Who should keep a rented accommodation clean?

mathie

Thoughts?

Baldie

The tenants of course....

Although i lived with a few lads that did sweet F.A. when it came to cleaning up!!! Very annoying!! :mad:

Victor

Whoever makes the mess! Usually this is the tenant, however if say the roof is leaking and this is a landlord issue, then the landlord has to clean up after that.

MorningStar

The fact anybody would ask this question just shows the attitude to renting in Ireland is warped. In other countries people actually decorate the property they rent. How often do people decorate places they rent here? I actually paid a tenant once to paint the place.
Before people start saying "why should I decorate somewhere I don't own?" if you are going to live there for a year it's your home.
I will accept garden should be maintained by the landlord but in other countries you are renting the garden too and it's the tenants' responsibility.

Chalk

MorningStar wrote:

The fact anybody would ask this question just shows the attitude to renting in Ireland is warped. In other countries people actually decorate the property they rent. How often do people decorate places they rent here? I actually paid a tenant once to paint the place.
Before people start saying "why should I decorate somewhere I don't own?" if you are going to live there for a year it's your home.
I will accept garden should be maintained by the landlord but in other countries you are renting the garden too and it's the tenants' responsibility.

one of the lads i lived with painted the walls in his room white.
landlord was none to impressed.

why should a tenant decorate it if they have to get the prior approval of the landlord in advance?
technically, i live there, but its your property, if you want the value increased do it yourself.

MorningStar

Chalk wrote:

one of the lads i lived with painted the walls in his room white.
landlord was none to impressed.

why should a tenant decorate it if they have to get the prior approval of the landlord in advance?
technically, i live there, but its your property, if you want the value increased do it yourself.

AS I said it is your home that's why . If you really think a lick of paint will shoot up the price you have a point but it doesn't so your point seems weak to me.

If you are going to do anything to a property it is obvious you need to consult the landlord as you could do damage or have terrible taste.
I had a tenant put up shelves in a room that I had plastered just before he moved in. He put up shelves and I wasn't impressed but I let it go and asked him not to put any more up. When he moved out her tore his shelves off the wall destroying the wall. I refused to give his deposit back. Two days later the windows were smashed in.
If a tennat wants to decorate I provide the paint. I offer once a year. I decorate after each letting.
Some tenants live like animals and actually hate paying rent no matter what is done. The lease on any place has a clause that the tenant keeps the place clean.

LegacyUser

bizzare question

Dellgirl

had a tenant put up shelves in a room that I had plastered just before he moved in and I wasn't impressed but I let it go and asked him not to put any more up. When he moved out her tore his shelves off the wall destroying the wall. I refused to give his deposit back. Two days later the windows were smashed in.

Animal. Knackers resent paying a fair rent because they hate parting with money for anything that doesnt bring them immediate gratification. In their mind the fat cat landlord should be charging less to have them live there and he'll show him when he leaves. Hard luck there Morning Star. Ive read a few of your posts now and you seem like a decent landlord, if a little too trusting. Im sure your skills of selection will improve!

Chalk

clean i can agree with.
i keep my place clean, if not spotless,
but then landlords idea of clean and tenants idea of clean rarely agree.
for most landlords a place is only clean when theres no one living in it

i wasnt making a point about the paint adding value to a house,
but to the fact that decorating a house adds value to it and landlords wont let you decorate as you please,
you brought up the point that tenants should be interested in decorating there houses,
i argued that landlords will only let them do it if they like it,
you agree with that,
so that fundamentally negates the feeling of the house being "your own" home, a reason why tenants wont do it.

sorry to the op for the off-topicness,
so to sum up,
yes clean up your own mess.
but dont feel obliged to re-decorate it.

mathie

paperclip wrote:

bizzare question

I originally asked the question as a I had two tenants. One was clean. The other wasn't.

The clean one was not impressed with the dirty one so I (as landlord) would regularly clean his mess to keep the peace.

M

Dellgirl

Quote:
Originally Posted by paperclip
bizzare question



I originally asked the question as a I had two tenants. One was clean. The other wasn't.

The clean one was not impressed with the dirty one so I (as landlord) would regularly clean his mess to keep the peace.

M

__________________


I thoought the same! Thanks for clearing that up.
Why didnt you tell the messy guy to clean up after himself?

MorningStar

Blingarella wrote:

Ive read a few of your posts now and you seem like a decent landlord, if a little too trusting. Im sure your skills of selection will improve!

In fairmness one of the properties is the lower end of the market and that is the problem one. You can check everything you like about a tenant it means nothing. You may even think you know the person but the lower end of the market has this "us and them" feel. It really weird people are afraid of you because you are their landlord and can't deal with you as a person. They don't trust anything you do or say no matter how long they are there and what you do. If they have a problem they are really aggresive about it no matter what you say. I think it's just soci-economic thing but it is definitely an inferiority thing. The fact the media and people in genral dislike landlords really just adds fuel to the fire. Reading this site really shows just how disliked landlords are. It has to do with the country's history.

CHALK wrote:

i argued that landlords will only let them do it if they like it,

There has to be some reasoning and consultation. If a tenant decided to paint the room completely black it would be a nighmare to redo. You can't expect the same rights as a home owner it's just not reasonable to expect it. In other countries they can figure it out why can't we? I think it is just people hate to rent because they don't see it has value. The opening question says it all

RuggieBear

there is an historical distrust of landlords in this country....sure isn't it taught to us at school....."landlord" is a dirty word in Ireland.

voxpop

landlords renting out shyt-holes and charging extortionate prices is why ppl dont like them. Add to that the landlords who own 5 or 6 houses but dont declare any of their income from renting and live outside country. These ppl drive up house prices and make it extremely difficult for first time buyers to get their own property.
With any area, there are good and bad - but as far as landlords are concerned the bad outweight the good.

Dellgirl

landlords renting out ****-holes and charging extortionate prices is why ppl dont like them.

I agree with what you say but i think nowdays there is far less of it due to a better choice in the rental market. Here is far better than London for example. Your money goes further here with what you can rent for a reasonable ammount.

Add to that the landlords who own 5 or 6 houses but dont declare any of their income from renting and live outside country. These ppl drive up house prices and make it extremely difficult for first time buyers to get their own property.

Is there alot of this going on? I thought it would be quite difficult to achieve. Maybe Im just very naieve.

LegacyUser

so you were living in the acomodation too?

mathie wrote:

I originally asked the question as a I had two tenants. One was clean. The other wasn't.

The clean one was not impressed with the dirty one so I (as landlord) would regularly clean his mess to keep the peace.

M
M

MorningStar

Angry_Penguin wrote:

landlords renting out shyt-holes and charging extortionate prices is why ppl dont like them. Add to that the landlords who own 5 or 6 houses but dont declare any of their income from renting and live outside country. These ppl drive up house prices and make it extremely difficult for first time buyers to get their own property.
With any area, there are good and bad - but as far as landlords are concerned the bad outweight the good.

And this is all based on what? I have had people accuse me of all of the above but none is true. The media tends to cover stories that are popular and that sell papers. Spending time here just shows how people always assume the worst of landlords. Landlords are a minority here as we have the highest home ownership in the the world.
How many landlords do you know? How many have you ever actually had to deal with?
The fact the economy is doing well and a young population forced up property prices landlords are a factor but not the cause.
Landlords provide a service that is required and as I bought property before the market rise how did I push up house prices?

dudara

As far as I know in Austria, when you move into rented accomodation, the walls are painted white. You can then decorate to your own taste. When you move out, you paint them white for the next tenant. Seems a very fair deal to me.

mathie

Blingarella wrote:

__________________


I thoought the same! Thanks for clearing that up.
Why didnt you tell the messy guy to clean up after himself?

Its like talking to a brick wall.
Would it be grounds to ask a tenant to leave?
M

mathie

paperclip wrote:

so you were living in the acomodation too?

No.

Gilgamesh

I nowmally did a quartely inspection of my flats while still living close to them and the tenants got a bollocking from me, if the place was a huge mess.
I also always had it in the standard rent Agreement for them who is responsible for cleaning up.
I mean, they are paying rent for an apartment, not for a fooking Hotel!!!

Dellgirl

Its

like talking to a brick wall.
Would it be grounds to ask a tenant to leave?
M[/QUOTE

Im sure it would. If you had given him enough warnings then he has no excuse and shouldnt be able to go on making life difficult for the other tennent.....who might move out because of it and then youd be left with d'animal living alone in your gaff.

voxpop

MorningStar wrote:

And this is all based on what? I have had people accuse me of all of the above but none is true. The media tends to cover stories that are popular and that sell papers. Spending time here just shows how people always assume the worst of landlords. Landlords are a minority here as we have the highest home ownership in the the world.
How many landlords do you know? How many have you ever actually had to deal with?

This is based on my experience and the experiences of ppl I know- I've been renting for 8 years and have had to deal with alot of landlords both good and mostly bad. Just because you are a landlord doesnt mean every landlord is the same as you!

MorningStar wrote:

The fact the economy is doing well and a young population forced up property prices landlords are a factor but not the cause.
Landlords provide a service that is required and as I bought property before the market rise how did I push up house prices?

Explain to me how a group of ppl buying up 3,4 and 5 houses purely to rent out doesnt effect the house prices in that area.

If you think all landlords are nice guys and only want to make a decent living and that there is some sort of tenents conspiracy in Ireland trying to undermine the good work landlords are doing - you are living in cloud cookoo land.

BC

Did the two tenants move in together (are the friends/strangers)?

Imposter

dudara wrote:

As far as I know in Austria, when you move into rented accomodation, the walls are painted white. You can then decorate to your own taste. When you move out, you paint them white for the next tenant. Seems a very fair deal to me.

This is true. They usually come unfurnished as well. I was lucky enough that my place had a kitchen and a load of presses and wardrobes in the hall though. You usually have to buy all the furniture from the previous tenant unless you have your own.

But then Austria does have a lot more long term renters than Ireland would.

MorningStar

Angry_Penguin wrote:

This is based on my experience and the experiences of ppl I know- I've been renting for 8 years and have had to deal with alot of landlords both good and mostly bad. Just because you are a landlord doesnt mean every landlord is the same as you!

As a regualr poster here the first assumption of everyone is the landlord is not paying tax followed by the shop him to the tax man comments. Just have a look. From my experience the assumption is always the landlord is wrong including in law.

Angry_Penguin wrote:

Explain to me how a group of ppl buying up 3,4 and 5 houses purely to rent out doesnt effect the house prices in that area.

I don't know a single person who has done this in the last 10 years. It just doesn't make financial sense in the last 5. How many ppl do you know have done this?I know a lot of landlords too. Even if you rented two places a year that's only 16 landlords. Hearsay and anicdotal evidence don't mean a lot either. Your friends may have been at fault and compounded with the popular view of landlords you don't get the truth plus you seem to have a little bit of a predjudical view yourself.

Angry_Penguin wrote:

If you think all landlords are nice guys and only want to make a decent living and that there is some sort of tenants conspiracy in Ireland trying to undermine the good work landlords are doing - you are living in cloud cookoo land.

I don't think they are. I don't think there is a tenants conspiracy either. What I do think is due to the history and high home ownership in ireland people don't respect landlords. I have dealt personally with a lot more tenants than 16. I have many friends who have rented and listened to what they complain about too. They have been in the wrong as often as right.

My family have had a mortgage at over 17% interest and 52% tax on the rental income and provided accomadation for people on state rent benifits. Providing a service since the late 70's. We are obviously scum of the earth that should be punished.

Landlords are going to increase from now on as people can't afford property to buy.

mathie

BC wrote:

Did the two tenants move in together (are the friends/strangers)?

Strangers

MorningStar

mathie wrote:

Strangers

Does that mean you rented the rooms seperatly? Did one guy find the other?

By cleaning for one you are facilitating his bad behaviour. You really shouldn't. It is between the two of them.

As a landlord you are in a business arrangemnet that they and you have to follow. How often do you call around that enables you to clean up?

P.S. sorry for going off topic on you

BC

MorningStar wrote:

By cleaning for one you are facilitating his bad behaviour. You really shouldn't. It is between the two of them.

Exactly what i was going to say!

Its nothing to do with you, the tenants need to sort it out between them.