Should I take up my landladies offer?

Question

I am a single parent and rent a house for £700 a month with help from housing benefit. My daughter has bad eczema and the doctor has said it is caused by dust in carpets. I want to get the kitchen laid with lino, there is a disgusting 70's style carpet in there, the landlady said that she would pay for it (£250) but put my rent up by £20 a month from now on, I would have paid forthe carpet within a year and still paying for it for the whole amont of time i live here, I like living here and think we will be here a long time, do you thin this sounds like a bad deal from my landlady, what should I do?

Answer 1

Laminate flooring is now very cheap, from under £3 a square metre, and does not aggravate such conditions as your daughter has. £700/month is quite enough to pay for rent, I'd look elsewhere.

Answer 2

If you have an assured shorthold tenancy or a licence and you want to renew after the current term has expired, then you need to stay on good terms with your landlady whatever else you do, It's advisable no matter what form of tenancy you have.

Should the replacement of the carpet be seen as a necessary replacement under a repairs and renewals clause or is it a matter of getting something more suited to your daughter's personal condition?

Does the landlady have the right to vary the rent during the term?

Do you feel strongly enough about it to make a moral stand and risk a probable confrontation or can you forget it and pass on the increase to Housing Benefit?

PS I strongly advise that you check out the above with the Citizen's Advice Bureau or similar and, at least initially, ignore the advice from the US Property Manager. Their system is not the same.

Answer 3

The Land Lady Should Pay For It Anyway It's Her Duty To keep The Place She Rents Out To People In Good Condition
Do be Care-full How You Say It Too Her Though You Don't Want To Upset Her So She Chucks You Out.

Answer 4

Yes, bad deal. Best thing to do is take up the carpet - whatever is underneath will be more hygenic than a ratty old bit of carpet. (should be concrete / tiles or something or even wood). Or, you could see about hiring a steam cleaner for the morning. Either way, it's better than paying and extra 20 a month for the duration.

Answer 5

What does your rental agreement say??If she changes the rent you must sign a new agreement. If no agreement then you are on a month by month in which case you should explain your position to the owner that you may have to move and the owner would have to replace the carpet anyway(plus if you move the owner will be out at least 1 months rent)

Answer 6

She is offering a bad deal it would be cheaper for you to pay and get the lino yourself, with no rent increase

Answer 7

do not take up your landladies offer and as you have told that you are a single person so have a small,new and neat house for you of about 500 pounds.

Answer 8

she should not up the rent because of new carpet. this involves your childs health. there is no way that i would pay for the carpet myself because its not my house. maybe if she paid me back.

Answer 9

do not go for it hon its a trap
and by law depending on what state youre in he/,she has to rectify the problem or be forced to shut the house down for health violations.. id contact thed governing body there to see what can be done. but DO NOT make a deal with your landlord when it comes to their property, they ALWAYS get the best end of the stick

Answer 10

Tell her you will install if she leaves the rent as is for the next 5 years!!!!