Asking landlord to redecorate the house

Cybercommando

So my girlfriend and her housemate are sick of their couches, kitchen table and coffee table, and just the general spartan nature of the house.

The couch will give you a back ache after 10 minutes of sitting on it.

The kitchen table and coffee table are pretty cheap things, probably the cheapest things the landlord could find in Argos. I could lift the coffee table with my pinkie.

And the apartment is just pretty bare in general, compared to other properties in the same building which are very nicely furnished and decorated (we've seen the neighboring apartments on Daft). The girlfriend also wants the landlord to hang up a few pictures or canvases, maybe put in a few lamps etc.


I've never heard of anyone asking a landlord to refurnish the house. Is this a common thing? I think their request will be ignored or shot down. The landlord has been absolutely useless so far in general. They think it's a good idea to ask for all this new stuff.

So what are the chances of getting the landlord to provide decent quality furniture and general decorative stuff? This is a €900/month two bed apartment and they think the place should look a bit nicer.

To be honest, I just told my girlfriend to move out. (We can't move in together yet before you suggest it)

Thanks

whippet

heres a mad idea .. how about your girlfriend actually gets some nice furnishings to make her home nicer? The Landlord only has to provide the basics.

What would happen if the LL bought some pictures that your girlfriend didn't like .. would he have to get her to pick everything out from a catalogue and get her approval?

elfy4eva

Cybercommando wrote: »

So what are the chances of getting the landlord to provide decent quality furniture and general decorative stuff? This is a €900/month two bed apartment and they think the place should look a bit nicer.

This type of thread comes up a lot here, the general consensus is usually that the person renting a furnished house/apartment is renting it as they saw it when they agreed to move in, and therefore the landlord is under no obligation to update the furnishings.

Tell her to feel free to ask but not to expect much.

drumswan

whippet wrote: »

heres a mad idea .. how about your girlfriend actually gets some nice furnishings to make her home nicer? The Landlord only has to provide the basics.

Thats great until the landlord starts moaning about having to store the junk he left in the house.

Cybercommando

Yeah I told her that by law the landlord has provided everything needed in a home. It's up to her to buy paintings and other extras etc.

But I just wanted to see if anybody else has done this before, and if it works.

Gatling

op are you actually for real .

Hang up nice canvases and pictures ,
Most people buy there own pictures and hang them up

the same goes for couches and comfy beds and recliners if your girl friend wants and needs such things well then she can pick up an argos or Ikea and work away with cash or credit card

Mrs OBumble

What is the rent like, relative to rent for other similar places? Is she prepared to have the rent increased to cover the cost of nicer furniture? How long have they been there, and how much has the furniture deteriorated due to reasonable wear and tear. Is it what was there when she viewed the place?

I asked the LL to take away one sofa, and to replace the under-bench fridge with a full size one. He did, and there was no rent-change. But that was in 2009 when rents were going down in general.

Also, I've put in a carpet (which I got for free off a friend), purchased standalone bookshelves and a pinboard, errected general-purpose shelving (in a very cunning way so that we can take it down when we leave, with no evidence), put in an undersink light, put in various other small shelves which we'll just leave in place. No way would I want the LL's pictures around the place - I've decorated with my own, put up with either screws (we'll fill the holes when we leave) or blue-tack.

IMHO, if your gf wants to make the place look more "homely" then she needs to get her own stuff to do that. (pictures, cushions, sofa-throws, lamps etc). If she wants nicer furniture, she needs to rent a place with nicer furniture.




(And I'm gonna say it, even though we're not in Relationship Issues :-) If the gf is like this now, imagine what she will be like once it's your own house! You might be getting a warning.)

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

If it was repainting, or at a push, new flooring I'd say you might have a chance but seeing as the furniture was there when she moved in she's probably bunched.

And if the landlord didn't give a shyte and bunged in IKEA/Argos's entire bargain range into the gaf, I wouldn't like to be the one asking him to replace it.

L'Enfer du Nord

The problem is that if you furnish/equipe the place yourself what to do with the crap the land lord furnished the place with. On a number of occasions I've investigated buying stuff, e.g. irons, door knockers and the cheapest options are described as being 'if you are a landlord you might want this but if it's for your own use...'

For fans of rent control the lack of unfurnished rental accommodation may actually be linked with 1915 legislation which banned rent increases in order to protect the homes of service men from increases. The loop hole was that this only applied to unfurnished accommodation. I believe this stayed on the books until some time in the 1980s.

Caliden

We asked our landlord if we could redecorate (put up a few pictures, paint the green wooden chairs white.) and they told us to keep the receipts and they would reimburse us.

We went ahead with the changes but never took them up on the offer because they're a nice couple to deal with and we thought that doing so could be used as a bargaining chip if the rent was to be increased.

mikemac1

You can certainly ask.

My flat came with the cheapest of the cheap sofa and it was hard nasty plastic, some sort of PVC, I don't know the exact term. After a while it was cracking up (maybe I am overweight :eek:)

Asked the landlord and it took a few weeks and got two brand new sofas. But then I'm a long term tenant and he's a professional landlord with over 20 properties so he can look after long term tenants

Give me a professional landlord who knows his business over an amateur anyday

OP, I don't know about asking for paintings though, that seems a little too far to me

JimmyRussell

If you buy new furnishings for a rented accommodation who is responsible for removing/disposing the old stuff? If I got a new bed and armchair for example would it be up to me to get rid of the old ones? And if I was to move out would the ll deduct the price of replacements from the deposit to replace the ones I bought that I'd be taking with me?

Gatling

JimmyRussell wrote: »

If you buy new furnishings for a rented accommodation who is responsible for removing/disposing the old stuff? If I got a new bed and armchair for example would it be up to me to get rid of the old ones? And if I was to move out would the ll deduct the price of replacements from the deposit to replace the ones I bought that I'd be taking with me?

The landlord would /should be responsible for removing his stuff once they agree to take the items out of the property ,
If a landlord said its grand just dump it or remove it yourself i would then insist that they remove the items in question last thing you want is a landlord keeping your deposit to replace the items despite agreeing other wise

dazed+confused

I've been in a similar situation to this and I couldn't even get the landlord to remove his couch/table/bed when I bought my own. I had to arrange for storage of the items. I really think your girlfriend is asking too much.

Grandpa Hassan

Gatling wrote: »

The landlord would /should be responsible for removing his stuff once they agree to take the items out of the property ,
If a landlord said its grand just dump it or remove it yourself i would then insist that they remove the items in question last thing you want is a landlord keeping your deposit to replace the items despite agreeing other wise

You can't just buy new stuff though and expect the LL to remove and store the old stuff. Absent explicit agreement from the LL, all that cost would sit with the tenant

D3PO

Whilst I agree withthe posters who say get your girlfriend to buy here own stuff and make the place nice, theres no harm in asking the LL re redecorating.

1) Weather the request is successful or not will probably come down to a few things 1) how long your GF is living there, the longer somebody is there the more likely a LL is going to accept this may be a long term let and as such its in their interest to keep the tennant happy.

2) The mindset of the LL. A good tennant is worth their salt, but not all LLs comprehend this. A LL who lobs in cheap argos stuff is unlikley to be one who either conprehens this or actually does comprehend this but given the current rental market jsut doesnt give a sh1t and is jus tout to maximise profit.

So personally Id say your gf should get her own stuff at least then she has it for future rentals or if she ever buys a property, but theres no harm in asking either.

MouseTail

Cybercommando wrote: »

And the apartment is just pretty bare in general, compared to other properties in the same building which are very nicely furnished and decorated (we've seen the neighboring apartments on Daft). The girlfriend also wants the landlord to hang up a few pictures or canvases, maybe put in a few lamps etc.

Many apartments are bare and utilitarian, and many tenants prefer them this way, a blank canvass, that they can create their own home in. It is normal for renters to acquire their own decorative items that they move with them, pictures, plants, lamps, ornaments etc. If this is your girlfriends first time renting, maybe she hasn't built up her bottom drawer yet, but she would be much better off spending a few bob in Ikea or Dunne on accessories than living with someone elses taste, and from the sound of the furniture, the LL wouldn't have the most discerning taste!

makeorbrake

I think it's a completely unreasonable request. People seem to want it every which way. There's a reason why LL's have to provide manky furnishings. If prospective tenants showed an interest from the very outset in renting unfurnished, then more LL's would provide for same. Hell, they'd jump at the chance.

Until such time as they do, we're left with this scenario that is unsatisfactory for both parties.

drumswan

makeorbrake wrote: »

I think it's a completely unreasonable request. People seem to want it every which way. There's a reason why LL's have to provide manky furnishings. If prospective tenants showed an interest from the very outset in renting unfurnished, then more LL's would provide for same.

If you turned up at a viewing in Dublin and said you'd like to take the place but the landlord would need to remove all his crap and pay to store it somewhere he would just rent to someone else, most likely the guy next to you at the viewing.

makeorbrake

drumswan wrote: »

If you turned up at a viewing in Dublin and said you'd like to take the place but the landlord would need to remove all his crap and pay to store it somewhere he would just rent to someone else, most likely the guy next to you at the viewing.

Perhaps.....and perhaps if it started happening a bit more often, the LL would have the confidence to start advertising unfurnished. You think any LL really wants to provide a property with furnishings if there was no need to do so?

Storage and the hassle of moving furniture that's already in-situ - is a major pain in the ass! - so it's a legitimate grievance on the part of a LL.


People have said there's no harm in asking. I don't really agree with that - but there is one time that there is no harm in asking - and when it's reasonable to do so - and thats from the very outset.

RoadhouseBlues

Cybercommando wrote: »

So my girlfriend and her housemate are sick of their couches, kitchen table and coffee table, and just the general spartan nature of the house.

The couch will give you a back ache after 10 minutes of sitting on it.

The kitchen table and coffee table are pretty cheap things, probably the cheapest things the landlord could find in Argos. I could lift the coffee table with my pinkie.

And the apartment is just pretty bare in general, compared to other properties in the same building which are very nicely furnished and decorated (we've seen the neighboring apartments on Daft). The girlfriend also wants the landlord to hang up a few pictures or canvases, maybe put in a few lamps etc.


I've never heard of anyone asking a landlord to refurnish the house. Is this a common thing? I think their request will be ignored or shot down. The landlord has been absolutely useless so far in general. They think it's a good idea to ask for all this new stuff.

So what are the chances of getting the landlord to provide decent quality furniture and general decorative stuff? This is a €900/month two bed apartment and they think the place should look a bit nicer.

To be honest, I just told my girlfriend to move out. (We can't move in together yet before you suggest it)

Thanks

I doubt the landlord would even give it a second thought.

I'm in my place 8 years. Always paid the rent on time. Keep it neat and tidy etc. Last sept I asked the landlord would he consider a small paint job, just to freshen it up. Its a 1 bed apt. He gave me the same reply he gives me if something has to be repaired. I'll get back to you. A year later I'm still waiting:rolleyes:

I had guessed as much. 1 month now with no hot water.