unfair term in contract: pay for professional cleaning when moving out

rexmedorum

ok
it may not be terribly easy to match the cleanliness without having it done profesionally, but that's not the point

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

By the time you've found another property, signed up and paid any holding deposit to secure it, it will be before you've handed the old (present) property back all nice and clean just as it was at the start of this tenancy. So the issue of a reference to secure your onward move is irrelevant. Just accept this nonsense about cleaning-receipts as an unenforceable clause and let the deposit-scheme's arbitrators do their job if necessary. You can be absolutely certain that the arbitrators are well aware of the OFT guidelines even if the agent and/or their landlord is not.

BitterAndTwisted

Just ensure that you do not sign any check-in inventory before you've walked round the property with it in your hand and double-check the descriptions of everything extremely carefully. If you anticipate a "discussion" about this professional cleaning nonsense at the end of this tenancy take dated photographs and keep them somewhere very, very safe. I can assure you that I think that it's unlikely in the extreme that any scheme's arbitrators will agree that you need to come up with an authenticated receipt to prove that you've cleaned this property properly. Anyone with half-decent eyesight and the correct tools for the job could do it. It could entail hiring a run-doctor to clean the carpets but even that wouldn't be as expensive as hiring a professional cleaner.

alezzandro

G_M wrote: »

And as for this "pay a cleaner for 1 hour so you get a receipt!" - how many times does it need saying? THIS IS AN UNENFORCIBLE CLAUSE so there is no need to get a receipt.[...]
Just ignore the rubbish clauses as they can never be enforced!

this may be true, but it might also mean starting a conflict with the LL, someone even suggested going to court.

since they are trying to fool you, an alternative is to fool them back.