Hi all, how often do you replace carpets? My tenants of 3 years want to redecorate and change the colour scheme. I replaced all carpets when they moved in. They are brown and my tenants are now asking for grey. The carpets in the high wear area’s are looking a little tired but in the bedrooms, still looks like new. Should I comply with their request? If I buy the carpets I’d spend about £10 per meter plus underlay plus fitting, if they go shopping it’ll probably be double that price? Should I suggest going 50 / 50 on the cost or just give them a £10 per meter limit and let them choose what they like? It’s their home and I want them to feel happy, comfortable and valued. What would you say and do? Thanks, Alex.
Hi @Alex15 3 years is really quick to replace the carpets in my opinion. Unless the carpets are really worn and NEED replacement then I would simply turn down the tenants’ request with a firm but polite no. You have no legal obligation to replace them simply because the tenants requested it. Who’s to say in another 3 years, they will want another change of colour scheme? I also want my tenants to feel happy and valued, and I spend a lot of money on maintenance and renovations, but I definitely don’t replace perfectly good carpet just because tenants don’t like the colour. If they don’t like brown, they are welcome to cover it with their own rug of their colour preference.
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Or just offer to upgrade the high wear area if you think it’s that bad.
As above, 3 years is too soon. If they need replacing then you do it. You never let the tenant do such things. I would also be looking for compensstion from the tenants as the carpets should normally last more than 3 years.
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No way would I replace good carpets unless they look completely dated then I would consider it, but not at the tenants request.
Tired carpets can come up great if cleaned. If worn then consider replacing. If damaged then tenant should be forking out.
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Depends on quality of carpets, I’ve had carpet last 20 years. Cheaper carpet wont last as long but should be more than 3 years. At a guess 6 years for cheap carpet.
If they are good tenants I’d be inclined to make a contribution to cost of new carpets to reflect the period used, so if you used £10 carpet and they are halfway through lifetime then contribute £5 per square metre and let them sort it. If they are willing to pay for new carpets they will presumably stay long term but dont think we should cover their design whims beyond the normal long term maintenance costs.
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The layout of a room will cause to you to walk a certain route and that will wear the carpet in that area, so impossible to replace just that strip of carpet. Well, not impossible, but I don’t think it’ll look good?
The carpets, IMHO are fine, except they are brown and not grey, which my tenants would now like? Annoyingly, they do bring bicycles through the house and occasionally store them in the front room. They are very expensive racing bikes and I tend to keep quiet, not wanting to cause bad feeling / confrontation over something I cannot control. They did get the carpets professionally cleaned last year and they looked like new. They want to change the colour scheme and have suggested they’ll pay a professional painter/decorator to do it and I’ll cover the cost of carpets. I did say that light grey carpets are not a good idea if running bicycles over them! They said, more dirt comes off your feet than the bike tyres and should the carpets get dirty quicker they’ll get them cleaned more often!
Do new carpets add rental value to the property?
Will the tenants leave if you don’t agree to replace?
If long term good tenants may be worth considering to pay a contribution.
brown carpets are probably hideous imo
It sounds like a refresh will improve the condition so paying for carpets isn’t probably a bad idea in this instance. Provided the scheme keeps the property lettable.
You can insist the decoration is only done professionally if that’s what you want. Give people options and they take the one best for them.
No, probably wouldn’t add rental value, but would make the property more visually appealing. Tenants have indicated they would like to stay if they can change colour scheme. They’re currently paying around £200 per month less than the going rate. I have never increased the rent since they moved in 3 years ago. I have suggested an increase of £100 per month, to which they have agreed. At £100 per month all the carpets will be paid for in around 2 years.
I would probably still say no to renewing 3 year pld carpets. Not very eco-friendly for a start. Worst case scenario, they decide to leave and youve saved yourself the cost of the new carpets and you can let it for £200 a month more.
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That’s a fair point. I would like these tenants to stay, as they pay the rent, often on time, and look after the place, so I’m trying to keep them happy. My previous tenants were a nightmare. They cracked the bath causing a water leak which collapsed the ceiling below. They ripped off kitchen cupboard doors, cracked the toilet bowl, and allowed their dog (for which they had no permission) to defecate everywhere and left it all for me to clean up (hence new carpets, new kitchen, new bathroom, and total redecoration), and the DPS finally after about 6 months awarded me the full deposit of £1400, leaving me seriously out of pocket (not no mention eviction costs). When my current tenants moved in, I had to replace the rotten decking and fencing in the garden, another £3000 spent ! Last year, I explained to them the costs, hassle and stress involved with being a landlord and it really wasn’t worth it. I explained I felt like a ‘not for profit housing charity’ and with new more restrictive legislation for landlords and more rights for tenants being introduced, I was seriously thinking about selling up and investing the proceeds, which is essentially my pension. They agreed being a landlord, seemed like a mugs game and expressed an interest in buying the property, should I decide to sell. Since, then there’s been various tweaks and small improvements around the house and once redecorated to their satisfaction, with new carpets, I think they’ll approach me with an offer ?
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It sounds like the tenants are still kind of taking you for a mug though? If they were serious about buying the property, they would have already offered and then they would be able to change the carpet, colour scheme etc to however they want it to be. But instead they are making YOU arrange and pay for the unnecessary (in my opinion) renovation efforts while they pay below market rent for the property, and that is already AFTER you renovated the entire place just 3 years ago? It kind of sounds like they want to have their cake and eat it. Also light grey carpets with bikes regularly going over them is not a good idea. I agree with David, save yourself the hassle and expense of replacing carpets, and let property out at the market rate when these tenants move out.
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I thought you meant the whole carpet was tired looking rather than just a strip of it.
If you really want to agree to the new carpet then maybe tell them the rent would have to go up by £200 a month instead of £100 to cover the additional expense.
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It just the high wear areas, but you can’t really replace those areas. It’s like when you move a bed and you realise what the carpet looked like when it was laid.
I seem to remember reading somewhere that rent can only be increased by a maximum of 10% in any one year without the agreement of the tenants. If increased by more than 10%, disgruntled tenants can take the lardlord to a rent review tribunial, where an assessment will be made whether the increase is fair and justied, if not the landlord has to reduce it or face a hefty fine? Is this correct? My tenants have already agreed to an increase of £100 per month, from September, making the rent £850 per month. They agreed to the increase because they want permission to redecorate with me covering the cost of the carpets. To be honest, the cost of carpets is a drop in the ocean compared to the money I’ve spent on this property. Once all the work has been completed fo the tenants satisfaction, I will get 3 valuations from local estate agents, work out the average price and add £10,000. That’s the price if they wanrt to buy it (which they do). Take or leave it! It’s a sellers market in Kemt at this time, with most properties achieving offers £20.000 above the asking price…
No that is not correct. There is no limit. If you issue a s13 notice the tenant can challenge the increase at the first tier tribunal, but they are very unlikely to rule against any increase unless it takes the rent way above the market rent for the area. They also have the power to award a higher increase, so if the tenants challenged the £100 increase, the FTT could award £200.
There is a difference between expense that adds value to the property and expense that doesnt.
You could get three valuations now and add 10 per cent? You can ask what you want, as long as the surveyor valuation agrees.
I know a bit of paint and new carpets will obviously enhance the property, but just wondering why you don’t just sell now and let them crack on with redecoration when they are the owners?
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I have replaced the kitchen, bathroom, garden fencing and decking. Does that add value?