Deductions from deposit

redflowergirl

Hi

I am moving out in a week - the landlord came round today while I was out and then sent me this email -

The curtain rail in the living room has been pulled down and broken
The carpets in all the rooms are dirty
There is pencil, crayon and felt tip scribbling on the walls in the living room, dining room, hall and stairs, and the two large bedrooms
There is pencil, crayon and felt tip on the internal doors – which are all solid pine

The curtain rail in the living room has always fallen down if you so much as blow on it, I can't even close the curtains because of this.
The carpets are wear and tear dirty, with the odd blotchy stain that needs cleaning, fair enough.

I'm not sure where I stand with the crayon stuff. Obviously I haven't taken to drawing a mural on the walls myself, but it is the disapproved of and disciplined for handiwork of my 4 year old and 2 year old. There is only the odd bit downstairs, but in his bedroom there is way more than could ever be excused, I agree. I am happy to redecorate for her, so I've asked her to tell me which paint.

I am a little annoyed as the decorating was second-rate anyway - different shades where they had painted around wardrobes etc rather than pulling them out.

The pine doors are the same story but obviously not easily sorted - I can't paint them or clean them any more than I already have. I believe I may have to replace these.




What I am worried about is if she just gets someone in to do it at an extortionate rate. She has already threatened to take me to court if my deposit (£595) doesn't cover it, and quite frankly I am terrified

DawnW

Dirty is not 'wear and tear'. The carpets and curtains will have to be cleaned. You will have to pay to have the rooms decorated where your little one has scribbled on them, though the LL may let you do it yourself. Pine doors should not need replacing, but will probably need refinishing. This lot is not going to be cheap, but you can remedy some of it yourself - get the curtains dry cleaned for a start! The LL should not have entered the property without you being present though, if you had not given prior permission.

pinkshoes

You should hire a steam clean vacuum to clean all the carpets before you move out.

Felt tip pen and crayon on the doors and walls will need to be removed, which will no doubt mean repainting the walls, and the doors will probably need sanding down then re-varnishing. You should be able to do this yourself, although you've left this a little late if you're moving out in a week!!

You should perhaps think about getting a professional cleaning company in, as the curtains should also be cleaned if they're not yours!!

As for the curtain rail falling down, this is one thing that isn't your fault, and you should dispute this!

clutton_2

""The carpets are wear and tear dirty""

provided you signed an inventory when you moved in then - dirt is dirt which you need to clean - you will have to repair all the damage done by your child

Procrastinator333

Hey there,

Did they take an inventory on the way in? If yes, what did it say about the carpets? You only have to return the property to the state it was when you moved in. E.g. If the inventory says domestically clean, that means you need to give it a good hoover. They can't charge you for a steam cleaner or professional cleaning services if that is beyond the original state.

On the other hand if the inventory states cleaned to a proffesional standard, then you are better off getting it done yourself and keeping a detailed receipt.

If there is no inventory then I would just give it a good hoover and tell them they have to prove it was proffesionally cleaned on the way in if they want to deduct anything further.

Procrastinator

barnaby-bear

redflowergirl wrote: »

Hi

I am moving out in a week - the landlord came round today while I was out and then sent me this email -

The curtain rail in the living room has been pulled down and broken
The carpets in all the rooms are dirty
There is pencil, crayon and felt tip scribbling on the walls in the living room, dining room, hall and stairs, and the two large bedrooms
There is pencil, crayon and felt tip on the internal doors – which are all solid pine

The curtain rail in the living room has always fallen down if you so much as blow on it, I can't even close the curtains because of this.
The carpets are wear and tear dirty, with the odd blotchy stain that needs cleaning, fair enough.

I'm not sure where I stand with the crayon stuff. Obviously I haven't taken to drawing a mural on the walls myself, but it is the disapproved of and disciplined for handiwork of my 4 year old and 2 year old. There is only the odd bit downstairs, but in his bedroom there is way more than could ever be excused, I agree. I am happy to redecorate for her, so I've asked her to tell me which paint.

I am a little annoyed as the decorating was second-rate anyway - different shades where they had painted around wardrobes etc rather than pulling them out.

The pine doors are the same story but obviously not easily sorted - I can't paint them or clean them any more than I already have. I believe I may have to replace these.

What I am worried about is if she just gets someone in to do it at an extortionate rate. She has already threatened to take me to court if my deposit (£595) doesn't cover it, and quite frankly I am terrified

Ummm unless your kids have been using permanent marker pens - I'd be very surprised if you can't remove these with the appropriate solvents.... try OS
full of people with a knowledge of weird and obscure cleaning products.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=33 or do some googling
hundreds of suggested methods:
http://www.essortment.com/home/howremovecrayo_skfs.htm

Perhaps remove all writing implements from the next house for a few years and only give the kids magnolia coloured chalk...


Homebase do a Rug Doctor carpet cleaner hire service for about 40 quid - dirt isn't really wear and tear - you should clean them to remove the dirt you've deposited on them

tbs624

redflowergirl wrote: »

Hi

I am moving out in a week - the landlord came round today while I was out and then sent me this email -

Hope you had agreed to this visit in your absence?

On the curtain rail, did you let the LL know in writing that the rail had fallen down? For future reference always do so with any repairs issues, however minor, & keep a copy with your tenancy agreement. It's called "covering your back"

redflowergirl wrote: »

I am a little annoyed as the decorating was second-rate anyway - different shades where they had painted around wardrobes etc rather than pulling them out.

The LL is entitled to be a "little annoyed" too - you didn't get the property with felt pen & crayon marks scrawled on the walls and doors, which others may view as making the property's decor "third-rate".

redflowergirl wrote: »

The pine doors are the same story but obviously not easily sorted - I can't paint them or clean them any more than I already have. I believe I may have to replace these.

You've presumably known for a while that these marks were there - you could have discussed it sooner with the LL to afford yourself more time to get it sorted out. It's not acceptable for kids to behave in this way - if you allow yours to do so, then the responsibility to clean it up is yours. Do they also scribble over granny's walls or those at your friends houses , their nursery school walls, back of bus seats etc? Bbear has given you some good leads, so your cheapest option is to get a babysitter and rope in a family member or friend to help you get it sorted out.

The LL can't charge you an "extortionate amount", but she can expect you to pay the reasonable costs of her getting someone else to do it if you don't.

rogerdodger007

The LL shouldn't have entered the property without your consent.
However, he did and the fact remains that the property isn't in the same state that you received it in.

If you are worried about what the LL will charge you to fix various things, why not enlist the help of a 'handyman' - check out the ads in your local paper/supermarket/gumtree and have them fixed prior to moving out.

maninthestreet

It should be easy to remove crayon from painted walls. Pencil marks may come off with the use of a rubber erase.

rogerdodger007

>>and quite frankly I am terrified
On a positive note, the LL has told you what is wrong with the place and expects the cost to repair to be greater than your deposit but you still have a week to fix it.

hayleyk_3

I used to be a property manager so can advise a little here.
Firstly your landlord is being very good letting you know what needs to be done in advance - there is nothing that ties them to doing that. Secondly get a copy of your inventory - that is your absolute key document and is the one that most tenants just do not bother checking when they move in. If you didn't mark stains on the carpet on the inventory, and they weren't noted , you have no proof you didn't cause them.

My advice is to hire a rug doctor and steam clean all carpets - keep the receipt. Digital photographs before/after a good ideas.

Curtain rail - have you complained to your landlord about this previously? Is it noted in the inventory it is loose? Did you make them aware when you returned a signed copy of the inventory? IF the answer to all of these is no then you could be in the firing line for a new curtain rail.

Walls & doors - the landlord is well within their rights to expect these back without pen/crayon marks. If they do not wash off with sugar soap then you will have to repaint - I would suggest you do this yourself because professional decorators will be pricey. Keep receipts for all paint and take before/after digital photographs.

Wear & Tear is just that - it does not cover pen marks/stains on carpets (unless you have been resident for many years which might then be taken into account) or dirt of any kind. Curtains should be cleaned, dishwasher/ tumble dryer/washing machine filters and soap drawers cleaned out, limescale removed from taps. The property should be returned in the condition which it was entrusted to you less fair wear and tear - use your inventory as a guide.

Depending on your tenancy agreement your landlord should not be able to use any of your cash unless it is agreed in writing by you both. Should you not do the work she can have it done herself and then you will need to fight it out via the TDS/whoever is holding your deposit. You will not receive any money back until deductions against damages have been agreed. Do the work and you should be fine - Good luck