End of tenancy carpet cleaning.

Evansangel

Hi,

We are moving out of our house on Friday and the check out manual says 'Carpets to be professionally cleaned, using a rug doctor or similar is not acceptable'

Well i know for a fact that the carpets weren't done professionally prior to us moving in as our neighbours are the previous tenants! They told me that they did it themselves and told the agent that it was a professional clean and they got all of their deposit back.

The carpets are described as 'Poor condition' in the inventory.

Im currently sat here after shampooing the bedroom carpet myself with a scrubbing brush and an arm ache.

Am i wasting my time doing it myself and am i able to say to the agent "It wasn't done professionally before we moved in so we aren't paying for it to be done.profesionally" ?

We've already lost £70 for check out fees and the reference for our new LL.

Sorry for any typos, my touchscreen keypad isn't good for fat fingers!

Edit: Just thought i'd add, the whole house is described as poor condition on the inventory. Lots of stuff was never done that we were told was being done before we.moved in.
The LL said she isn't bothering with this house as she's concentrating on her.other property shes letting out.

BitterAndTwisted

"Poor condition" is not the same thing as dirty. If your neighbours got away with cleaning the carpet themselves then I see no reason why you should not IF you ensure that the carpeting is in the same state of cleanliness when you hand the property over.

In your position I would consider spending £30 on hiring a RugDoctor or similar.

Should the landlord try to make an unjustified deduction I'm sure that a written statement from the previous tenants will come in handy.

Scho

Could always say that it was cleaned to a professional standard if you do a good job (which sounds like it!). Plus I personally don't hold the term 'professionally cleaned' upto much standard after my current place, a cheapo £20 vac cleaner from Sainsburys picked up more muck than the supposed cleaners did before I moved in!

As highlight by B&T, the house only has to be returned to the same condition you received it in and as outlined in the inventory we can assume you signed, so as long as it's clean as or cleaner than when you got in there they can't really do anything. You're not expected to pay for professional cleaning, rug doctor or otherwise if you do that even if their 'manual' tells you to.

What are check-out fees? I've never paid any and probably would object if asked to!

Evansangel

Not sure, they are £40 though! Our agency seems to charge for everything

BitterAndTwisted

Normally the landlord would pay for check-in and the tenants pay for the check-out. £40 sounds quite reasonable to me.

Scho

Sounds like pure profit for the agency then surely? I've never paid a fee for check-out - but then maybe the agencies always wanted to get rid of me quickly!

I'd recommend taking photos of everything, even down the loo, if you think this agency will be wanting to mess you around and maybe say you didn't clean the place so they can charge you more.

abankerbutnotafatcat

Not Leaders is it?

Good luck - we're posting our dispute to the Tenant Dispute people today over professional carpet cleaning costs!!

Evansangel

abankerbutnotafatcat wrote: »

Not Leaders is it?

Good luck - we're posting our dispute to the Tenant Dispute people today over professional carpet cleaning costs!!

:rotfl: it is Leaders!

We paid alot to move in.

I overheard the agent tell someone viewing the house that the total costs before moving in were £1825! :eek:

Scho

Evansangel wrote: »

:rotfl: it is Leaders!

We paid alot to move in.

I overheard the agent tell someone viewing the house that the total costs before moving in were £1825! :eek:

As it looks like this may take a similar route, as an addition to taking photos, take all those photos and print them off with say 4 -8 photos per A4 sheet and then get yourself and someone else to sign and date every page. I was given this advice previously on these MSE forums but seems relevent to you as well!

Send everything you tell them in writing, via 2 seperate post offices and get proof of delivery from both (proof of delivery is free - recorded will cost you). I'd also send copies of everything you send to them to your landlord as well. The agent is acting on their behalf and may not know what they're fully upto.

Good luck to both of you!

abankerbutnotafatcat

It seems to me that they are using dodgy claims on the deposit as an additional form of income. We have been charged £80 cleaning costs and £100 professional carpet cleaning. Yet the flat was far cleaner when we moved out than it had been when we'd moved in.

As for the carpets, they weren't professionally cleaned when we moved in - not unless that includes all the edges having piled up dust and the whole flat smelling strongly of curry!! But how do you prove that a carpet hasn't been professionally cleaned?? Aroma-vision would work!! But a photo can't unfortunately.

So we've sent off our complaint today but I don't hold out much hope as they'll no doubt produce a back-dated invoice to 'prove' the carpet was cleaned. But i've done it anyway because of the principle of the thing and in the hope that if enough people do complain then then the Tenant Dispute Service will realise something is up and maybe rule in favour of other people.

As far as i'm concerned, Leaders have stolen my deposit. Hope you do better.

Evansangel

At our last property with them they tried to charge for a missing bin which was clearly in the check out photos :rotfl: