Landlord implementing conditions after the contract has been signed.

Nodiggidy123

Nodiggidy123

Nodiggidy123

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Hi all. We received the keys today for our new home.

When I went to collect the keys the letting agent wanted me and my wife to sign a letter stating that we agreed not to put pins in the wall or use any other means to hang pictures.

Given that we were about to move in, we had no real choice but to sign in order to start moving in.

I did complain to the agent that it was a bit late notice to start implementing rules a hour before we were about to move in and a few days since we signed the contract. They claimed it was a last minute request from the landlord.

Begrudgingly I signed the paperwork with "under duress" .

But it got me thinking of the legality of it. In the past we have always made good and repainted and never had a issue.

In hindsight I should have ripped up the paper and pointed out that the contracts were already signed.

Is this a fair term? Especially as we had already signed contracts were done or is my only choice to move out if I want to put a couple of pics up.
 
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Many one property landlords treat them as their own home and have a personal connection with the property. Really its a business and that's how it should be treated. I've not been to mine for years I have deposits, when they leave that's what a deposit is for.

Really you shouldn't be putting pictures up. What if you drill through a pipe or wire? Realistically how difficult is it to put some up then fill and touch up before you leave?

Also there is putting a picture up neatly and completely making a mess of it.
 
Poor show but for me personally not a deal breaker, I could live without having pictures up.

It could be a ****-up by the letting agent, maybe there were instructed to get your signoff on this previously but forgot about it.
 
According to this paperwork I'm not allowed to even use nail less methods.

The landlord used to live there and it moving to the states. I can understand he doesn't want the wall to be made a mess of but to suddenly put this on us after we have signed the contracts. Shouldn't have moved out if he doesn't want anyone else to live in it.

Tbh the letting agent comes across abit mickey mouse. Wanted me to sign the inventory before handing over the keys and looking for myself. Er yeah right.....
 
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Miss the first months payment, say last minute change of finances due to not being allowed to hang a valued painting on a wall.
 
Totally agree, this is why private landlords in the UK need to be severely regulated, rents need to be brought down significantly and the purchasing of second homes as income.
 
SPG said:
Totally agree, this is why private landlords in the UK need to be severely regulated, rents need to be brought down significantly and the purchasing of second homes as income.
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ermm?
this is why?
not hanging pictures?
that's why severe regulation is required?
what are you drinking?
 
I think a fairly reasonable compromise is that landlords should have some picture hooks put up in sensible places themselves. That way they can ensure tenants don't go around putting nails through walls. 1/2 in bedrooms, one or two on a big wall in the living space, in the halls, etc, then have as part of the contract that they can be used but no more hooks put up. Seems a sensible way to allow people to put up a few pictures, make the place feel more like their own home but preventing potential damage.
 
Rroff said:
Bit of a poor way to handle it but that is a fairly common condition in many rental contracts.
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This was my thought. During the many years I rented this was a standard term. If the landlord drew up their own contract then it probably just got forgotten.
 
Sounds like another dodgy letting agent and a hobby landlord that is treating the property as his home and not a business. Probably not declaring income either like most one man band get rich quick landlords. I'd doubly make sure the deposit is protected too.
 
When I rented, the rule was that you had to leave the flat as you found it, so putting up pictures was fine, but before leaving you had to fill / paint over / whatever the holes. You might suggest to the landlord that you put up picture rails.
 
SPG said:
Totally agree, this is why private landlords in the UK need to be severely regulated, rents need to be brought down significantly and the purchasing of second homes as income.
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Sorry, that won't happen, what are we to become, a communist country?
Rents are what they are because people are paying the prices. And I'm saying that at the moment as a renter paying a little too much for my pad but I chose to do that - could have found somewhere cheaper but I liked this place :). As it's close to where I'm working the premium is worth it for me.
Should we also force house prices to come down too by limiting what someone can ask for their home?

Think landlords are best left self-regulating to be honest. If all renters chose to rent through an agent with a good reputation that would alleviate the problem. They give you phone numbers of their people to call (or recommended trades) and things usually get fixed quickly. They will also handle giving people access to the property. A private landlord will try to get you to be there to let them in. I personally would not rent from someone self-managing their properties unless I can get verification that they are good landlords.

Missing the first months payment is not good advice. Not only would they be breaking the terms of the contract themselves it could also affect a credit rating/reference in the future :). OP should as he said tore up the new changed contract(well, not as dramatic as that), but asked to renegotiate terms.
 
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Thing is, you can complain as much as you like, but it's not worth getting turfed out over.

If you buy the right products (i.e. 3M) then you'd never know that anything had been there anyway.
 
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