Renters would get longer tenancies under government plans

I wasn't taking about the brick walls. The part of your post that I quoted, was about tenants asking to cover a pond. Under the laws in England, they don't have to ask to be able to do that..

....but then you neglected where I was saying how much they had done overall without landlord consent. I just said above, that's fair enough if they want to pay to effectively unfill a pond to leave it as it was. That doesn't change the fact that I was surprised they did that - amongst other things - without asking first. I never said they were breaking a law, I just said I was surprised as I would assume it would just be plain manners to give your landlord a heads up BEFORE filling in a pond (unless my covering I'm picturing something totally different). You've literally cherry picked one tiny thing from a bigger post and I think you've misunderstood what I was saying about it.

....but then you neglected where I was saying how much they had done overall without landlord consent.

That's because I was only talking about what you said about a T "asking" a LL if they can cover a pond. Under Englsih laws, they don't have to ask: they merley have to remove the cover before they move out.

That's because I was only talking about what you said about a T "asking" a LL if they can cover a pond. Under Englsih laws, they don't have to ask: they merley have to remove the cover before they move out.

I've clearly misunderstood. I was under the impression that covering a pond was filling it in (not just adding a cover over it), so that is my misunderstanding - apologies.

My cats don't smell! 

Mine stinks.  LOL!  His nickname is stink bomb, after all. 

Mine stinks.  LOL!  His nickname is stink bomb, after all. 

Hey, one of our cats was nicknamed stinky. Yet another wild cat the vet dumped on us as his wife refused to take anymore.

I've clearly misunderstood. I was under the impression that covering a pond was filling it in (not just adding a cover over it), so that is my misunderstanding - apologies.

 I think the T could fill in the pond too, but return it to a pond when they moved out.

My OH filled in the pond in the house we lived in, when we moved out and then rented it, as LL is responsible for the safety of their tenant.

I think the T could fill in the pond too, but return it to a pond when they moved out.

Right and I specifically said it would probably be costly but if that's what they wanted to do, that's up to them. I never mentioned there being anything legally wrong with it - just that it was surprising that they wouldn't have spoken to the landlord beforehand as I think if I were going to do something like that, i would want the landlord to know...but that's just me and obviously other people wouldn't feel the same.

My OH filled in the pond in the house we lived in, when we moved out and then rented it, as LL is responsible for the safety of their tenant.

I definitely wouldn't have questioned that the LL is responsible for the safety of the T...which is why I would expect, if the T thought there was a risk for her grandchildren, she would contact the LL and speak about how best they can mitigate that risk (whether it be perhaps a fence or cover or what). Again, I didn't say they had to legally do this, but it's surprising that they appeared to make zero effort to speak to their landlord about the concerns as well as deciding to do home renovations that had nothing to do with tenant safety In isolation, I wouldn't have been as shocked. Hearing about the extent of what they've done, as a whole package, that is what makes it surprising.

Hearing about the extent of what they've done, as a whole package, that is what makes it surprising.

This.  The tenant is pretending it is THEIR home to make modifications to...  and it's not.

This.  The tenant is pretending it is THEIR home to make modifications to...  and it's not.

Yeah and that is something that is shocking to me. These aren't just fixes that NEED to be done and a LL dragging their feet in making repairs or being unable to take action urgently...these are people changing the layout of the home to the point of knocking down walls so it fits their desires and they haven't even spoken to the LL until after the works are completed and there's no going back. The pond on it's own was never the problem for me which is why I kept mentioning only pulling that one statement out. To clarify again, my surprise is around the issue as a whole with these Ts. It seems like they have a pattern of doing what they want to the home above and beyond reason with no regard for the actual homeowner.

I don't understand why they would have moved in in the first place as so many things were obviously not suitable for them (pond/number of bedrooms) or to their liking (walls!).

Mine stinks.  LOL!  His nickname is stink bomb, after all.

My girls are fresh like a spring day! 

I don't understand why they would have moved in in the first place as so many things were obviously not suitable for them (pond/number of bedrooms) or to their liking (walls!).

My guess is would be if they knew the homeowner lived outside the country and was older, they may have assumed they could get away with these changes. I mean they may not have even thought about the bigger stuff initially - it may have just been a snowball where the changes got bigger and bigger and they assumed they could keep it going as they'd not faced any consequences (if that makes sense). Just speculation though.

My girls are fresh like a spring day! 

haha it's odd how different same animals can be, isn't it!? My dog, for example, doesn't really have any smell (not being biased, have just been told by guests that we're lucky our dog doesn't smell and you wouldn't know a dog lived in our house by smell alone). She sheds like a totallll motherfather, but isn't one for being actually smelly...but then we have mostly hard floors vs carpets. My in-laws dogs, however, REEEEEEEEK. We have them for 2 weeks and I am dreading the day I come home to find just everything smelling like utter wet dog. it's not as bad in summer but after a few days it does start to stink...and that's only ever been for 1 week. I think I'm going to hate it by the end of week 2 lol

My girls are fresh like a spring day! 

He's sensitive.  If you startle him, he will let out a silent-but-deadly toot.  And he doesn't cover his poop in the box.  Copper always did that for him.  It also turns out he poops in a single spot, so he builds a little poop mountain until the box is scooped.  We ALL miss Copper!    And being 17, he sometimes needs a little help wiping...  Ah, cats. 

Still, he's my boy and I LOVE him. 

haha it's odd how different same animals can be, isn't it!? My dog, for example, doesn't really have any smell (not being biased, have just been told by guests that we're lucky our dog doesn't smell and you wouldn't know a dog lived in our house by smell alone). She sheds like a totallll motherfather, but isn't one for being actually smelly...but then we have mostly hard floors vs carpets. My in-laws dogs, however, REEEEEEEEK. We have them for 2 weeks and I am dreading the day I come home to find just everything smelling like utter wet dog. it's not as bad in summer but after a few days it does start to stink...and that's only ever been for 1 week. I think I'm going to hate it by the end of week 2 lol

You're lucky with your girl!  I grew up with dogs and admittedly it took me a while (years honestly) to convert to cats but now I don't think I'd ever go back! Wet dog is something I don't miss, especially after they've found something dead on the beach to roll in, that smell never seems to go away!   

My inlaws insist their dogs don't smell....     They do.