check out clean up

emlou2009

we have had a letter through from our LA to say that when we leave our property in a months time they expect us to have paid for steam clean carpets, oven to have been professionally cleaned and if we have pets we should have the place fumigated professionally too!

when we moved into the property, there were cat hairs all over the floor so it clearly hadnt been hoovered let alone steam cleaned, the oven was filthy and the place was completely infested with fleas! we are the first tenants, the LL was the last occupant. given the cost involved in getting all these things done, it hardly seems fair to expect us to do it when it wasnt done when we moved in? it is even noted on our inventory that the place had dirt in several places...

i should point out that we dont have any pets, just used it as an example of something they expect us to do if we have them, that they didnt bother to do themselves! also, obviously we dont intend to not clean the place when we move out, we will obviously be doing it to the best of our ability.

Planner

Im not sure what your question is?

Is it the steam cleaning?

The fumegating?

emlou2009

i am saying that i think it is unfair for us to have to fork out so much for services that arent cheap, to make the flat cleaner for someone else to live in than it was for us to live in!

Jowo_2

Sounds like a very standard check out letter belonging to a very standard AST, so far so normal.

By law, I believe that tenants are only required to leave the property in the same condition as on entry, less fair wear and tear, not any better. The inventory should be a guide to how you received it and how you should hand it back.

You will find the Shelter website very helpful on this subject. If your specific question is not answered, give them a call.

I;m not even sure if the stipulation for professional cleaning is enforceable but certainly, tenants are notorious for being unable to clean the properties to the standard in which they received it and landlords will then send in the professional cleaners to get it resolved at huge cost to the tenants. It's a shame you were so disappointed at check-in and the check-out expectations were not amended.

I take it, on the inventory/schedule of condition which you signed upon entry that the carpet and cooker were listed as dirty,for example?

emlou2009

the only thing listed on the oven was marks on the hob :rolleyes: and i do believe it noted that the carpet had "imperfections". i know that the place was much cleaner after i'd been at it for a couple of hours than it was when we got the keys...

i'm a bit of a cleaning perfectionist so i dont think they should find any issues with how i leave the place

Cissi

emlou2009 wrote: »

the only thing listed on the oven was marks on the hob :rolleyes: and i do believe it noted that the carpet had "imperfections". i know that the place was much cleaner after i'd been at it for a couple of hours than it was when we got the keys...

i'm a bit of a cleaning perfectionist so i dont think they should find any issues with how i leave the place

If you didn't insist that specific comments regarding the dirty state of the oven, carpets etc were added to the inventory then I'm afraid you've got no way of proving this. We're in a similar situation except that (on the advice of the lady from the company who did the inventory) I added a LOT of comments and initialled each one before I signed it. However they didn't issue a new inventory incorporating these points, so I'm not sure where we will stand on checking out. We will have the carpet steam cleaned (it's only on the stairs, so not a big job) but I doubt we'll get the oven professionally cleaned given the state it was in when we moved in (as I noted on the inventory)

Fire_Fox

I'd be inclined to write to them recorded delivery stating the condition of the property when you moved in and that the house had not been not professionally cleaned when you moved in. If they don't dispute the letter you have some evidence to use later. Also state that you will be cleaning the place yourself to a higher standard than when you took occupation, and that you wish to be present on checkout so you can rectify any minor issues on the spot. You are on a sticky wicket if you didn't get an accurate inventory tho.

roseland69

A friend always used to film/take poloroids of any rental property the day he moved in, with inventory and going through that, date stamped and with evidence of the date etc.

He once had an agent playing the usual "its not in the same condition it was when you moved in" trick (and it IS a trick). he presented his evidence. They had to back down.

I think its standard to expect a property to be the same as you found it when you first moved in. But is it standard to EXPECT tenants to go to such lengths as the OP sets out (steam cleaning etc) to get it spick and span? Surely that type of specific requirement should be enshrined in the tenancy agreement as it goes above and beyond leaving it tidy?

I rented for years in London in the 90's. I learnt my lesson on ambiguous clauses etc. Going to be renting again soon and I'm going to go through my agreement with a fine tooth comb and suggest adding in any clauses I think are necessary to clarify stuff like this. I've worked in media law for years and have learnt never to sign my name against anything I'm not happy about or unsure of. Sometimes people want to rush you to sign on the dotted line. Never do it. Always read everything, including terms and conditions.

IMO, its in both the tentant's and landlord's interests to insure an agreement is as transparent as possible to avoid disputes later. As this situation graphically shows.