Would improving my house put the rent up?

[RicharDC5]

I've recently moved into my own first house

The problem is that it's a total **** hole. The whole place is filthy and has rubbish from the previous tenants (squatters?) and the garden is completely ruined. The entire house needs redecorating, and all the fixtures and fittings are either missing, broken or incorrectly installed (even the shelves are wonky). This is reflected in the cost of the rent (I'm only paying about £100 per week), which is below market value. The letting agents and landlord don't appear to care about the house, and when I asked about making changes they said I can do what I like. I chose to move here because it is on a nice estate close to the centre of Manchester, and needed to quickly find somewhere to live.

I don't mind spending time to make the place nice. But if I improve it too much I will be paying less in rent than what the house is worth. If it goes up to market value I will no longer be able to afford the rent (after lots of wasted effort).

Is it likely that they would put the rent up? I'm not sure if I should clean the place and leave it as it is, or spent a lot more time improving it into a nice house.

What do you think is the best option?

[Prohibiting]

I would certinanly tidy it up and sugar soap all the walls so at least it's clean. Depending on how much effort you want to put in, I'd paint the walls neutral but don't both with the skirting and doors. That alone should make a big difference. Polyfill and sand down any holes and big cracks first. I wouldn't even bother telling the agents you've done it.

[Register1]

Clean it, but don't spend any money on it.
Save as much as you can for a deposit, move into your own house.
Even move into a cheapest accommodation you can find, save for deposit eben faster.

[Bristol spark]

It would be pretty poor form from the landlord to let you tidy/refurb his house to then charge you more for it

[RicharDC5]

Bristol spark said:

It would be pretty poor form from the landlord to let you tidy/refurb his house to then charge you more for it

I wouldn't put it past them!

Before I went to uni I spent a few years saving so have about 30k for a deposit already. Any money spent on the house would likely come out of that so I only plan on spending a couple hundred on things I can't take with me (at the most). The only thing stopping me from buying is not having a proper source of income.

It shouldn't cost much to improve things, but it's the huge amount of time I would need to invest to do it.

Thanks for the replies.

[RicharDC5]

Moving to cheaper accommodation isn't an option unless I move into a shared house, or move far out of the city into a slum area. I wanted my own house so I wouldn't have to continue living in other peoples mess (although I'm currently living in other peoples mess )

[elster]

Depends how long you plan to be there for.

When I rented a place a few years ago. I asked if it would be possible to tidy the house up. They offered to pay for any materials so paid for all the paint and some flooring.

I provided the labour.

The owners were over the moon when i moved out I probably added a few thousand to their house which immediately went on the market after I left. In exchange I got to live in a much nicer house for not very much.

[V8RX7]

Very much depends on how you feel and the LL

A quick tidy up & wallop out with Magnolia and white won't cost much / take long and will make you feel happier (it would me)

[Dejay1788]

When we moved into our previous house which was a rental it had an orange dining room and pink kitchen. We asked the landlord about painting it and he provided the paints and other things we asked for, so we could crack on.

[Some Gump]

Your duty is to return it in similar condition to as moved in. Improve it' and if your ll tries putting the rent up on the basis of your work, make it clear that you'll return it in exactly the same condition that you found it.

[RicharDC5]

Some Gump said:

Your duty is to return it in similar condition to as moved in. Improve it' and if your ll tries putting the rent up on the basis of your work, make it clear that you'll return it in exactly the same condition that you found it.

That's a very good point.

I'm surprised they were happy to put the house on the market in the condition it's in. Personally I'd be embarrassed to be associated with it.

Another full day of cleaning today. I'm hoping to get the bedroom sorted as I'm currently sleeping in the lounge on an airbed. The only room in the house which is habitable.