Question about Carpet Cleaning When Exiting a Property

Hermia

tbs624 wrote: »

Was there an inventory in place and if yes, did you note on there the condition of the carpets? The LL absolutely cannot ask you to return the property in a better state than it was at the start and s/he would have to be able prove that the carpet had been professionally cleaned prior to you moving in.S/he should also only ask that the carpet is cleaned "to a professional standard". How long have you been there?

The stains were mentioned in the inventory (but they didn't specify how many and where they were etc), but I wonder whether they will still expect me to clean it professionally. There is no way it can have been cleaned professionally as it was absolutely filthy. The previous tenant must have been a dirty beggar as the oven was absolutely caked in grease which had chips embedded in it!

jweb2k

We're a two bed flat (hallway + lounge), just wondering how much the carpet cleaning cost you? Prices seem to be erratic when we're checking around at the mo.. some extortionate.

Hermia wrote: »

The stains were mentioned in the inventory (but they didn't specify how many and where they were etc), but I wonder whether they will still expect me to clean it professionally. There is no way it can have been cleaned professionally as it was absolutely filthy. The previous tenant must have been a dirty beggar as the oven was absolutely caked in grease which had chips embedded in it!

That sounds horrible... it's awful to see how little a LL cares about their property if they let people move in in that state!

jweb2k

jweb2k wrote: »

We're a two bed flat (hallway + lounge), just wondering how much the carpet cleaning cost you? Prices seem to be erratic when we're checking around at the mo.. some extortionate.

Just a quick check if anyone's got any advice on this one?

Absinthe_Fairy

I have the same problem too - well a similar one. Only in my case the tenancy agreeement did say that in any tenancy exceeding 6 months the carpet must be professionally cleaned. However when i moved in there was a brown stain on the carpet, not amazingly noticeable but it suggests that it was not cleaned when I moved in. I haven't damaged the carpet in any way, it looks exactly the same as when I moved in. I wondered if it would be counted as an 'unfair term' and therefore unenforceable under the OFT's rules? It just seems like a lot of money to pay out (at least £30 for the room - it's a bedsit) when I haven't done any damage.

Also, when I received my exit paperwork, there was a note saying that if any money is retained from the deposit to pay for remedial work, an additional minimum of £50 "administration fee" will be payable to cover the cost of finding contractors to do the work. Surely this can't be allowed? There was nothing about this in my tenancy agreement. I'm not too worried as I don't see any reason why my deposit should be withheld in any case, but just in case... I just don't think this is reasonable at all.

My deposit is protected in a scheme. Any help or advice really appreciated!

JoeA81

Blimmin Letting Agents eh! I see they're all still trying to get away with this professional carpet cleaning malarky. It did make me laugh when in my one and only experience with a letting agency they insisted that I use only the cleaning company that they reccomended - and when I rang the number to find out more, found it went through to a woman in the office of the Letting Agency! Nice way for the LA to make a bit on the side eh... Some Letting Agents are crooks.