Hi, we have privately rented a house for almost 16 years. In that time the landlord hasn’t done anything to the property to maintain it. The only jobs that have been done are essential repairs, broken shower, heating etc and every time I call or text to say something needs to be fixed, she ignores me for a few days then says she’s having trouble getting someone out etc. We had two weeks with no heating in the middle of winter once, we said we would get our own plumber and deduct it from the rent but she said we would still have to pay the rent. The kitchen and bathroom need updating, I know she won’t do both but is it reasonable to ask for a new bathroom? We are good tenants, always on time with the rent so I know she’ll want us to stay. No doubt if she agreed to it she’d put the rent up. We did ask her to do a few jobs about 5 years ago but she refused. What is reasonable to ask a landlord to do after all this time when they’ve done nothing in terms of maintenance? Thank you
Why dont you just move somewhere nicer. You cant make the landlady update the property and she is clearly has no interest in doing so. If you cant persuade her then start looking around. You have no particular right to deduct for work from the rent except in very specific curcumstances and only then for repairs.
It sounds like she doesn’t deserve you and like Dacid122 said maybe look to move although if you’ve been there that long, you must have your reasons and obviously a move is a major upheaval.
But no harm in researching what is out there. Or write her a letter basically saying what you have said here, you can but ask, and then decide on what you will do depending the response.
Agreed with David, there is no legal obligation for landlord to update the property. The landlord does need to ensure the property is safe and habitable as per the tenancy agreement, so things like toilets and heating etc must be maintained and functioning, but a new bathroom for aesthetic reasons is not enforceable. New bathrooms and kitchens are a significant amount of work and will also mean a lot of incovenience for you and your family as you will be unable to use them while they are being replaced and you may need to move out temporarily during this time so the whole process can be very disruptive, which is why most landlords I know only do this type of work between tenancies when the property is empty. In addition, as you mentioned, the landlord is likely to want to increase the rent to reflect the increased value once the works are done - is this something you are prepared to accept? If you are unhappy with the conduct of the landlord and the state of the property, then as the others mention, it is worth looking elsewhere for a nicer place.