Real life MMD: Should she charge for cleaning?

Former_MSE_Penelope

Money Moral Dilemma: Should she charge for cleaning?

My friend was living with a couple, who decided to move out to get their own place, so she had to find another place too. Just before moving, my friend spent all weekend cleaning the flat to a professional standard. The couple didn’t show up to help, and if they get their deposits back it's thanks to her. Should she charge them for cleaning services, and if so, how?

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OldElstonian

MSE_Penelope wrote: »

Just before moving, my friend spent all weekend cleaning the flat to a professional standard.

Erm... why??? It wasn't her responsibility and I assume she wasn't asked to do it!

petestan

If they were doing her a favour by allowing her to live with them it's the least she can do to repay them, so no IMO.

matty_art

OldElstonian wrote: »

Erm... why??? It wasn't her responsibility and I assume she wasn't asked to do it!

Presumably so she could get her own deposit back? I can't see any good coming of charging and I'm not sure it's practically possible; unfortunately this is one she'll need to take on the chin, but if the letting company manage to find something wrong and take money out of the deposit (as they always seem to do!), I'd be tempted to ask the couple to absorb the hit from their deposit only.

ironlady2022

The friend should have arranged the cleaning to be done together. You can't expect to do something and then ask for money back. So no, not chargeable in this case.

pennypinchUK

Well yes, she's experienced an injustice. But how does that translate to expecting payment? Did they all agree to clean the place, but the others just didn't turn up? Did she contact them and ask where they were while she was cleaning? Was your friend the messy one amongst others who didn't leave a trail of mess so had nothing to tidy?

Your friend should have clarified things before starting to clean. Lesson learned.....

nikkie

I've lived in house share before and, as one of the last 2 to leave [of 5 people], it was up to us 2 to request that everyone leave their rooms perfectly as possible and the communal areas would be down to us. The time between them leaving and us leaving was such that their rooms needed a quick once over as well as the rest of the house. vast majority was done by me as the other lad was going out working every day and I was only out part time and it needed to get done by a deadline. Granted- we were students with limited supplied cleaning equipment in the house we were renting so there was no way we could get it up the the mega standard the landlord wanted (and when she tried to take any of our deposit after that cleaning slog we contested and won- but that's another story).
But, the fact is, I didn't expect anything from anyone else even though it was thanks to me that we got the deposit back.
I primarily did it cause I wanted to make sure we did get the deposit back as some of that money was mine... the dilemma doesn't state that any of the deposit was hers or not in the first place, but if she was living with them without contributing to it then the least she can do is the cleaning. If she didn't want to do it [alone] then she should have asked- so it's her own issue if she's miffed about this and wants paying. There's no way she can ask them for money about this without offending them. If some of the deposit was hers then if she hadn't done the cleaning she wouldn't have got it back either. There's no way around it- like another person said, she has to take this one on the chin. Next time perhaps not go as far as a "professional" standard, maybe?
As long as the cleaning is "acceptable"- and at least to the same visual standard as when you first moved in (you should and cannot be expected to get cleaning in a professional standard), there are no outstanding bills, nothing is broken and/or missing from the inventory- you should always get your deposit back.

ABerrisford

"" Did they all agree to clean the place, but the others just didn't turn up? Did she contact them and ask where they were while she was cleaning? Was your friend the messy one amongst others who didn't leave a trail of mess so had nothing to tidy? ""
Quoted from Pennypinch


I may have some clarification, Yes they all agreed to clean the place, yes she did try to contact them while she was cleaning and got no contact, for the whole weekend, despite leaving lots of messages.

She was paying more rent than the couple with the bigger room and paid a larger deposit as the house was "per room" rather than per person. She is not a messy person.

This was a while ago but it all worked out in the end! She is somewhere she likes paying less rent than she was before and is happy, i just wanted to see what MSEr's thought of her situation. Unfortunately some details were left out of the original posting.

milvusvestal

Unless there was something agreed beforehand, it rather looks as if any financial loss will have to be put down to experience. The best you can hope for is to mention to them what you did and ask them to cover the costs of any cleaning materials.

What bothers me is how the place got into such a state that it needed a thorough spring-clean before vacating. Landlords rightly expect their rented properties to be looked after, under the terms of the tenancy agreement.

JayD

No she shouldnt!

Firstly, she wasn't asked to do it.
Secondly, it was the least she could do as a thank you for letting her stay there
and Thirdly, to do something for someone, without their foreknowledge and consent, or without them requesting it , and then to charge them is almost akin to extortion!

A similar thing would be this situation.
Friend/neighbour says to you " Hello, I know you have your house up for sale and I saw your front lawn was very long - that could put buyers off and even affect the price, so I mowed it for you while you were away - that will be £15 please."


Whereas, without the charge, it was a kind and friendly/neighbourly gesture.

Capiche?

sonsbear

Life's too short, let it go. And no agreement between her and couple.