Professional carpet cleaning at the end of a tenancy

Flower08

Piggles12345 wrote: »

Wow. Well done you! Is your name Aggie? Or Kim?!

My OH does tell me im a bit of a cleanliness freak :rotfl: , but even i was worried that they would take money out our deposit for the carpets - was very glad when they gave us our whole deposit back :j

leespot

I must say OP that its nice to know you are keeping to your agreement (as a LL I would actually accept them being cleaned with a hired machine or similar, wouldn't insist on a professional company tbh) My ex-tenants sodded off and didn't do a thing!

olly300

Piggles12345 wrote: »

It says in the tenancy agreement that the property is to be left in the same condition as when I began the tenancy.

In the inventory that I received at the beginning, it said that the carpets had been 'professionally cleaned'.

There is also a clause in the tenancy agreement saying that carpets should be 'professionally cleaned', not 'cleaned to a professional standard'.

According to OFT guidelines if you are in England and Wales that isn't legal.

However it is legal for the LL/LA and the contract to state the carpets have to be cleaned to a professional standard and then to dictate exactly how they should be cleaned i.e. what machinery should be used.

The difference is in the wording.

You can search for the OFT guidelines for unfair terms in tenancy contracts yourself.

leespot

what is not legal olly? That we expect our property to be returned in the condition that it was found? or the wording of it?

olly300

leespot wrote: »

what is not legal olly? That we expect our property to be returned in the condition that it was found? or the wording of it?

It's not legal (OK I should say it's "an unfair contract term" ) to tell a tenant that they need to use professional cleaning services at the end of a tenancy.

It is fair to state that the tenant should return the property to the standard they got it in apart from reasonable wear and tear.

It is also fair to state how they need to clean items i.e. the curtains should be dry cleaned, the carpets should be cleaned with a steam cleaner - after all you never know if a tenant has access to industrial cleaning equipment and/or has friends/relations/acquaintances who work in the cleaning business.

Oh and using the word "professional" is meaningless in this context as I could set myself up as a professional cleaning company within an hour. I've now met a few people who have set themselves up in the cleaning business and are successful with no training or experience other than cleaning their own home.

leespot

Ah, with ya! I thought you meant it was unfair to expect a tenant to leave a property as they found it. Ta!