Custom clauses in AST

[DancingQueen]

Hello, were just drafting the AST for a new tenancy and wondering if anyone has any sample wording for the following custom clauses:

1. Requiring the Tenant to keep the balcony clean, free of bird droppings and to clear any nesting immediately after becoming aware of it. Would also like to ask them to look after any plants that remain on the balcony on a best efforts basis.

2. Adding a point stating that the rent is inclusive of cleaning paid for by the Landlord. Want tenants to be happy :-)! Preference would be not to commit to exact number of hours or frequency.

3. If there is any correspondence to the Landlord, allowing the tenant to open the letters and take photos instead of posting it to the Landlord.

Any help would be super appreciated 🙂

 

 

 

[Richlist]

1. In my opinion that's a waste of time. You or your Agents will be carrying out regular, 3 monthly inspections when the cleanliness of anything associated with the property can be dealt with.

We have a property in Spain, it's not let but we have someone who tends the garden etc. I can almost 100% guarantee that tidying up, weeding, watering, sweeping et c is carried out a day or two before we arrive. Does it matter ?....not a jot. It's tidy when we are there, that's what I pay for.

Most standard ASTs already carry a clause about looking after, keeping clean and tidy in a tenant like manner so why add anything ?

2. You are aware that that could put some people off renting the property ? Some don't like anyone in the property when they are not there.

3. Why ?

[Grampa]

Just add to the normal cleaning clause that it includes the balcony. Making it a requirement to remove nests maybe a unfair term and if someone had an accident doing it you may have a potential claim on your hands regardless of merit, after all you wouldn't expect tenants to clear nests from gutters. Just make sure you have a good inventory with added photos showing condition prior to the tenancy starting and signed on every page by the new tenant.

Why include cleaning? That is an unusual thing to add and some tenants would take advantage of it to live in a grubby manner and make complaints about the cleaner if it wasn't done to a certain standard or didn't turn up at a certain time or want the day changed to suit them etc etc. This potentially could cause you a lot of work.

Regarding mail just put in place a post office redirection for 12 months which will be plenty of time for you to change correspondence addresses. You cant expect tenants to open your mail, take a photo and send to you. What if they don't do it promptly enough for you and there was some form of penalty you incurred because you got the info late? 

Keep it simple