like to make some improvements to the apartment I'm renting

KurtBarlow

I've been renting in my current apartment for the past 6 years . I see myself staying there for the for seeable future however there a few things I'd like replaced . The sofa set , the kitchen table and chairs and the blinds are all fit for the skip. They are the cheapest of the cheap furniture and were bad when I moved in . I would be willing to finance 50% of the cost of replacing these things and of course they would have to remain in the apartment when I moved out . Do you think its unreasonable to ask the landlord for this?

antix80

Ask him to replace them and take it from there. He'll likely want to replace the furniture with decent stuff from a charity shop. 50% of a brand new sofa is still very expensive.

If you can get him to admit the stuff is fit for a skip, maybe see if he'll bin it and you can buy your own stuff and take it with you when you leave.

As for blinds .. take them down and replace with a fresh net curtain.

Jmc25

Personally I wouldnt be willing to pay 50% of what are essentially the LLs business expenses, but of course I don't know if you've already tried to get the LL to replace them, what your relationship with the LL is like etc

In the first instance I'd approach the LL and suggest the items need to be replaced and see where it goes from there.

The LL can write these items off against their tax liability as well so they're already buying at a discount essentially.

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117697828#Comment_117697828

What happens if the landlord says no, he might think the furniture is fine. Was it new when you moved in?

If you were to leave of course, the landlord would probably have to repaint, replace, refurb the whole house before re-letting. He could have advertising or letting agency fees & maybe a few months of no rent, so no harm asking, he might be happy to keep a reliable tenant.

antix80

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117702621#Comment_117702621

No harm asking? What if he said no.. he might think the furniture is fine.

Jmc25

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117703231#Comment_117703231

Exactly, I mean ultimately it's the LL's decision. The tenant has the option of moving out of they're not happy would be the adversarial approach the LL could take.

Maybe I've been lucky in my rental experience but generally my LLs have been reasonable (as have I) and where something needed to be fixed/replaced they just did it. I wasn't the type to ask for these things unless they were needed.

The Scrooge landlord Vs entitled tenant thing isn't always (or even usually) the case. That's why in the first instance I'd suggest approaching the LL and discussing the issue like two reasonable people who have a vested interest in the property being well maintained.

KurtBarlow

Heres the sofa and one of the kitchen table chairs. I dont want to make an ultimatum of moving out if they don't replace these things because my rent is very good but that's primarily becsuse ive been a very good tenant

JimmyVik

They look better than my own ones.

I have a couch worse than that with duct tape on it and a cover thrown over the top :)

Ask your landlord and see what he says.

If you are paying below market rent though he may not want to change them. I know some landlords who were normally very cgood at getting nice furniture but since being locked at below market rents they have decided that the furniture can stay and even if they change it it will be the cheapest stuff they can get in a charity shop, since they are not allowed to charge market rent.

So I guess it depends how your relationship is with your landlord.

Jmc25

I think most reasonable people/landlords would agree that sofa is in need of replacement in fairness.

If you've been a decent tenant then most landlords, regardless of whether they feel hard done by by RPZs or not, would replace it.

I say most - there's definitely some who wouldn't!