A mum is outraged by her tenants' persistent requests to rip out their 'lovely garden' at the front of their Victorian home so that they can replace it with a private car parking space.
Just after Christmas in 2021, the mum inherited the property after her aunt died. But due to the location of the terrace, it is too far for the woman and her husband to live there to be able to commute easily to work, so they decided to rent it out until they could move there in a few years' time.
The period home comes with a pretty front yard boasting roses and a magnolia tree, and comes with original railings. There is no driveway and neither does it have a designated space out front, so it can sometimes be tricky to find a spot on the busy road.
As part of their efforts to counteract the potential parking issues their tenants may face, the married couple "have factored this in with the rent and are charging [a third] below market [value]", LiverpoolEcho reports.
But despite this, the 'cheeky' tenants are still determined to rip out the flower beds and greenery to make way for a space for their car, with a dropped kerb.
They've threatened the landlords to have the work done and then charge them for the costs.
Expressing her frustration online in a Mumsnet forum - titled 'Can my tenant change the front garden of our house to a 'off road' parking area without our consent' - the mum explained: "We rent this through an agency who have spoken to us a few times about putting in a parking area and we have said no.
"Last September our tenant emailed me directly and asked me when the work was going to start, I forwarded it to the agents and told them to speak to the tenants.
"Last November the tenants emailed me again asking about the work and said they would be looking to pay a reduced rent until the work is done, again I forwarded it to the agents for them to deal with.
"Today I got another email telling me if the work is not done in three months they have the 'legal' right to get their own company to do the work and charge us afterwards."
She continued: "I want to forward it to my agents but it seems the agents are not making it clear about the parking area or the tenants are ignoring them so I think I am going to have to deal with the last email myself."
She confirmed the tenant has never been promised parking spaces and she absolutely will not be changing her mind as she wants the garden to remain.
The woman also confirmed they are the sole owners of the property, but is still concerned by the threats.
Fellow Mumsnet users flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts and offer advice.
One said: "Of course, they can't put in a dropped kerb without your permission. You are the owner and you need to contact the council for this kind of permission."
Another said: "What the hell are your agents doing? Tenants can't simply decide to make changes to your property without permission. Honestly, I'd serve notice to the CFs [cheeky f***ers]. And probably then to the agents."
A third commented: "I'm not an expert in this area but what the hell - surely not, it's your property. No a tenant cannot simply start major building work without the owner's permission! I would be going around and making that clear."
Another Mumsnet user said: "No, they can't do the work without your permission. I would get new tenants who respect your property. A Victorian cottage with roses and a magnolia tree sounds lovely. I think a strongly worded letter about not touching anything, and if they do it's criminal damage needs sending."
Several others advised the mum to seek legal action, and to put it in writing to both the tenant and the agents that there has never been plans to put in private parking, which has been reflected in the rent.
In follow up comments, the mum confirmed the agents have told the tenants several times that the garden will not be changed, but they are very "persistent".
The mum added: "I have sent the tenant an email making it clear that the house does not come with a parking space and the rent reflects this and that I have seen emails from the agent explaining this to them I have made it very clear to them that no work will be undertaken or considered and they do not have permission to do any work themselves I am going to wait and see how they respond but I think the next step is to get rid if they won't accept what I have said."
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