Cleaning of a vacating property

GaryMaguire

We have recently given the keys back of a property we have been renting for the past 5 1/2 years. Before giving it back we cleaning all surfaces with both Flash wipes and polish where needed as well as hiring a professional carpet washer from B&Q and putting this over the sitting room floor. Admittedly there are some stains on the carpet due to wear and tear over a 5 year period but in general there is no reason to have to change the carpets or have them cleaned again (the stains are not massively apparent when the room has furniture in it). The Inventory Clerk said that we did not have the property professionally cleaned and the LA requests this to happen as it is professionally cleaned during the start of a tenancy. This is not in the contract, just wondering what our rights are? We spent 2 + days making sure the property was in immaculate condition before key handover. If they charge us for professional cleaning i think it would be doing it professionally for the sake of it, but any blemishes to the property should surly have been put down to wear and tear anyway. Its impossible to live somewhere for 5 years without making a mark. Any thoughts?

Regards

Gary

KRB2725

You are supposed to return the property in the same condition you received it in, minus wear & tear I believe. Does your check in report state is was cleaned to a professional or domestic standard?

Having said that, I don't know what the position would be regarding deductions for cleaning. I wouldn't have thought there is anything enforceable if it is not in the contract.

BitterAndTwisted

Stains on carpets are not wear and tear, that's damage although an argument could be made that the expected life of carpeting in a rental property would be about five years, depending on the quality. I would sit tight and wait for the agent to come back to you bout that "professional cleaning" bit. As long as you are confident that you cleaned the place to a professional standard I don't think that they can insist that you appointed contractors to do what any normal personal would be able to do themselves.

sooz

GaryMaguire wrote: »

Admittedly there are some stains on the carpet due to wear and tear over a 5 year period ............... but any blemishes to the property should surly have been put down to wear and tear anyway. Its impossible to live somewhere for 5 years without making a mark. Any thoughts?

Dirt is dirt, not wear & tear.
Likewise stains are not wear & tear.

Wear & tear is natural deterioration with normal useage. So the pile of the carpet becoming flattened or the carpet itself thinning is wear & tear. A large coffee or wine stain is damage.

Minor scuff marks to walls from furniture or up staircases is wear & tear. Childrens drawings on the walls are damage.

What does the inventory state about the cleanliness of the property when you moved in? Did the same clerk conducting the check in & check out?

Is your deposit protected?

I would not consider the use of flash wipes to be proper cleaning. It's like using a babywipe instead of having a shower

GaryMaguire

No coffee or wine stains, just a carpet that has discoloured due to various coming in and out of the property. Walls are in good condition, we did hang the odd picture but asside from that there is no issues there. I agree flash wipes is not a clean, we cleaned it better than it was when we moved in, she also mentioned the outside of the windows and outside of the front door. My question was, regardless of how clean it is can they request professional cleaning and what's to stop me from Making up an invoice in my mums name charging me £1 for the cleaning she helped with. This could be considered a professional service as money has changed hands. Basically I believe my LA might potentially doing things for the sake of it (i.e. making our life hell). Surely after a 5 year let, its down to the LA to prepaid the property for the next tenants?

Regards

Gary

sarahevie

I would also dispute how 'professional' cleaning firms are though. Round my way they are simply students paid £6 an hour.

My tenants have just left and it was in a very good state.

I still paid 3 cleaners for 4 hours work. So 12 hours of cleaning, to make sure it was 'professional' I'm not convinced it is much better to the naked eye. Although the amount of dirt that came off the usually brown carpet was unreal, it is dirt you can't normally see with the naked eye. The leater sofas (cream) also look shinier.

I won't be charging the leaving tenants though, they did a good job. You have to have some business expenses as a landlord, end of tenancy clean is one of them IMHO

BitterAndTwisted

No, it isn't down to the LA to "prepare the property for the next tenants", or anyone else for that matter. It's your responsibility to hand the property back in exactly the same state of cleanliness that it was at the start of your tenancy. It's the agent who needs to prove that it wasn't if that's what they're going to claim.

GaryMaguire

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

No, it isn't down to the LA to "prepare the property for the next tenants", or anyone else for that matter. It's your responsibility to hand the property back in exactly the same state of cleanliness that it was at the start of your tenancy. It's the agent who needs to prove that it wasn't if that's what they're going to claim.

Well in the property we were in the Carpets were new. 1 year into the tenancy the LA decided to have all the windows replaced with double glazing. this was great for us but did cause dirt on floors etc... during the works as they took place in the middle of winter. Its very hard to tell what dirt stains were caused through remedial works and naturally from a 5 1/2 year tenancy.

BitterAndTwisted

If the building works cause dirt and stains on the carpeting you should have raised it at the time in writing, with evidence. I doubt that you can use this as an excuse now.

GaryMaguire

At the same time the property has been inspected for 5 years running (last inspection in April) and none of these points have been raised either. I suppose i will just have to wait and see what comes back (if anything). Would advise anyone to stay away from this LA going off our treatment over the past 6 months. Truly unprofessional to say the least.

GaryMaguire

Ok ive got a reprt back from my LA and it is full of what i can only describe as exaggeration of the highest degree. I completely disagree with most of it. Below is a few snippets, any thoughts appreciated.

Carpet
This was newly fitted for tenancy and professional steam
clean is required particularly due to the length of the tenancy.
It is understood the carpet has been shampooed using a hire
machine however scattered grey spots remain.

Garden
Noted at check in that grass not recently mown and weeds in
beds. Grass not mown for check out, beds no longer defined
and all weedy. Recommend tenant contribution to reestablish beds

They are insisting on taking money from our deposit for a professional clean even though this is not stated in the contract anywhere. I am not one bit happy as I feel we have left the property in as good a condition as it was when we moved in. in some cases we have replaced things to improve the property with no thanks. The carpet statement to me clearly states that the reason for a steam clean is due to the length of the tenancy, is it my fault we stayed so long? Garden was fully overgrown and the beds could not be made out. I re-seeded the garden and completely sorted it out, I didn't mow the grass for checkout as its been raining every week for the past month and couldn't be cut. I am either going to take this through the protected deposit or county court as i really dont agree with decisions. Just out of interest, if a full claim is not made by 10 days of departure can they still take part of our deposit. Your input will be much appreciated.

regards

Gary