Return of Tenant's Deposit

Geenie

Hi Jangor. As a LL I tend to let stains on carpets go, as I know only too well myself from having kids that things get spilled, and a carpet never looks the same after time. I know what you are saying about other LA's being picky, and I don't agree with this either, as often they expect a place to come back the same as let, and wear and tear has to be factored in during a tenancy.

As to the garden, I have grassed over flower beds as I find it is too much hassle to expect tenants to pay the same attention to a garden as you or I would. Unless they are long term, and have an interest in what is grown, it cuts down on work being able to just need a mower to keep the place tidy. Where tenants are particularly bad at looking after the outside, I have employed a gardner to go once a week, as £20 for an hours work is worth it in my books.

Letting is a business, and you have to factor in wear and tear and additional costs like some clearing at the end to keep it going. I would put the garden waste either out for collection or get a compost bin. Good luck.

jangor_2

As I say I am both sides of the fence. I moved into a house and area I just couldn't cope with. I spend money on the house (as it was a dump) to make it in as good a condition as I could afford and then I moved out to rent to a, for me, happier area. I therefore know how it feels to have checks carried out and picked up on every tiny mark and weed. I have no interest in overcharging for any job but it is likely to cost me abotu £60 to have the carpet cleaned and approximately £60/70 to have the rubbish removed and the garden tidied. I just really wanted to know if I should just swallow this or expect the tenant to be given the opportunity to do the work himself or lose a small part of his protected deposit, even to pay half the cost myself.

jangor_2

Thanks Geenie,

Your reply is really helpful to a first timer, for which many thanks. Unfortunately the rubbish will take quite a few trips to the dump as try as I might I cannot fit it into the compost bin!! Your comments have helped me decide that I will just forget the issues and proceed to return to the tenants their deposit in full. I just hope my present landlady is so understanding!

Geenie

jangor wrote: »

Thanks Geenie,

Your reply is really helpful to a first timer, for which many thanks. Unfortunately the rubbish will take quite a few trips to the dump as try as I might I cannot fit it into the compost bin!! Your comments have helped me decide that I will just forget the issues and proceed to return to the tenants their deposit in full. I just hope my present landlady is so understanding!

Jangor, I can't tell you how many hours, days and weeks I have spent clearing up after some tenants, and what I have found lurking under things! It would make your hair curl :eek:

But I put it all down to running a business. Sometimes it is good, and sometimes it is bad and a lot of hassle. But at the end of the day I am in a fortunate position in owning that house, and I think it is worth keeping this in mind when you want to scream and feel taken advantage of. Continue being a fair LL. It might not always feel worth it in the short term, but in the long term you will gain experience and eventually get the tenants you want.

joflo_2

A previous tenancy agreement states that carpets should be professionally cleaned and receipts to prove it before the deposit is returned. As the carpets are newish then yes I would have expected to pay for cleaning if I had left a stain.

Fire_Fox

I'm going to surprise myself and say I think you should charge the tenants whatever your out-of-pocket expenses are. You gave them an extra five days rent-free and they hid the garden rubbish from you. I feel they have taken the micky a bit and you should not lose out.

rasinkernow

Just a quick, largely irrelivent, note to say how refreshing it is to hear from reasonable landlords who are concerned about charges to tennents. As a person who has just been stung for £400 for no disernable reason (advice needed btw to follow in new post) i have a rather bad veiw of landlord figures. Even the phrase Land Lord seems daunting now i think about it. So its nice to see that they are not all money grabbing ....... well i'm sure you can imagine. Good for you all.
If my opinion matters however, i would have thought a charge for the garden was not unreasonable. Had they left bags of stuff in the house most landlords would, not unreasonably, make a small charge for there removal. Also basic tidying of a garden shouldn't be dissimmilar to that of the kitchen as it is an area within the let. Thererfore as you would expect a clean kitchen, a clean or tidy garden should not be too much to ask.

N79

rasinkernow wrote: »

Just a quick, largely irrelivent, note to say how refreshing it is to hear from reasonable landlords who are concerned about charges to tennents. As a person who has just been stung for £400 for no disernable reason (advice needed btw to follow in new post) i have a rather bad veiw of landlord figures.

You were not charged for no reason: you were rightly charged for breaching your tenancy agreement and got off fairly lightly.

OP. Carpet stains are subjective - if it is a small stain that is not particularly noticable then I ignore them - if the carpet is ruined then I make a deduction for cleaning. I would, however, definately charge to remove the rubbish as you will be charged to dispose of it whereas the Ts could have disposed of it for nothing.

Jowo_2

If you do not have a dual signed inventory which detailed the condition of the property at the outset, then you can't make deductions for anything since if its challenged in court by the tenants, the judge will invariably give judgement in their favour. An inventory/schedule of condition is vital to prove the condition of the property at the outset and use as a baseline to charge them for any changes in its condition.

What does the AST state about whose responsibility it is to maintain the garden?