What to charge from Deposit of Dirty Lodger???

tbs624

If the room wasn't dirty, with mould present, when he moved in then clearly it's right that the lodger is charged to rectify that. The curtain rail is probably a 50/50 thing - if it was put up securely it shouldn't have pulled away during normally use, but he should have reported it.

If the walls have been heavily marked by blu-tack, it usually involves trying to clan the worst off with solvent, then applying a specialist primer, then re-emulsioning. If you try to just cover the marks themselves with the primer, you get "flashing" through the top coat, so need to cover the whole area: to do a reasonable size room will cost around £25 just for the primer. The LL is entitled to expect the costs of that to be covered plus a percentage of the re-emulsioning costs, based on how often the room would normally be repainted.

Tenants/lodgers be warned - this is why many LLs have clauses in their contract which specify "no blutac/whitetac". Ignoring that clause & leaving things in a state where re-decoration is necessary will quite rightly result in deductions.

I think you have to separate the costs/time involved from the inconvenience to you personally when you have a "full-time job and a broken arm", because when you are a LL this sort of thing is unfortunately part and parcel of the role. What it will mean of course is that you are likely to have to pay someone else to do some of the work, which will push the cost up for your former lodger.As another poster has said, get some quotes.

Good luck with getting things sorted out.

Scabs

KeepYourChinUp wrote: »

If he hadnt used the bluetack HOS wouldnt be asking about paint you two are bringing petty your making profit off me/my ex-landlord statements into it when HOS has asked what would be fair. Do you not clean when you leave accommodation?

He was paying to rent a room not for a room and maid!

HOS - paint+bleach + the couple of hours work it will take you! If he disputes it ask him if he would like to hire a company in to rectify it then you will return his deposit :rolleyes:

Do you not clean when you leave accomodation? Normally yes however if i was "booted out" then maybe not. I was once charged for cleaning a rented property after leaving it the same if not better than I recieved it, I think this may have clouded my judgement of LL's.

I agree with the bluetack as it is in the clause but "thick dust" to me sounds petty. He has paid hundreds if not thousands to the HOS so paint,bleach and two hours work to ME sounds petty.

Jomo

Scabs wrote: »

Do you not clean when you leave accomodation? Normally yes however if i was "booted out" then maybe not. I was once charged for cleaning a rented property after leaving it the same if not better than I recieved it, I think this may have clouded my judgement of LL's.

I agree with the bluetack as it is in the clause but "thick dust" to me sounds petty. He has paid hundreds if not thousands to the HOS so paint,bleach and two hours work to ME sounds petty.

I sooooooo disagree!

The tenant should have left the property in a clean state, thick dust certainly isn't considered clean is it!

If the property was managed by an agency they would probably use professional cleaning companies to do this type of thing which would have been deducted from the deposit...especially things such as oven cleaning etc. People should make an effort to leave properties in a respectful state, it is certainly not fair that they pay for new carpets and decor if it is deemed as wear and tear but it sounds to me in this case that the LL has a strong case as the tenant was warned not to use blue tak!

How can people live their lives like that anyway the dirty !!!!!!!

KeepYourChinUp_2

You would not rent a dirty room/house therefore you should put it back to the state you found it obviously any reasonable LL will expect some wear and tear (a carpet only lasting two years isnt reasonable). I had to clean up after one tennant and I had to change clothes on entering and exiting the house and constantly fight the wretch inducing smell (I have a strong stomach) there were dirty nappies and food down the back of the kitchen units and they had a young baby.