Is our landlord inappropriately encroaching on our lifestyle?

Fellow OzBargainers,

As someone who is relatively new to renting, I thought I’d ask for your views on my situation. Today we had our routine 6-monthly inspection on a 1-year lease.

Background
This is our 2nd year renting. We are a young couple with no kids or pets. This year, we left our previous rental for work purposes and moved. We received our previous bond back in full and developed an excellent relationship with both the previous property manager and landlord. As renters, we pride ourselves in treating others’ homes as our own and usually keep the house meticulously clean.

Today
The property manager arrived with the landlord. Landlord seemed upset while talking with the property manager outside. It was this that alerted me to their arrival. I can only guess that perhaps the small front garden was a little unkempt, owing to the strong winds and rain the last 2 days in Melbourne. Nonetheless, upon overall home inspection, the property manager seemed quite impressed (the place was spotless) but the landlord was upset, especially about 2 particular things.

  1. Landlord upset our fridge was not on some form of padding and was concerned the linoleum/vinyl floors were being damaged. For context, our fridge is a large side-by-side door Whirlpool around 20 years old. FWIW, as a household of 2, it is usually quite empty. Last year it was placed on beautiful but delicate floor tiles, and did not leave a scratch. Prior to this, it sat on wooden floorboards in my family home for about 18 years, also causing no issues. There is no evidence at all of any floor damage, nor should any be expected. Despite this, landlord is adamant it should be on a mat or carpet.

  2. Landlord upset that mop and bucket is in the bathtub. For context, I mop the floors once a week. After mopping, I leave both mop and bucket in the bathtub to dry (there is no better place in our house for this), but since it is winter, passive drying of the mop takes almost a week, so I’ve essentially left it there permanently for now. Landlord is upset this could cause damage to the bathtub. Again, we did this previously at our old rental, with no issues. There is no evidence of damage to the bathtub, nor should any be expected. Landlord is adamant it should be moved.

As someone who believes we’re genuinely good and caring tenants, the landlord’s reactions got me a lot more upset than I thought I would be.

My fellow OzBargainers, do you think our landlord is meddling a little much in our lifestyle? My overall impression was the landlord wanted our home to be exactly like theirs (e.g. things done their way, things placed where they want). I know this is petty, and I certainly appreciate the landlord’s care for their home, but I also have huge respect for people living autonomous lifestyles, homeowners or not. Please let me know what you reckon. As always, your views are much appreciated.

TLDR: routine 6-month inspection today. House was spotless. Property manager seemed very happy but landlord not so much. Landlord wants us to put a mat under the fridge for fear of floor damage (there is no damage) and to move the bucket and mop from the bathtub for fear of bathtub damage (there is no damage). Is the landlord inappropriately encroaching on our lifestyle?

Update: just received an email from the property manager. She found the property to be ‘clean and looked after’ and ‘appreciate(s) that (we) take pride in the home’. She also mentions ‘the owner is extremely particular’.

Update 2: wow, over 100 comments! Arguably about half are from me, but thanks again for taking your time to share your thoughts and opinions. I’ve found the leftover linoleum (apologies, I used the word ‘laminate’ previously, having mistakened the 2 products) and as per landlord’s suggestion, will use this as a mat beneath the fridge (though there may be issues with sticking). I’ll just move the mop now, or at least come inspection time

Comments

  • +66

    Sounds like the landlord is new to this too. Maybe it was their family home they moved out from? In any case, unless the managing agent says anything I'd just ignore the landlord. Neither of the two points even vaguely approaches an issue, and if those were the only/biggest concerns, the landlord is lucky to have you as tenants.

    • +8

      The landlord is quite elderly and perhaps this is her first rental home, which I can appreciate. Thanks for your comments, I thought maybe I was missing something bg time, but combined with the property manager’s appraisa just now (see ‘update above), I think we’re doing okay after all.

      • +3

        Elderly… tread lightly then.

        It is trivial to comply, so just do it. If you get your back up they might just boot you out of principle.

        • +1

          Definitely will tread very lightly

      • +17

        You have got nothing to worry about OP. I've been a landlord for 9 years now and from what you have said, you are the perfect tenant. Like HighAndDry mentioned it may have been their family home beforehand and if that is the case they need to learn to take the emotion out of it.

        If they are worried about the fridge then they can supply padding of some sort. If for some reason there were marks under the fridge that would be normal wear and tear which they can't take from your bond. Their 2nd issue is actually laughable. As they have hired a Property Manager they should let them perform all checks as they have the experience.

        • +2

          Thanks for the kind words. I could see the property manager getting very frustrated at the landlord pointing out these trivial things, making a 5 minute inspection become 30 minutes

        • +3

          Is the fridge in an area that is dedicated for the fridge? i.e. bulkhead above? If so, there's only going to ever be a fridge there anyway so who would care if there is possibly a scratch underneath. Nobody sees it.

          I'm a landlord also but have also been a renter in the past. We were much like you and your partner - our landlord lived local and used to come to the frontdoor unannounced to hand us our bill and check on the gardening. He would also drive past most days. Sometimes as a landlord it helps to be interstate as we are now - we don't see the property and let the property managers look after it. Yes it costs more, but we don't lose our minds over some small weed coming out of the grass!

        • +4

          @brian77:

          While I agree that the owner is being silly in this case, I have yet to encounter a property manager that was much above lazy and useless.

          I’ve had a unit rented out for almost ten years, and every property manager I’ve had has been the same. Their inspections are lousy at best, and they don’t notice the most obvious of things.

          The most egregious? Tenants mounted a TV on the wall without asking, and it was only noticed when I went to pay an air con installer at the premises. Why was there getting AC installed that that time? It was an incentive to have the tenants sign on for another year. Oh, and the property manager didn’t get them to sign it, so they were free to leave 3 mths later.

          They all suck.

        • @lemmstar: the fridge is actually NOT in an area dedicated for a fridge as it is slightly too wide. Therefore we have placed it in the corner of the dining room. I don’t think I’ve seen the landlord previously but may now keep a look out

          Edit: Oops I think I replied to the wrong comment

        • @Mitch889: haha I see. So far from a tenant’s perspective, the two property managers we’ve had have been alright. Admittedly, we don’t bother them very much and when we do, it’s nothing overtly complicated (e.g. organising a plumber)

        • +1

          @brian77:

          Ah, I can understand the landlord's perspective now. IF you were to damage the laminate, it isn't going to be just covered by the next tenant's fridge.

          The bottom line is, it is your risk. If you damage the floor or bath, you will be replacing them. SO yo need to be sure you aren't going to do any damage, and if so you don't have a problem.

        • I agree with this. You're a good tenant. Your landlord should probably be a lot more lenient. If he'd ever had a poor tenant, he'd agree.
          I'm lucky enough now to have all my properties tenanted by great, long-term tenants.

        • @SlickMick:

          Yeah this clarifies things a bit for me. Whilst laminate is tough, it is not able to be fixed if scratched. If that scratch was visible, it would make the property less desireable to potential tenants.

          You seem fastidious and tidy so I'm sure you'll be fine, however maybe investing in something cheap underneath would provide you with some peace of mind. In the event that a scratch was caused, you avoid having the argument of wear and tear vs negligence, with the worst case scenario being the replacement of the scratched piece. Given the landlord's intransigence so far, a debate on this point doesn't sound out of the realms of possibility. This would be expensive in labour, not to mention the risk of that panel design no longer being available.

        • @lemmstar: yeah, I think I’ll just put something underneath. Apologies, I actually meant to say vinyl/linoleum instead, which is much more flexible and less easy to scratch. There is some leftover lino which the landlord suggested to use

        • +1

          @SlickMick: yep, that makes more sense now.

          Every fridge is going to cause some sort of mark on the floor, but if it’s in a dedicated fridge alcove it’s always going to be covered by another fridge.

          I wouldn’t be happy if a fridge damaged the corner of my dining room either.

      • I know dad rent my nan house his family home more painful than with any of another rental he owns most of them a nearly new home. I just ask the property manager if I was you.

      • -2

        The landlord is quite elderly

        Get them on medication day and force them to rewrite their will.

  • +12

    Seems very pedantic, but it would be trivial for you to comply, and might then make you the best tenant ever.

    • Yeah, I think it’d just be easier complying. Thanks for your input!

    • +4

      Best advice. If those were the best complaints the owner could come up with, you are doing an amazing job! Comply and you'll never get kicked out!

      • +2

        Pretty much sums it up. Thanks for the suggestion! We don’t intend on living here for much longer than the 1-year lease, as we are looking to purchase our first home soon, but given the ridiculous property prices despite the ‘2% fall in median house prices in Melbourne’ (in today’s The Age), we’re not holding our breath.

    • There is no best tenant award for people like that. Those types are damaged inside, and angry, and seek redemption by pointing out the flaws in others.

      OP, your better off finding out what landlord is passionate about, and get them talking about that. They'll get so wrapped up in it that it will make them happy. They'll still point out all the things wrong, but they won't get so worked up about it.

      • +2

        Sounds like a good plan. Here’s hoping they don’t want more ‘regular’ inspections for no good reason. It’s hard enough getting a weekday off work as it is!

  • +16

    I'm a landlord, I think he is just a tosser.

    • +1

      Haha, she is actually quite an elderly lady (maybe in her 60s), but appreciate your sentiment. I just felt so unexpectedly riled up, very frustrating!

      • +7

        Shit! you think 60 is quite elderly!! What age are you ?

        "Damn young whippersnappers, no respect for old people anymore" ;) LOL

        Hopefully if this was your 1st inspection she will not come to any others. In Qld where I live inspections are held every 3 months and owners are allowed 1 visit per year.

        • +2

          Nah, 60 is pretty young overall (I work in a hospital so anyone <70 I consider ‘young’) but for some reason I was picturing a lady in her 40s as our landlord. I’m not sure how often landlords can inspect properties in Victoria, but hopefully no unannounced visits!

  • +13

    How the hell can a mop damage a bathtub? Wtf is the landlord on???

    • +2

      I’ve no idea. The mop and bucket are plastic and I don’t think they can do much, if any, damage.

    • depends what you were mopping I guess. Baths can be stained pretty easily

      • The bath looks brand new still, despite it being white. Our floors tend to be pretty clean

        • yeah, I was only looking for what the landlord could possibly be worried about. eg. you mop up an oil spill them put mop in bath. Wasn't suggesting that you would do that - but the landlord doesn't know you. She might have previously had someone take a motorcycle apart in her house!!??

          I should have gone with the plastic mop scratching the bath??

          Anyway, it all seems fine. The landlord has let it go, despite airing her concerns, so you know she expects the bath to still look brand new each inspection, and when you move that fridge there be no evidence that a fridge had ever been there. It sounds like you're caring for the place as if it were your own, so you should be fine.

        • @SlickMick: yeah, I just had a look at the floor beneath the fridge now, again. Looks like any other part of the floor. We’ll see how this plays out

      • +1

        Username checks out.

  • Sounds ridiculous.
    As a landlord I wouldn't put laminate floorboards in a rental to begin with because they will get destroyed - if not by you, someone else..
    The mop thing is the dumbest thing i've ever heard.

    Theres nothing he can do, hes just being a grumpy bum. If he tries to claim something at the end of your tenancy then just don't agree for them to take your bond - they will then take you to VCAT if they really want to - they'll lose either way. Even if you did scratch the laminate floorboards whilst moving the fridge it would likely fall under wear and tear.

    • Thanks for your input. Hopefully it won’t ever hurt us financially in terms of the bond and I don’t think it will. I actually chuckled previously at the other property manager’s condition report which stated the floors as ‘new timber floorboards’. Of course, we contested that point and knew it was laminate. The spare laminate in the laundry storage hammered home the point.

      • +4

        This and the landlords reaction raises a flag for me. Maybe have pictures just in case to "futureproof" yourself.

        And the general reply of "you seem an excellent tennant" is what I feel as well.

        • +1

          Pictures sound like a good idea. We usually take photos of everything at the start and end of any contractual agreement (lease, car hire), but may do so more regularly now for this property

  • It depends on what the bath's made of and what you are using to clean the floors with because you could easily be damaging the bath .

    i.e my spa bath says it can only be cleaned using diswashing liqud and soap if you are mopping with bleach or something strong and washing it out in the bath it could be damaging .

    • +1

      Good point. The bath seems to be made of plastic and I use Pine-O-Cleen antibacterial disinfectant diluted 1:20 as per the instructions. The active ingredient is benzalkonium chloride (I don’t think it contains bleach). FWIW, our previous rental had a similar, albeit older bathtub, which wasn’t damaged by this

      • +1

        No, bleach won't damage any spa out there. Even the most expensive/delicate ones.
        Heck its a good thing to use, as it will prevent mould growth which can become an issue if unchecked.

        Unless you're using a high-concentrate of Peroxide, there's no worry.
        …or if the spa/tub is made out of shitty materials.

        The landlord's being unrealistically pedantic, and the agent is complicit with this tosser for not correcting them.
        Sounds like you've been more than accomodating. Any one of us would be thrilled to have tenants like yourself.

        • Haha thanks for the kind words. The agent is quite impressionable and just went along with the landlord’s suggestions. Hopefully this doesn’t encourage the landlord

  • +5

    Some people are entitled. In this case, the landlord feels he/she is entitled to rent money and a slave to keep their investment spotless.

    I'd dual wield the one finger salute.

    • I think your comment sums it up best. I think our home is already pretty bloody clean but was very taken aback today. Undoubtedly it will be left in the same condition it was given to us. Honestly, after a long day of work, sometimes I just feel like dual wielding that one finger salute

  • Unless the bucket was one of those metal ones that might chip the bath then the landlord is being OTT.

    • Apart from some internal springs driving the spinning drying mechanism, I think it’s entirely plastic (admittedly pretty good quality, thick plastic)

      • +1

        Well then as a former landlord I wouldn't worry about it. I guess her expectations are not reasonable and she is probably a perfectionist or has something else wrong with her. :)

        • I think she’s just a (presumably retired) lady with not so much to keep her occupied throughout the day. Kudos to her for continuing to actively manage her property, somewhat at our expense. Hopefully she doesn’t pay us any unexpected visits

  • +2

    Sounds like a sook

    • She was very nitpicky

  • +1

    The only issue you could have is if the landlord takes over from the property manager, they may try give you grief about the bond. Even if the fridge did compress the areas it was on over time they couldn't charge you for it. The process of them attempting to is always inconvenient. You could put the fridge on pads but the process of doing that is probably likely to do more damage than leaving it alone.

    • I have a feeling she’ll leave it to the property manager. There is some leftover laminate which the landlord suggested could be used; this seems appropriate. I was just peeved about her even suggesting we’ve done something wrong. Nonehtless, I’m not sure if it’ll actually do very much to avoid any potential significant damage. The fridge’s rubber wheels/legs seem pretty harmless already, but I may consider those pads if we’re able to safely apply them without causing any damage

  • 1: Put a mat under it to stop their whinging. Done.
    2: Petty. But Sometimes you just have to grin and bear it, when renting.

    I would suggest you leave the place when ever their is an inspection. I do this because I find it intrusive and awkward.

    • Some good advice there. To be honest, I usually prefer being at home just to prevent people stepping into our home with outside shoes (we go barefoot or with thongs/sandals indoors), especially with our driveway riddled with possum poo thanks largely to unit 1’s trees. But it looks like the property manager was already prompted by the landlord to remove her shoes, so shouldn’t be an issue if nobody’s home.

      The only previous inspection I had was one last year. It took less than 5 minutes as the property manager could easily see things were spotless and I didn’t find it to be intrusive at all. Today’s was far different I certainly can now appreciate the intrusiveness

  • +1

    Your landlord isn’t that peanut from that thread on here where they wanted a $5000 floor bond?

    Tell them if they are going to be a douche canoe, you don’t want them there…

    • Nah, I don’t think so (I certainly hope not!) :S

  • Landlord is being over the top, there's a reason there's a concept of fair wear and tear in residential tenancy agreements.

    • Yeah, I’m all for this concept. Interestingly, at our previous rental, we had one of those more modern Hills-branded retractable clothes lines. The receiving bracket actually came off the brick wall attachment one day (the screws were loose), fell and broke. The only broken part was a handle-like apparatus which served no real function, and the device still worked. I thought this was fair game wear and tear. Ultimately, because I loved the place we lived in so much, I actually ordered an updated receiving bracket off Hills (about $40-$50) and re-installed it as it looked better this way. Functionally it was identical to the broken receiving bracket. I didn’t bother asking the landlord to chip in.

      With the current place, we actually identified a burst water pipe beneath some outdoor steps some months ago. Even the plumber was impressed by the discovery (the hole was maybe 1-2mm in diameter). Our water bill was about 4 times as high as usual. Despite this, we copped the bill and didn’t pursue the landlord for any recompense (water in Melbourne is still relatively inexpensive IMO). We always try to do the right thing but sometimes people can’t appreciate it

      • +1

        You can ask the water company for concession on usage for an identified leak - they will credit your account.

        • +1

          Cool, thanks for the advice. In absolute terms, it wasn’t huge, so I think we’ll just cop it

  • +6

    Whenever theres an inspection, just do whatever the old bag wants, then go back to normal afterwards.
    Landlords almost never go with agents to inspections. That landlord is going to be fussy as hell when you move out.
    Try appealing to the agent to persuade the landlord you are excellent tenants she is lucky to have. At the end of the day if you moved out because of nonsense like that and someone like me moves in, the old girl will have a stroke.

    • Haha thanks for the advice. Yes the landlord showing up with the property manager was already a sign of what was to come.

  • What do you think??

    • To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure before creating this thread. We’d only rented for a year prior and the previous landlord left everything up to the property manager (admittedly we hardly ever contacted them) and the year flew by without any issues. From this experience, I found them to be a pretty easy-going landlord. He even brought over wine and chocolates on the day we moved in and fixed some blinds he’d known were broken. We loved that place.

      Fast forward to today, we met our current landlord for the first time. Very different, very meddlesome, and certainly at the other end of the spectrum, but I wasn’t sure whether she was actually unreasonable or whether this was within the limits of normal landlord involvement. Seems like most commenters see her demands as a step too far. Good to now I’m not far off the mark.

  • +1

    Tuff call!! Carpet under the fridge is a bit OTT but hey, no great effort to keep the owner happy, $3.00 and issue solved!
    IMHO owner has no rights to tell your to remove the stuff from the bath-tub. To resolve the issue just agree and say it will be done.
    My BIGGEST concern is now knowing how pedantic the owner is what surprises will come up at the time you move out. Could get ugly!

    • +1

      Yeah, I’ll probably just put the leftover laminate she suggested under the fridge. Anything carpet-like would surely just absorb the moisture and cause issues with mould.

      Hopefully at the end of our lease she’ll realise the place we’re returning is how we received it

  • I think both requests are utterly ridicules. A landlord should be grateful that their tenant is taking care of the property as their own.

    • Yeah, one of our biggest strengths is ‘treating the house as if it were ours’. Our previous landlord was thrilled to have us and offered another yearly lease with no change in rent. Unfortunately we had to move for work :(

    • +2

      just sexually frustrated.

      Sounds like a lot of people who post here….

      • Finding a deal on condoms is the easy part.

  • Landlord wants us to put a mat under the fridge for fear of floor damage (there is no damage)

    This goes 50/50 really. I can their point and I can see yours. I guess you have been given some insight into what the landlord is like and any little mark under the fridge area will now end up in no bond.

    to move the bucket and mop from the bathtub for fear of bathtub damage (there is no damage).

    As above really, the landlord can't tell you what to do with the MOP etc, but if you do damamage the bath in any small way, they'll be over you like a bad smell.

    Is the landlord inappropriately encroaching on our lifestyle?

    One visit in 6 months? No not at all.

    Are they being over the top? For sure!!

    I guess don't take these bits as thing you must do, but more things the landlord will be looking out for when you move out.

    Sadly if they are complaining like this NOW, you'll have little chance in seeing your bond back.

    • Fair wear and tear amigo. Fair. Wear. And. Tear.

      No one I know puts their fridge onto a rug or carpet.

      It is a great thing that we have a government body looking after bond and rents rights. The landlord can't just decide to not refund the bond at their whim.

      • +1

        don't disagree, but as I said above, if the LL is freaking out now, its a sign of thing to come on move out.

        • +1

          Yeah, we’re pretty objective people and appreciate her view. In reality, I don’t know many, if any, people who put anything under their fridges for insurance against floor damage. Arguably it could cause more issues (carpet = mould risk, issues with ventilation). I’m hoping she’ll be easy to deal with at the end of our lease. Thank goodness we have a middleman (i.e. the property manager)

  • +2

    Thank you to all who have shared their insights and opinions. We certainly think we’re doing the right thing and are good tenants, but it’s always great to know we’re all on the same page. I’m somewhat of a perfectionist and am quite hard on myself, so these minor criticisms and demands from the landlord hit a lot harder than anticipated. You have all certainly brightened up my day from an unexpected turn of events. Looking forward to myself contributing constructively to our very many threads. Thank you all! :)

  • This guy sound seriously anal retentive, move on in 6 months time.

    • Agreed :)

  • +1

    Perfect tenants, wouldn't worry about those points, fridges are supposed to be put on the floor and manufacturers don't recommend padding on anything uneven, mop and bucket no big deal, and no one can expect gardens to be professionally maintained. You'd be welcome renting our house any time (if we had one!) :)

    • +1

      I'm quite surprised the landlord didn't request you suspend the fridge from the ceiling?!
      J/K. The property manager is there to facilitate communication between tenants and landlords (and vice versa). You shouldn't have to worry about anything the landlord says to you directly unless it comes in writing from the agent. :)

      Edit: Whoops that was supposed to be new comment and not a reply. My bad, now I've gone and made a spectacle of myself.

      • Haha no worries, thanks for the advice. Our property manager seems young and impressionable but hopefully she’s able to filter out any unreasonable requests from the landlord

    • Haha thanks for the reply and for the kind words. At our previous rental we actually paid for ‘professional maintenance’ (trimming the lawn, front yard garden upkeep) as we didn’t think it wise yet to purchase a lawnmower or whipper snipper while still renting and moving around regularly for work (trying to adopt a minimalist lifestyle). With the current place, the ‘gardens’ are actually largely bark/mulch, with very few weeds and therefore much less maintenance required. Landlord was being very nitpicky today :S

  • -7

    What do you actually think putting a question on ozbargain about it is going to achieve?

    • +3

      Just trying to gauge from others’ experiences whether we should blindly be complying with our landlord’s requests such as these in future or whether this is unreasonable. Now I have a better understanding of what is appropriate from the perspective of a tenant. As a potential future landlord some years down the track, I can use this knowledge as well.

  • +1

    If you move let me know, I'd love to have a tenant who values and takes care of a property :)

    • Haha thanks. We’re actually looking to potentially purchase our own place, so hopefully the next move will be into our castle!

  • +4

    My ex mother in law saw the flyscreen windows opened on her rental whilst driving by once and she told the agent to tell the tenant to tell them not to as she didn't want flies in the house. The agent told her she was being unreasonable haha.

  • the landlord’s reactions got me a lot more upset than I thought I would be.

    You make no mention of the landlord being rude or nasty or mean.
    Given that the landlord seemed "upset" , but was not trying to bully you, nor be mean, or nasty,.. given this, I would just put a matt from cheap shop under the fridge (probably under $10) .
    Then I guess you could place the mop on something (so its not directly touching the ceramic bath tub) , or just place the mop outside before next inspection.
    That would be a nice way of sorting the issue, and do not take the landlords ways personally. Even the real estate explained the landlord is very particular (anal I guess also would be an appropriate descriptive) .
    That <$10 rug or whatever to place under the fridge, and placing the mop outside once every 6 months when the landlord comes, may very well save you much $$$ in the future, ie. The landlord will be more inclined to keep the rent increases down 😉

    • I agree, I think I will just comply and ‘play the game’

  • Having spent time on both sides of the fence:
    1. Agree that LL is being OTT. Fact that agent didn’t try to enforce anything backs your case.
    2. Agree can move mop during inspection and then back again after. Or just leave it there for lols.
    3. I would request LL to supply mat if they are that anal. Infinity defensible position even if you did leave marks (who really cares if there are dents no one can see under the fridge, poor floor material at fault - should have been harder surface etc)

    I will say that this rings my alarm bells for final inspection when you move out. The Agent will back you on fair wear and tear, but sounds like the LL will go over the place with a fine tooth comb and try to ping you on everything. Substantial risk here and I would consider moving just to avoid this situation..

    Disagree tread lightly - know your rights, don’t be a push over but don’t be an ass. Karmas a bitch. You shouldn’t have to live in fear and under unreasonable expectations. I’m sure every subsequent tenant will be 10x worse than you and the LL will rue the day she let you go.

    Good luck.

    • Thanks for the reply. They’re small things to do to comply, so I’ll just do it. She specifically suggested using the leftover laminate, which sounds reasonable. Fingers crossed come end-of-lease she’s not too difficult to deal with. The home is otherwise fantastic

  • +1

    Just move the mop during inspections, that's a very easy to solve concern. It's 30 seconds of your time to keep the landlord happy. Try to find a place in the laundry for example, it won't look too out of place.

    Take the fridge mat suggestion as generic advice, as if a family member or friend has suggested it rather than landlord. You obviously don't have to take the advice, but you seem as if you like to take good care of the property when renting so you may wish to act on the suggestion anyway. If it's too much effort, no need to bother - don't view it as a threat or demand when the property manager hasn't asked for it officially.

    • +1

      Sounds good. Overall very little effort to prevent something blowing up further.

  • +1

    As everyone else has said landlord definitely being OTT but unlike everyone else I wouldn't be so chill about it, get a mat if you want but more importantly especially if you haven't already

    Take photos of every inch of the property, inside and out, in your case nice the fridge and photo it's spot go above and beyond the initial inspection, in other words have proof in 6 months time when you move out that whatever crazy the landlord tries to pull is false

    • Yeah, we tend to be pretty OCD when taking photos, especially when doing our own ‘condition report’. Will do so again closer to the end of lease

  • Taking the mop out of the bath and putting some carpet under the fridge isn’t a big ask. Just do it.
    If you don’t and there is damage to the bath or floor you will have problems when you leave especially as these issues have been highlighted at the get go.

    • Will do!

  • Sounds like landlord is a twat

    • +1

      Haha all I’ll sai is that she was ‘extremely particular’

  • The landlord is definitely very particular. But since her request is easy anyway, I'd just do it. Even though I'm not sure what kind of padding is sufficient for this landlord…

Login or Join to leave a comment