Forum Topic

landlords or tenants - who should clean up?

Once upon a time when most homes were lived in by one family who were responsible to keep their property in a reasonsble condition inside and out.Now many of these properties are rented out to different tenants and whilst some landlords and tenants do make an effort to ensure that the property is maintained in a reasonable state. unfortunately in many cases we now find that the landlord rarely visits the property which means when a tenant leaves their discarded rubbish is just dumped in the  front garden. There it remains for weeks on end until complaints are made to the council.I feel that both the landlord and the tenant should take responsibility to ensure that mattresses and assorted rubbish have been disposed of in the proper way.Is that too much to ask?

Jean F Fernandez ● 3939d10 Comments

Do you know who holds the deposit?  It has been many years since a landlord could withdraw funds from the deposit without the tenants permission. The tenants are provided with a professionally cleaned home at the start of their tenancy at no expense to them.  It is expected that they will honour the contract by handing back the home in the same state.  It is the tenants responsibility to arrange for recycle bags if he doesn't have them, just as it is his responsibility to pay the council tax, the water rates, obtain parking permits if needed and etc etc.  And yes, it is also their responsibility to not be a nuisance to the neighbours by depositing mattresses etc on the front drive or garden.  However, the landlord can only ask, not demand that the tenants clean it up.  If the tenant doesn't, then it is up to the council enforcement dept. - should someone report them.

Charles Campbell ● 3938d

So come on Charles - as a landlord you must have ideas on how this can be sorted out fairly.Landlords do withhold financial deposits and also make their tenants pay for professional cleaning even though they've already cleaned the property.  I've seen it.  Not that all of them know what cleaning is of course!

Philippa Bond ● 3938d

Because it would be against the law and the tenant would sue and win a case on harrassment.  You really must bone up on tenant/landlord laws.  There is about 126 of them.

Charles Campbell ● 3938d

Why aren't landlords fining their tenants and withholding part of the financial deposit?  Or are they and still leaving the rubbish to be collected by someone else?

Philippa Bond ● 3938d

The council generally responds to fly tipping - albeit maybe not as fast as one would like - lot of factors to consider when taking an enforcement action, I expect.

Charles Campbell ● 3938d

I do report incidents of dumped mattresses and so on to the council but then it takes time befofe items are collected. In some cases where this happens repeatedly it just attracts yet MORE dumping simply because someone else picks it up!It is probably impossibls to hold landlords, agents snd even tenants responsible but as more and more homes mare now HMO properties I fear the problem will simply get much worse.

Jean F Fernandez ● 3938d

It is already the tenant's responsibility as per tenant/landlord contracts. You could report it to the landlord but he would have little power to change their behaviour.  Only the council's flytipping enforcement division would have enough power to do anything about it.

Charles Campbell ● 3939d

Surely the tenant??Their rubbish, dont just dispose of at will, be responsibleAND AS FOR ST GREGORYS END OF SCHOOL PARTY IN PITSHANGERThanks for leaving 5 or 6 refuse sacks of rubbish for foxes to disperse & dogs to scavenge. TAKE IT HOME

Peter Yale ● 3939d

If the landlord or the agent took responsibility perhaps we would not see so many discarded mattresses littering iur streets.

Jean F Fernandez ● 3939d

Surely it is the responsibility of the landlord to select a suitable agent and/or tennant, and then take the consequences.

Christopher Bell ● 3939d