Looking to rent a property as unfurnished but, if I decide to leave white goods am I responsible for repairs or is this just a bonus for tenants? If leaving goods is not reflected in the monthly rent I don’t want to then incur costs for repair’s later.
that is ok make sure that responsibility is written into the contract ,so the tenant is aware that you have given them to him/her
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Hi Colin, what if I don’t want to give but make available for tenants that may follow? Can I personalise a contract that perhaps supports that these goods are being made available but not removed or is this just getting complicated? 
Complicated . If they go wrong, you will get the tenant arguing that they are yours. You would be better selling them to the tenant
I have had white goods in properties. I basically include them on the inventory. If they malfunction, I replace. If they’re damaged, the tenant pays e.g. for new fridge shelf, usually off deposit. Generally though, I don’t include white goods nowadays except for one property where they’re built into cupboards and I have explicitly stated that if they fail they are the T’s responsibility as they’re older than I’d like. I have a signed doc to that effect from the T to cover any disputes if they fail.
To help towards avoiding miscommunication, all my properties have a property manual. Inside this is a document that outlines what we as LLs are responsible for maintaining and what the Ts are responsible for maintaining. That keeps it all clear.
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I do not leave any white goods in rentals. If they buy their own ,then they will look after them better.
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It’s never a “bonus”. Everything must be properly regulated.
If you leave any electrical items in the property you must make sure they each have a PAT test to be legal letting the property . You or some company will also need to include all the items and their conduction on the check in inventory and on the check out too.
Plus if you provide white goods I think a tenant would naturally assume that they are part of the deal and they need to work. So they stopped working to be responsible for repairing them.
I strongly suggest you make a decision one with the other. Either either or letting it unfinished or let it finished for a slightly higher rent in order to camp for the hassle and costs. But don’t kid yourself that you can let it as unfurnished but leaving white goods that you don’t properly deal with.
Selling them to tenant is quite a good idea. However be careful you check the rules around PAT testing. They will need to buy them before moving in or you may be breaking the law around PAT
Sounds too complicated to me. Why open yourself up to that if you basically want to let unfurnished?
I would suggest that if you want to keep the white goods but don’t want to let furnished that you just bite the bullet and get them moved to somewhere you can store them.
If you don’t have anywhere or can’t afford to move them, I think you may have to have them as part of a furnished property and do it properly.
there are no laws “around PAT” unless you’ve got an HMO which doesn’t apply in this case and is unlikely to apply if you are selling white goods to a tenant.
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Gifting means the tenants can take them when they leave
If they are on inventory they are your responsibility including yearly pat testing
There’s no halfway house in law
PAT testing in rental properties is not a legal necessity, but is good practice. The law does require that the appliance be maintained in a safe condition. How the Landlord wishes to demonstrate this is upto them.
It would be difficult to require the tenant to maintain an appliance if it must be left behind. If they are maintaining, they have to have the option to choose to repair / replace depending on the cost of a repair, and you cant expect them to replace & leave the new one for your future tenants.
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Hi, interesting out of interest to you ask them to sign said document to confirm that they have read and understood?
Hi Colin, Fair point.
Oh yes absolutely. I get everything in writing. Ambiguity is your enemy.
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Landlords are not currently obliged to repair or replace white goods under s11 Housing Act 1985, but to be certain,you should specify this in the contract. However, as others have said, you are obliged to ensure its in a safe condition at all times.
Note, that this will change in ghe new Renters Rights Bill.
all the more reason not to supply them
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Even if you supply them
This conflicts with what has been specified by David smith and Tessa Shepersson
One has an obligation to the inventory
Yes, thats in part why I said youd need to specify in the contract that you wont be repairing them. Without this, the tenant would have a reasonable right to expect that anything in the inventory should be maintained in servicable condition.
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In my properties I have given incoming tenants the option to use white goods which previous tenants left, if they didn’t have their own.
I have always made it clear those (except for the built-in oven) are not included in the rental agreement, which is for an unfurnished flat.
They are responsible for them, and could keep them when they leave, if they wish.
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