Info re rental properties

Caz · 29-07-2004, 21:37

The law was changed recently, I believe, regarding the purchase of houses, such that the vendor has to give information on anything that may be detrimental about a property to the buyer.
Does anyone know if there is a similar law regarding rental properties, and what landlords have to tell a new tenant?

Ceejache · 30-07-2004, 07:53

In my experience landlords can pretty much get away with anything they damn well please. Recently my girlfriend and I moved out and did everything by the book - but that didn't stop him keeping/stealing our £300 deposit. He came up with a list of absolute bull**** as reasons for this 'theft' - stuff like we had left some cleaning stuff under the sink (it was there when we moved in), the insides of cupboards weren't clean (they were a damn sight cleaner than when we moved in), the carpet was wet and going mouldy (we had a terrible leak which he had known about for 8 months and did nothing about it regardless of us asking him every week or so) and other such rubbish like we had taken a net curtain (when we moved out he told us to take whatever we wanted as he was selling the property) and other made-up cleaning issues (despite the fact he told us not to bother doing any cleaning as he was selling the property, regardless we cleaned the house from top to bottom) - basically the guy was a Class A ****er and a thief.

If you are moving into rented accomodation please do not expect your deposit to be returned - over the years I have lost around a grand in lost deposits, and I have always gone by the book and left the house as I found it. You haven't a leg to stand on - taking pictures when you move in is a good idea though, but not one that one think off until after you get stung two or three times!

mez · 30-07-2004, 10:30

thats quite true is that ceejache, ive got friends that the same thing has happened to, i know the house or houses have been clean cos ive helped them do it, so renters beware//

Jaf · 31-07-2004, 11:04

It always seems to be that whenever you privately rent a property you always end up spending more money on maintaining it than the landlord - I have had plenty of experience of this and all the faults I find it seems the landlord is not interested in, i am currently in a property that is so run down but is in a beautiful area..... I ended up threatening a landlord with court action just to get the bond back & the excuses he gave were unbelievable.....