What is classed as "fair wear and tear"?

xelaine88x

Hi, hoping someone could give me a bit of advice on what exactly fair wear and tear is?

I have been living in a rented flat for almost 2 years now, and am thinking of moving on soon to somewhere slightly bigger. The flat I am in was in perfect decorative order when I moved in, and was fully furnished including cutlery, crockery, etc. Over the past 2 years, I have broken a couple of the cups and plates (£1 each out of Matalan) and the pots and pans are looking very "used"! Should I be looking to replace all of these things before I leave. I felt that I should replace things but my partner thinks it is fair wear and tear and i should just leave it, and the landlord can deduct the cost from our deposit if required.

Krystaltips

I would replace the broken things if you can match them to what was already there... But I'm sure the pots and pans would be expected to look used...

xelaine88x

Ive looked everywhere to try and find the same plates and cups.. they used to be sold in Matalan but looks like they have been discontinued. Don't know whether I should buy a whole new set of stuff now...

delain

Buy a cheapy new set and leave them alongside the old. I did this once with net curtains, even though they were fairly destroyed even when i moved in!You can get a white value set from £5! that will be cheaper than the deposit deduction.

barnaby-bear

xelaine88x wrote: »

Ive looked everywhere to try and find the same plates and cups.. they used to be sold in Matalan but looks like they have been discontinued. Don't know whether I should buy a whole new set of stuff now...

They don't have to be the same - just match description on inventory...

xelaine88x

Thanks, will go and find the cheapest set possible

Hector-The-Inspector_2

Some missing bits of crockery shouldn't be a big deal to any LL, but then again...


Years ago I rented a house, the EA turned up to do the inventory she was a large German woman, she said "vere is de brush" I said there never ever was a brush, but if you look in the cupboard you'll see there are three shovels, so your probably up on the deal.

Well I thought it was funny...

barnaby-bear

xelaine88x wrote: »

Hi, hoping someone could give me a bit of advice on what exactly fair wear and tear is?

I have been living in a rented flat for almost 2 years now, and am thinking of moving on soon to somewhere slightly bigger. The flat I am in was in perfect decorative order when I moved in, and was fully furnished including cutlery, crockery, etc. Over the past 2 years, I have broken a couple of the cups and plates (£1 each out of Matalan) and the pots and pans are looking very "used"! Should I be looking to replace all of these things before I leave. I felt that I should replace things but my partner thinks it is fair wear and tear and i should just leave it, and the landlord can deduct the cost from our deposit if required.

Go by the inventory - if it says assorted cups/crockery/cutlery then the odd breakage ok... if it says 6 white cups - and you've broken a couple buy two new white ones and put them in a different cupboard to the others so not obvious different...... do you really care if your dinner service is a bit odd - the next tenant probably wouldn't either.... don't forget to photo that the freezer is defrosted and oven cleaned. Physically missing replace with similar - tatty is FWAT

barnaby-bear

xelaine88x wrote: »

Thanks, will go and find the cheapest set possible

It's sometimes easier to replace cheaply than argue, command the checkout - point to one cupboard going through the list 4 cups in there, 2 in there. We broke a 5ft picture frame "abstract brown print" - we broke it storing it in the loft because very ugly..... I doubt the several years ex-pat LL ever noticed he now had an A4 brown squiggle thing from a pound shop.... neighbours said his wife had told them she'd bought the pictures to attract tenants (hmm the fat nude? ). Same LL had candles on the inventory - hmm so give your tenants a fire risk - a fire risk you want there in 3 years time???? :rolleyes:

sancho

barnaby-bear wrote: »

It's sometimes easier to replace cheaply than argue, command the checkout - point to one cupboard going through the list 4 cups in there, 2 in there. We broke a 5ft picture frame "abstract brown print" - we broke it storing it in the loft because very ugly..... I doubt the several years ex-pat LL ever noticed he now had an A4 brown squiggle thing from a pound shop.... neighbours said his wife had told them she'd bought the pictures to attract tenants (hmm the fat nude? ). Same LL had candles on the inventory - hmm so give your tenants a fire risk - a fire risk you want there in 3 years time???? :rolleyes:

Lol, the house we rent at the moment had some god awful lampshades on every lightbulb in the house, we took them down pretty much straight away and replaced them with nice ones, we're moving into our very own new house next week and i just went into the loft and they're broken!! We're quite happy to leave the nice ones we have put up though!!

I was wondering the same as OP, we have been here 6 years, there's a few bits and bobs around the house that need doing, some of the paintwork looks a bit old now, the carpets aren't as clean as when we moved in, but after 6 years i'm hoping the landlady agrees it is FWAT.

olly300

sancho wrote: »

Lol, the house we rent at the moment had some god awful lampshades on every lightbulb in the house, we took them down pretty much straight away and replaced them with nice ones, we're moving into our very own new house next week and i just went into the loft and they're broken!! We're quite happy to leave the nice ones we have put up though!!

I was wondering the same as OP, we have been here 6 years, there's a few bits and bobs around the house that need doing, some of the paintwork looks a bit old now, the carpets aren't as clean as when we moved in, but after 6 years i'm hoping the landlady agrees it is FWAT.

Carpet clean them with a carpet cleaner.

Even if they look wore they are expected to be clean and not have stains on them.

Lampshades leave them.

Walls if they are painted and can be washed down without washing the paint of wash them down.

Wash down the skirtings and the doors if they are painted.