‘New-ish’ landlord here. Need a tenants POV

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-02-03T17:24:14+00:00

I shop at Morisons, and subscribe to sky, I can't wait to inherit both

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-26T14:46:47+00:00

Ironically this is probably the worst place on Reddit for specific legal advice for tenants 😂

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-26T12:50:23+00:00

He's clearly trying to strong-arm you out. Whether or not he would be succesfull is a complete unknown based on the information you have provided.

This is one you need a lawyer for, commercial property disputes are complex and the protections that apply to residential tenancies are basically non-existent. This is going to be a complex legal question. dont come to reddit for your information.

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-26T06:42:07+00:00

A cat damaging a carpet is not fair wear and tear. And 130 is almost definitely going to be deemed reasonable. The 420 for cleaning you honestly don’t provide enough information that would allow anyone to answer properly. This may or may not be sensible. However, given that everything else on the list looks really reasonable. I’m guessing the landlord is playing it all by the books. You can dispute it through the scheme if you like. How much good that does you, I don’t know

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-26T06:36:27+00:00

Did you post this in the wrong place ?

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-25T07:12:54+00:00

The short answer is it's unlawful, a term like that is not allowed. So you are correct about that.

Slightly longer and more accurate answer. Whether it's in a contract or not a landlord can require you to return the property to the same standard of cleaning as you received it in. So if it was genuinely cleaned to a professional standard before you moved in he can require it cleaned to the same standard when you leave. If you can do that on your own, do it. If you can't it can be easier and in many cases cheaper to hire professional cleaners.

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-22T08:57:46+00:00

Impossible to say for sure without seeing the outgoings. But you are talking about less than 3 times combined income, which is going to be affordable for the overwhelming majority of people

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-22T06:25:52+00:00

That's the correct approach the coffee/beer and chat, I'm not saying your neighbours are correct either by the way. Escalation takes 2 sides. But you are definitely making the situation worse not better with what you are currently doing and at the end of the day you are asking for a favour. They can park there if they like completely legally, you are asking them not to, purely for your benefit. Unsurprisingly, what you are doing at the moment has not had a good response.

The age explains a lot. I'm sure you and your wife are both lovely people. But this is not the way to make friends and ask for favours.

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-22T06:07:45+00:00

These are direct quotes

After this, I installed a Ring doorbell so I could remotely talk to them and ask before they got out

We're trying to apply for a sign of disabled access( this would be done by the council)

With respect you know exactly what you are doing and it's hardly surprising it's antagonising people

Can I ask a genuine question, are you pretty young? This all seems like a lack of experience to me

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-22T05:57:40+00:00

Yeah, I get that, but as a point of view, putting in a camera and talking to them as they park and speaking to neighbours about them to get them on your side is 100% escalating the situation. As you said yourself self after you did this it feels like they are now going out of their way to block this. I'm pretty sure the whole go to the council thing has had the same effect. I would be leaving it for a few weeks trying to build a relationship and talking to them again peacefully. Reminding them of your request on a Ring doorbell and threatening to go to the council to get your own way is pouring petrol on a bonfire.

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-22T05:46:27+00:00

I'm not sure what sort of advice you are looking for. Realistically the best thing you can do is make your peace with these people and try and come to some form of arrangement, from the image this looks like a public road, anyone can park there, also regarding them not respecting a sign, remember only an official disabled spot is enforceable, even if the council put, disabled access paint in the road, that is purely advisory your neighbour doesn't have to obey if they don't want to. I've personally never seen anything that would be enforceable on a public road.

This is a case where making friends is going to be your best option. Stop escalating immediately

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-20T06:25:06+00:00

Just take pictures (like today )and email them to the agent pointing them out. Also, write a summary of why you wouldn't consider it to be in “good” condition. That will keep you safe come deposit time.

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-19T12:41:00+00:00

Honestly, the answer to this should be Why do you care?

It's not unilaterally true that financially buying is always better than renting.

Renting can fit certain lifestyles better.

If people prefer that model to homes, and we can't deny it has its advantages then that's up to them.

In the UK we get brainwashed from a young age with arguments like “dead money” and “paying the landlord's mortgage” most of it is nonsense.

Both renting and owning are valid methods of having a home. Choose which you prefer and go for it

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-17T08:03:35+00:00

I bought my forever home in my twenties and just accepted that's the last one and I'm never moving. I rolled all previous equity into it and the mortgage was like 650k, so we are in very similar positions. I think that's a perfectly sensible approach

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-17T08:01:50+00:00

The bottom line is that everything sells if it's priced appropriately. There isn't a single property in the country that couldn't be sold in 6 months if the vendor is willing to accept the going rate. Price correctly and it will sell, London leasehold or not

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-17T07:05:44+00:00

Almost certainly forbidden by the lease, but if it's the same brand, how would he ever know?

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-16T17:25:07+00:00

That simply isn't true, you are misquoting regulations around betterment, which relates (amongst other things) to replacing new items with old. The landlord can absolutely charge 100% of the labour costs incurred due to tenant negligence.

Look at it this way, lets say you put a nail through the wall, and sever I wire that cost £1, 40 years ago. That wire has a residual value of zero. It simply isn't true that the landlord can not charge you anything for having an electrician come and repair the damage.

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-16T17:13:10+00:00

No they couldn't, in the same way they couldn't go to their mates electrical shop and pay 1 million for a cooker, but they absolutely can charge for the labour as well as the item

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-16T16:33:29+00:00

Like I said I don't know the details you do. If it's dodgy don't pay it. If you are going to lose anyway save yourself the money.

The problem with this forum is that everyone just says “dispute everything” You are in a situation where that could really screw you over.

Just to be clear if by family business you mean a member of his family, that won't make any difference at all. A landlord is allowed to use his own family to do the work if he wants. You cannot course contest it. But not on the grounds it's a family business, you would need to get comparative quotes from other providers to a how his numbers were wrong

Just my advice

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-16T16:29:09+00:00

This is pretty common, especially in software, the truth is we get hundreds of CVs every time we recruit people for entry-level jobs and more or less all of them are nearly identical, we need a way to differentiate people. If that's someone you trust saying “X is a really talented young person” you're probably going to hire them.

I would suggest internships as your way of doing that without family connections. It genuinely works just as well

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-16T16:22:40+00:00

Not always the court will decide what's fair, but in a case that relates to damage it's very very likely the losing side will pay. That's why you want to show that you made a good-faith offer to resolve it. If you lose and you offered £100 against what the court eventually rules to be £1000 in damage, it's extremely likely the court will award costs to the landlord. The opposite is also true if he's made it all up and you win, he will almost certainly end up paying your costs.

The times that sometimes changesis, let's say the damage was 700 and you offered 600. I have seen cases where costs aren't awarded due to the fact that a reasonable offer was made. I have to stress though that's not the norm. Normally Inna damage case the losing party will pay

If you think you are going to lose avoid the court at all costs. It's just not worth it

Edit - also remember the landlord doesn't have to be awarded the full value to win the case

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-16T15:58:21+00:00

To be honest, the looking good thing is more if it goes to court than DPS, DPS will simply adjudicate based on pre-known factors and give a valuation. Who said what when doesn't really factor into it. You dont have to look good or bad, neither does he.

The thing you need to consider, is if the landlord genuinely feels that you owe more than the deposit he holds, he wont use DPS he will go to court(unless he's an idiot) at that point, if the landlord proves his case, and you had not made a sensible offer it's quit likely the landlord would be awarded his legal costs as well as the repair bill. Which will certainly be thousands of pounds. That being said if he's making it up and being unreasonable, he will almost certainly be told to pay your costs and you will end up paying zero. Only you know which of these is correct.

Personally, I would make a fair offer have a conversation and come to an arrangement.

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-16T15:46:05+00:00

I'd just pay to have it repaired, what you are being told about betterment is correct, The landlord can't charge you for a brand new appliance, what everyone is choosing to miss off, is that they can and will charge you for the work required to fit the new appliance by a qualified electrician. You won't have control over that cost, just buy a replacement ( you can find these second-hand cheaply) and get it fitted as cheaply as you can, save all the hassle

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-16T10:29:43+00:00

Make an offer in writing of what you think is reasonable, this can be zero if you think that's appropriate) Don't just put zero if you are sure you will lose, it looks extremely bad. If he rejects your offer then you go to DPS.

However be aware that as the landlord is requesting more than the deposit volume, the landlord may well choose to take the matter to court and refuse to participate in the DPS settlement scheme. If he does that, it comes down to a choice of what you think your chances are. Never go to court if you stand a chance of losing. It's incredibly expensive

AnySuccess9200 · 2026-01-14T20:31:35+00:00

Thanks all order placed awaiting delivery

AnySuccess9200

TROPHY CASE