Landlord being unreasonable?

[katangel26]

Hi, please can someone help me.

In March 2003 me and my ex moved into a privately rented house. There was a washing machine in the property and as we already had one, we asked the Landlord's agent before moving in about getting it removed as we didn't need it. He informed us that it came with the house and were told to dispose of ours. Which we did.

Then we needed a bigger house (as I became pregnant) so we moved with the same Landlord to a few streets away. My ex had a conversation with the agent yet again and asked if we could take the washing machine there as we'd obviously chucked ours out and the new house didn't have one. He told us yes so we did.

It's important to note that about a year after we moved into the new house my Landlord and his agent parted company and I was now told to deal with the Landlord direct, instead of through his agent.

Now the washing machine's broken down. When I first contacted my Landlord to inform his of this, he wasn't even aware that it was his washing machine, he thought it was mine. Anyway so I told him it was his, explained we'd moved it from the old house and he sent someone to come and look at it but the bloke said it's broken.

I got a message today from my Landlord saying 'As it came with the old house when we bought it we won't be repairing or replacing it'.

Can he do this? I realise he may not have known the conversations that were had between us and his agent but still it's his washing machine.

The Tenancy agreement he got me to sign when he left his agent was an 'unfurnished house' tenancy, whereas the one when we moved into the first house said 'to repair anything that was in the property'.

Any idea where I stand on this please.

Thanks.

[lady_p_gold]

My take on it is this. When you took it from the first house, I suppose that was where it all went wrong because the washing machine was part of the deal with the first house and I assume that the next people moving in would require a washing machine and they would have had to provide another one for those people as you had (albeit with permission) taken it. The new place is unfurnished, and the fact that you took the machine and had use of it has really been a bonus as they could quite easily have told you that you could not take it as it needed to stay at the old place for the new tenants. So although it might seem a bit harsh, I think they are in the right as you have signed a tenancy as 'unfurnished'. Whether by allowing you to take it they have created some sort of contract I am sure someone else will have some thoughts. Sorry but I think you will just have to buy a new one.