Demanding tenants

[jackic78]

My new tenants have been in the property for 2 weeks. They have paid the full 12 months rent in advance, as they are two post-grad students from China.

The flat is rented on a part-furnished basis, however, since they have moved in they have decided that one of the bedrooms is too small and are using the living room as the 2nd bedroom. The wardrobe, which is in the bedroom (now living room), is way too large to move so they are asking me to supply them with a further wardrobe to put in the 'new' bedroom. In addition they are asking for a desk, some more shelves, a vacuum cleaner, some extra curtains (to double up the existing very nice John Lewis curtains...). Am I correct in thinking this is above and beyond what I am required to provide them with? Surely the furniture we provided on the view is all we should be responsible for supplying.

Also, they are saying that the pendant light in the living room (now bedroom) is not working. It was in good working order upon check-in, and I am pretty sure they have damaged it when moving the furniture from the bedroom into the living room. Who is responsible for paying to fix this? It's not a fuse or a bulb which has blown, it just doesn't work, so I suspect it has been knocked somehow.

Any advice would be appreciated. I've said I would provide a set of curtains and a vacuum as a gesture of goodwill, but the list continues to grow.

Many thanks

[Mortitia]

When renting 'part furnished' or any other way for that matter always have an inventory done and this should be signed for at the start of the contract. That way you and the tenants know what exactly is what.

Tell these tenants that part furnished means what they now have and you are not adding any more furniture or effects. If necessary they can buy their own but they must remove it at end of tenancy. If you keep supplying they will keep asking for more.

Regarding the pendant light - since they have paid 12 months upfront I personally would get it fixed - can't be major repair and leave it at that.

I first rented to Japanese students some 20 years ago - they hung dripping wet clothes in the airing cupboard and were obsessed with having their hair permed. Different cultures seem strange to us sometimes!

Mortitia

[Richlist]

I first rented to Japanese students some 20 years ago - they hung dripping wet clothes in the airing cupboard and were obsessed with having their hair permed. Different cultures seem strange to us sometimes!

I make a BIG point when I'm showing tenants around or moving them in to describe, what we would call an airing cupboard, as just a storage cupboard that should NOT be used for drying clothes.....seems to work amazingly.