Lowering Rent In Exchange For Tenant’s Decorating

I’ve been taking viewings this week for a property that’s due to become available very shortly. Admittedly, the property isn’t in tip-top condition and people have pointed that out to me. Structurally, it’s sound, no problems there. I’m talking about the visual pleasantries. Well, visual horrors, in this case, like out-dated kitchen units that look like they’ve been smeared with satan’s excrement and walls that are screaming to be stroked with a fresh lick of paint. Basically, nice bricks, shit everything else!

As I was showing one couple around the house, they said they liked the property, but was hesitant to commit because of the outdated style. They specifically mentioned the shit-stained kitchen units, the dull walls and the horrid coffee stained carpet located in the master bedroom. All features which I knew were dragging the property down.

Knowing the work needed to be done, and knowing that ignoring the work would result in a struggle to pull in the punters, my quick-wit (ha) lead me to put a deal on the table. I proposed that I’ll buy new paint, carpet and kitchen unit doors of their choice (as long as they’re neutral colours and I accept their taste), if they agree to do the labour. In return for their hardwork I’ll lower the rent by £30 per month. That’s £360 they’ll be saving annually. They seemed pretty cool with the idea. And I’m sure a lot of other landlords/tenants would snap at the opportunity.

Advantages for Landlord

• I don’t need to get in labourers to do the work, which would cost me a lot more than reducing rent by £30 per month.
• If I were to get decorators in now (or do it myself), I would have to keep the property empty for at least another week. That would cost me even more money. By doing it my way, tenants move in straight away, and decorating can begin when they’re ready.

Advantages for Tenants

• They’ll save money
• They’ll live in a freshly decorated property
• They’ll get to provide input on the decoration styling, so they’ll live in a property they’ll get to enjoy

Outlined Rules

There were a few outlined rules that needed to be agreed, which were as follows:

• Work needs to be completed to a high standard. If not, the work will need to be redone at the tenant’s expense. I’ll be moderating.
• I will provide a strict definition of “high quality” and will be moderating at every step, so there’s no confusion.
• There will be a set budget. This is a business move, nothing else.

I must confess though, I probably won’t commit to this deal because I’ve found another potential tenant that is willing to pay more than the asking price, and is willing to pay 3 months upfront, and pay for the 2 weeks that i’ll need to revamp the property. The guy is probably a drug dealer (even though he told me he’s a professional), but as long as rent is paid…
Just to clarify, I will be checking references from previous landlords and employers. I ain’t no fool, fool!

Even though I won’t be commiting to the deal, I thought I’d just write this situation up because I think it’s still a pretty good idea if any Landlord has a property that needs work.

Anyhow, I’ve decided to look under my thick layer bondage gear to get my work overalls out and do the work myself. It’s going to be pretty tough because I’ll have to juggle the labour around my nine-to-five and my ever so demanding social life! But it should be a nice D.I.Y learning curve.

I’d be interesting to know if any Landlord or Tenant would ever strike up a deal like this. Anyone? Someone?

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Talk / 7 Comments left so far

Justin Burns wrote this on 2009-02-02 07:20:03 He may be a 'professional' drug dealer.

My biggest worry would be the quality of the work. People think that if you can piss you can paint but there's a bit more to it than that. I don't see a tenant spending hours preparing the surfaces before slapping the paint on and if it ain't done properly it will look shit again by the time they leave.

Tenants also have this thing about inviting their friends around for a 'painting party' which is basically painting while getting pissed.

On a serious note though - who will decide if the work is to a high standard? I'd say it's more trouble than it's worth. 1

The Landlord wrote this on 2009-02-02 07:40:05 I know what you're saying, Justin. And I agree, the level of standard is a highly objective issue, and is ultimately in the eye of the beholder.

However, I was strictly clear that everything needs to be to a high standard. And I would be the moderator. I explained how things should be...

This kind of scheme should probably be offered to people you think you could trust. Moreover, only really works if the tenants plans on staying for the longterm... 2

The Landlord wrote this on 2009-02-02 07:40:28 Professional drug dealers pay the bills... 3

Badger wrote this on 2009-02-05 08:54:53 I let um get on with it, they have to live in the dam place, if its shit then they only have themselves to blame. Lowering rent, no, if they want to change the deco and there is nothing wrong with it in the first place then no, its upto them.
If the place needs a refurb then yes i would foot the bill. 4

Slum Landlord wrote this on 2009-02-08 23:56:50 Do not let them do it. I have fallen into this trap. I was halfway through painting my hallway when my tenants wanted to move in quickly and they offered to finish off the painting. Now they think that because I have trusted them to paint they have the green light to do whatever they want. They have since done a really hideous paint job with a colour that might have been fashionable in the early 70s in both the lounge and hallway. They have also put down a floor in the hallway, lounge, and two bedrooms which was never approved and once again, it is a hideous job. As a result the property is now devalued and it's going to cost me a fortune to put it right. Give them and inch and they take you for a fool. 5

The Landlord wrote this on 2009-02-09 07:43:27 Hey Slum,

Man, that's annoying. If any Landlord leaves the decorating to the tenants, there must be strict rules and an approval process should definitely be implemented.

I guess it's an extremely risky situation. However, I'm sure there are cases where it has ended well.

I guess it just depends on how competant the tenants are.

Kind regards 6

Nikki wrote this on 2010-05-31 20:06:08 I recently managed to find a property which I am going to rent from a private landlord, but the property itself was left in a disgusting state by the previous tenants. To be honest, I really do not know how people actually live in these conditions, especially as they had two young children. Before I can move in, it is going to require a lot of work to make it respectable enough to live in, as in its current condition, you wouldn't keep animals in there!

My question is this.... Do landlords usually pay for a company to come and clean the properties which are left in this condition or do they do it themselves?

The reason I am asking is, I have a very strong background in industrial and domestic cleaning and I am seriously considering looking into the possibility of setting up a business which specializes in restoring houses left in this condition. My past employment has seen me work in this type of area before and I used to enjoy seeing the end result, even though it was hard work to do.

I am just seeking opinions as to how often landlords find property left in poor conditions and what their usual course of action is regarding doing the work themselves or whether they pay for some one to do the work for them.

If I find that the potential is there for a business, then I am going to set up soon and start offering a full service restoring property from top to bottom, including tidying gardens if needed.

Any advice would be great.

Thanks

Nikki 7

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