When you take on a property and it’s in a mess, what is the landlords responsibility to rent it to you in a good state?

We asked our head of Agency and Property Management, Emma Catterall this question and here is what she said:-

This is a good question and it really depends on what you have agreed. So many people say to me things like “you should have seen it when I took it on…” and potentially that does not mean a thing.

If you have a schedule of condition that carefully records what the property is like and the lease then properly incorporates this in to the repair clause then usually you don’t have to put it back in any better state than when you took it.

However be aware that if you took a property on in a mess but the lease says “to Put and Keep in repair” then that is what you have agreed to do.

I would highly recommend that you ask the landlord for things like the gas safety check and boiler service, the electrical installation report, the H&S risk assessment, the FRA, the asbestos management plan etc because these reports will show you if there are things that need to be done that maybe you cannot see.

A landlord can let a property in any state in the same way that you can sell a house in any state – buyer beware!