Landlord wants 'Fee' for allowing my own couch in rental apartment

KevinGossRoss · 02-01-2013 10:13PM #1

I'm renting a little one bedroom apartment in Ranelagh at €700 with my girlfriend. The place came with terrible old bench type 'sofas'. When the agent showed us the place we mentioned that we'd eventually need to get something more comfy and he didn't object to the idea. We tried to get hold of the landlord for over a week to ask him if he could move the two seater into a storage area he has on the property and get a new, actual sofa. He didn't reply to texts and didn't answer his phone (which rang and then went to voicemail). We found a great deal for a second hand two seater sofa on Gumtree and decided to just take it. We moved it into the already cramped flat and kept trying to get hold of the landlord. Eventually I sent a text asking if I could leave the sofa in the hallway (plenty of space) and immediately got a reply of 'Don't remove any furniture from the apartment'. When I phoned him to discuss the matter he told me that 1. None of the furniture would be allowed to be removed and 2. We aren't allowed any of our own furniture and that we'd have to pay a fee to keep it there. He's coming over tomorrow to negotiate.

Obviously he doesn't have to remove his benches if he doesn't want to but it really isn't a big deal. My girlfriend and I could do it in 10 minutes. But that is fine. If he wants to be difficult there isn't much we can do.

All I want to know is whether charging a fee to bring your own furniture into a (semi) furnished apartment is normal. And if it is, where does it end? Can I bring in a coffee table? A desk? Can I bring clothes? Is he going to ask me money to keep my plates in the cabinets next?

P_1 · 02-01-2013 10:16PM

That doesn't sound right to me at all

Maybe he has his wires crossed.

AFAIK he is entitled to charge you for storage of the old couch if you want it out but I seriously doubt he can charge you to use a new couch in the flat.

djimi · 02-01-2013 11:07PM

The only thing I can think is that he has nowhere to store the existing furniture and would have to pay for somewhere to leave it. If he has the storage space as you say then I have no idea what his objection would be, and why he would possibly be trying to charge you to bring in your own furniture.

Best thing to do is talk to him and see what he says. Although in fairness you probably should have confirmed what the story was with the existing furniture before you went out and bought a new couch, especially if space is tight.

KevinGossRoss · 03-01-2013 10:42AM

Yeah I suppose. It was just such a great deal and the owner needed it to go in a hurry. I think he (The Landlord) is just trying to swindle us for more cash. I'll update this thread post talk with the landlord. Not paying to have my own couch in an apartment.

seamus · 03-01-2013 11:03AM

He can't charge you a supplementary fee for having everyday property in your rented accommodation. If you were living elsewhere and only using the flat for storage that may be a different matter, but there are no circumstances under which it would be allowable to charge a fee for keeping your own property in your home.

That said, he is under no obligation to remove the existing furniture from the flat.

headlikea · 03-01-2013 11:15AM

This doesn't sound right at all.I would recommend that you get in touch with "Threshold" about this issue and they will be able to advise you and tell you your rights: http://www.threshold.ie/

Lux23 · 03-01-2013 11:22AM

I don't know if this would suit you but maybe tell when you leave you have no problem leaving the new furniture with him? That way he can dump the weird benches and you don't have to pay for storage.

djimi · 03-01-2013 11:32AM

headlikea wrote: »

This doesn't sound right at all.I would recommend that you get in touch with "Threshold" about this issue and they will be able to advise you and tell you your rights: http://www.threshold.ie/

I would hold off speaking to the likes of Threshold until the situation has been clarified. I suspect that there are crossed wires here somewhere; that the landlord is looking to charge because he will have to pay to store the existing furniture, rather than to have new furniture brought in. The chat with the landlord should make things a bit clearer.

headlikea · 03-01-2013 01:30PM

Yes, maybe, but it's bad form on the landlord's part not responding to his tenants initial texts/calls. Also, I'm sure the benches could be stored in a shed or put in another property if he has any. Keep us updated on the outcome of this KevinGossRoss.

StillWaters · 03-01-2013 04:46PM

Furniture storage costs money. I think it was out of order to expect the LL to remove and store the existing furniture without agreement. I'm not surprised he is peed off.

listermint · 03-01-2013 04:49PM

StillWaters wrote: »

Furniture storage costs money. I think it was out of order to expect the LL to remove and store the existing furniture without agreement. I'm not surprised he is peed off.

You dont actually know the details of this at all.

So your comments are quite perplexing.

StillWaters · 03-01-2013 04:51PM

listermint wrote: »

You dont actually know the details of this at all.

So your comments are quite perplexing.

Eh, I know that furniture storage costs money (and time).

strandroad · 03-01-2013 06:01PM

StillWaters wrote: »

Furniture storage costs money. I think it was out of order to expect the LL to remove and store the existing furniture without agreement. I'm not surprised he is peed off.

It also depends on the condition of the original sofa. If it was old/dingy/lumpy to the point of being unsuitable for use, would the landlord be right to expect that it's left there?

BostonB · 03-01-2013 06:29PM

If the furniture is unfit. Don't rent the place.

How will the LL move the furniture back? (add something on the deposit for this if its not moved back) Is the storage area suitable, it clean and dry so the furniture won't be damaged. (add something else to the deposit in case its damaged by storage).

If the agent agreed about the furniture, why are you talking to the LL about it?

I can save you a call to Threshold. The LL is always wrong.

StillWaters · 03-01-2013 07:15PM

mhge wrote: »

It also depends on the condition of the original sofa. If it was old/dingy/lumpy to the point of being unsuitable for use, would the landlord be right to expect that it's left there?

Like bostonb said, if it's too grotty, don't rent it or negotiate it's replacement at the start of the lease.

You cannot rent the place and then go about replacing large pieces of furniture expecting the LL to store the original.

Mad stuff altogether!

strandroad · 03-01-2013 08:22PM

StillWaters wrote: »

Like bostonb said, if it's too grotty, don't rent it or negotiate it's replacement at the start of the lease.

You cannot rent the place and then go about replacing large pieces of furniture expecting the LL to store the original.

Mad stuff altogether!

But they did tell the agent that they would want to replace it.

StillWaters · 03-01-2013 08:32PM

mhge wrote: »

But they did tell the agent that they would want to replace it.

They did not get the Agent or the Landlords permission or consent to do so. Best they got was a non objection to a casual comment during viewing, which in my book is not sufficient to go off buy a sofa and ask the LL to store the old one.

the_syco · 03-01-2013 08:42PM

KevinGossRoss wrote: »

We tried to get hold of the landlord for over a week to ask him if he could move the two seater into a storage area he has on the property and get a new, actual sofa.

How big is this storage area? Is it empty or full at the moment?

Morte · 03-01-2013 11:24PM

Does the rental of the apartment include use of the storage area or a designated portion of it? If it does just move the bench there yourself and move it back when you take the sofa with you at the end. If it's shared with the other apartments they rightly won't put up with it if the bench takes up half the storage space. Likewise if you have no right to the storage space the landlord might have plans to use it for something else. Just because it's free at the moment doesn't mean you've the right to dump stuff there.

When you move out the landlord will need the bench back so the new tenant can use it. It's your responsiblity to make sure it's still there, not his.

anuprising · 03-01-2013 11:27PM

you cant store a sofa in the hallway of a multi occupancy dwelling ,its a fire hazzard and a blocker to an escape route in the event of evacuation

KevinGossRoss · 04-01-2013 09:45AM

Fair enough. I did say that the LL doesn't have to move the couch if he doesn't want to. That I can't argue with and I should have confirmed that we needed to replace the benches more clearly. They really are rubbish though. Very old, very dirty and obscenely uncomfortable. Where the leather strips holding the cushions in place have broken he's put bits of wood with nails jutting out at odd angles. We're new in Ireland, so all this hostility to a simple request seems strange to us. We live and learn and next time I rent a place I'll be more thorough in those respects. Obviously the agent will side with the LL and not with us if we raise the issue with them.

the_syco the storage area is really big, and is less than half full. It currently has a number of leather couches in it as well as a couple of desks and other odds and ends. It is on the property.

Again. I know he doesn't have to move it but what I'm not sure about is that he is insisting on charging me a fee for me to have my couch in the apartment. Not his couch, my couch. No work for him, no risk for him. Nothing to remove, nothing to store. Also, he's missed two planned meetings thus far. I waited around all of yesterday eve and morning for him.

Sadderday · 04-01-2013 09:46AM

your getting jipped

KevinGossRoss · 04-01-2013 09:51AM

Which is what I thought.

Tar.Aldarion · 04-01-2013 09:58AM

Sounds ridiculous, I'd be looking for a new place, the landlord us so bad already on something so simple

KevinGossRoss · 04-01-2013 09:59AM

Morte wrote: »

Does the rental of the apartment include use of the storage area or a designated portion of it? If it does just move the bench there yourself and move it back when you take the sofa with you at the end. If it's shared with the other apartments they rightly won't put up with it if the bench takes up half the storage space. Likewise if you have no right to the storage space the landlord might have plans to use it for something else. Just because it's free at the moment doesn't mean you've the right to dump stuff there.

When you move out the landlord will need the bench back so the new tenant can use it. It's your responsiblity to make sure it's still there, not his.

Again, fair enough. I understand he doesn't need to move the couch. But as a matter of being civil and not a complete knob when the matter in question is so trivial why not humour us and move the couch 20 meters to what looks to be a very dry, very safe storage area where he is currently keeping furniture far superior to what he's making us use? Not that we're asking for anything better. But even if he doesn't want to move it what I really want to know is if he can charge us a fee to have a new couch on the property in addition to his furniture. It is cramped but we'll live with it.

Sadderday · 04-01-2013 10:02AM

in future say nothing about moving your stuff in. if it doesnt affect their belongings it doesnt matter - just store their belongings somewhere (anywhere - once it will ensure their stuff remains intact, safe and in good nick) until the lease is up or whatever... thats what I did anyway (mate's shed - wrap in plastic and damp-proof)

and here, if you pay a fee your barking mad. just SNAP. Just No way, Not happening, Snap out of it, your not doing him a favour by moving in there so whatever about rights and rules and whatever... just move in with all your stuff for the price agreed or go elsewhere.

mickoneill30 · 04-01-2013 10:05AM

If the old couch is crappy tell him to forget about moving it and any fee. Just tell him you'd like him to replace it with a proper couch.

04-01-2013 10:05AM

There are crossed wires here but the landlord is fundamentally right that you don't move any of his furniture out of the flat without his explicit permission in advance.

Oink · 04-01-2013 10:05AM

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Sounds ridiculous, I'd be looking for a new place, the landlord us so bad already on something so simple

Beat me to it. This is a business transaction, and you are paying him MONEY. And he thinks it's perfectly ok to IGNORE your calls. I would let the lease finish and get the F out.

I'm in a similar situation, and if I could afford it I would move out now, and tell the LL to stick the deposit in ...uh... a safe, dark place. As it is I'll wait til the end of the lease.

Sadderday · 04-01-2013 10:07AM

yeah but..... what he dont know wont hurt him will it.

Tar.Aldarion · 04-01-2013 10:08AM

You can leave a lease if you find somebody else to stay, I'd do that. As for deposit if you weren't sure of getting it back off someone dicking yoh around like that I wouldn't pay the last month of rent.

Landlord wants 'Fee' for allowing my own couch in rental apartment

Comments