For people living in rented homes

[moss]

I really want to decorate for my baby because I live in a new build with all white walls, but I don't know whether I should ask the letting agent if they mind or not! We are the first people to live in the flat and I would tell them I would return it to original, but part of me is scared that when they find out we're having a baby they are going to try to push us out by raising the rent! I'm probably being paranoid.... I haven't gotten around to telling them yet. D:

 

[samandbump]

i didnt tell mine i was pregnant i waited until he was born!!!!!!
then they couldnt kick us out

 

[moss]

Ha! I wasn't sure if I should just tell them or what really... No one I know with babies rents! I wouldn't expect them to just kick me out (I could probably resist that legally) but they can't really do anything about a landlord raising rents...

 

[*Star*]

Well don't tell them why you want to decorate! Just say you'd like to paint a few walls in a couple of the rooms and would that be alright?

I wouldn't even say that you would return it to it's original state, most landlords don't mind walls being painted as long as they are not gharish or anything like that. like yellow and black walls or something hehe!

 

[mummysarah+co]

Well don't tell them why you want to decorate! Just say you'd like to paint a few walls in a couple of the rooms and would that be alright?

I would do that too!! I hate having to justify myself all the time!

 

[mandspice]

I didn't really think about it when we moved recently, it was quite obvious as I walked into the letting agents with my bump The amount of rent should be for the property, regardless of how many people live there. Obviously if you're sub-letting rooms to other adults they may not like it but I've never seen a contract saying you can't become pregnant and have a baby in a property.

We want to paint too though and are supposed to write direct to the landlord asking his permission xx

 

[paradysso]

maybe worth sending him a colour sample with letter, if the landlard likes it and can see the colour maybe easier to get a yes out of him

 

[Quill]

I'm too scared to tell my landlord that we're expecting. He got mad at us and said no when we asked about having a cat.... and this is a flat with a garden and a cat flap

Think I'm just going to put up some pictures on the wall and leave it at that. I don't want to contact him if I can help it Already terrified of what he'll probably raise the rent to next month. Good luck decorating!

 

[paradysso]

I'm too scared to tell my landlord that we're expecting. He got mad at us and said no when we asked about having a cat.... and this is a flat with a garden and a cat flap

alot of landlords wont allow animals, not quite same as a baby were due to rent our house out and i wont be allowing any animals

 

[moss]

I have two cats! It is an unfurnished flat with mostly wood floors apart from tiles in the bathrooms and (nice) carpeting in the bedrooms. I'm scared that they will worry about a baby getting food and handprints, paint, etc on their nice walls and carpets and try to push me out. They haven't given me reason to expect this. I'm just scared because it's the last thing I want or need!

 

[Quill]

alot of landlords wont allow animals, not quite same as a baby were due to rent our house out and i wont be allowing any animals

I don't mind not having a cat, I just find it really weird that the flat has a cat flap in the back door and a fenced garden and nothing in the lease about no pets and he still holds out against a cat like it's the equivalent of growing drugs in the place or something. So that makes me feel wary about telling him we're expecting.

It's not really the nicest of places anyway, although it's in a pleasant area with good commuter links (and that's why it's so expensive). The people next door play loud music a lot though, and their yard is disgusting. They actually keep trash in it for some reason, so there's a bunch of trampled water bottles and plastic bags and stuff out there and some of it blows into our garden So yeah on one hand, I feel like, bring it on, landlord and complain about me having a kid. Like pets there's nothing in the lease that stipulates not having a baby. On the other hand I just want to stay quiet and live here because I like the area and don't want to move while 9 months pregnant because he jacked up the rent.

Wow this turned into a rant, sorry!

 

[HideiLu]

I viewed a property before that had allowed pets, but were changing that to a big no no, and when you went round you could tell why...stank of cat pee!!!

We're not allow pets in our flat, so when we found out about LO I asked if kids were ok and they said it was no problem at all and left it as that.

We also decorated when we first moved in. We asked first, the walls were plain magnolia but hadn't been done in about 20 years! Again they said no problem as long as it was nothing too daring!

The opposite ending walls are dark/light teal and the facing walls white, then the bedroom has dark plum walls and other 2 are white again. They've been to see it since and had no complaints

 

[nickilubs]

We have the same although the landlord agreed to let us do up her room and make it more baby Im going to paint stencils on the wall rather than the total room a different colour just so it will be a bit more sutal and easier for you when you do want to move out.

 

[maybebaby]

I personally just stuck up a load of posters & changed the curtains. I couldn't really be bothered with decorating when we don't know how long we'll stay.

I don't think they can raise the rent just because you're having a baby - the rent is for the whole property not how many people live there!

 

[Sherlock]

Have a read of your letting contract. Make sure you don't need to ask permission etc in writing first. You should have signed one upon taking on the tenency and if its a 6 month renewable and you have checks on it then you don't want to annoy/surprise him when the time comes to renew your letting agreement.

A lot of contracts do stipulate that the landlord be consulted before any cosmetic changes are done. Chances are he'd be fine with it, but always read the small print I reckon. Cover yourselves.

 

[moss]

I would definitely ask in writing before I made any changes. I'm just worried about telling them about the baby! They probably won't mind and I bet I'm worrying about nothing, but though the rent is for the entire flat and not per person, if they want me out they could just raise the rent in August (the time my baby is due AND I will have been there for a year) in the hopes that I move. I'm obsessing now and really don't know what to do!

Also, I don't really feel like I am under any obligation to tell them about the baby, but I think it would be polite to, since they do own the place. Also, if there was an emergency I think I would want them to know that there is a baby living there so they don't just look for two adults!