Tenancy is different to check out requirements (rented house)

butler_helen

We are moving out in July and want to make sure we leave the house in the right way.

Our tenancy says we have to clean the carpets to a good standard or pay for professional cleaning. But in the check out details we HAVE to provide a receipt for professional carpet cleaning when we hand in the keys (we only received this document today).

On top of this, I burnt the carpet (small area in the corner and it's not blackened, more melted carpet and not visible, you only "feel" it. - its about 7 years old (we know the old tenants). It's a cheap carpet so we estimate we have a bill of about £100 - £200 coming our way for it.

Obviously I don't want to pay £100 to clean carpets and £100 on top, so we want to clean it ourselves (to a good standard with a hired carpet cleaner).

What's it best we do?

G_M

First off, whatever the tenancy or other documentation says, you only have to return the property in the same condition as when you moved in (less fair wear and tear)

What condition was it? Had it been professionally cleaned?
How was it described in the inventory you signed?

If you damaged it, you can be made to pay. But not for 'betterment'. So the LL cannot expect to get the price of a brand new carpet in place of a 7 year old one. If one assumes, say, the life expectancy of the carpet was 10 years, then after 7 years, he canonly claim the value of 3/10ths of the replacement value (representing its remaing life.)

And yes, if th carpet is going to be replaced it is crazy to pay for cleaning. The LL cannot make you clean AND replace. The question is:
* should you clean in the hope he does not charge you for replacement?
* should you NOT clean in expectation of replacement, and risk being charged for professional cleaning?
* should you discuss with the LL and reach an agreement prior to moving out?

butler_helen

Hi - great news that we repair or clean. If we choose to clean does that mean they can't get us to repair too? Or do they tell us which it is and we just wait until they tell us? I.e we won't do either and then wait for it to leave the deposit.

I assume we are cleaning one room plus stairs and repairing or cleaning the other room so costs seem around the £70 cleaning and c.£100 damages (I'm waiting on the previous tenants asking their previous tenants whether the carpet was new for them but I don't think it was, so it might be 9yrs or more old).

(carpet is in just two bedrooms and stairs).



The inventory just says the carpets are "clean" and mentions one large stain. We has added this burn and two other minor stains from tea/coffee which might come out with cleaning.

butler_helen

We have a letting agent who wont inspect before we move out, thus we have to just guess what works out best.

Also painting is annoying - we need to paint two walls where our bikes rubber handles have marked the walls... Yet the landlady wanted to paint the house during our tenancy! So we know she's going to go over it again anyway.

How would they decide what portion of painting cost we would pay if we just didnt do it? The painT also hasn't been done in more than 6years and was not done prior to our moving in (it says so in the inventory).

Thank you!

rpc

butler_helen wrote: »

Also painting is annoying - we need to paint two walls where our bikes rubber handles have marked the walls... Yet the landlady wanted to paint the house during our tenancy! So we know she's going to go over it again anyway.

Will sugar soap and elbow grease get rid of these marks?

tbs624

Have a look on the mydeposits website - there is a guide to fair wear and tear & apportionment etc on there, with input from all 3 deposit schemes.

Note that in addition to the age of the carpet, as mentioned by G_M, the quality of the carpet and its actual condtion at the start of the tenancy as detailed by the inventory ( ie, those pre-exisitng stains) need to be factored in. A LL can't use your tenancy deposit as a kind of new for old insurance policy.

I think you have misunderstood part of G_M's post. It would *not* be the case that if you clean the damaged carpet, then the LL cannot charge you for the damage. It's more a case that you would be daft to pay out for cleaning when there is damage to be considered.

Contact the LL direct and ask him/her to call round to discuss it if the LA is being moronic. Most LLs appreciate a T being honest about damage issues and seeking to sort it out in by discussion advance of moving out.

Before trying to repaint where the rubber marks are on the wall try (gently) using Astonish cookwear paste, then rinsing well, or one of the white sponge easer cleaning blocks - both available from the el cheapo stores for around a quid. Try in a corner somewhere first

Benji

We can't guess what you and the agent/landlord can negotiate. But if this were to go to court or TDS arbitration then I think there would be no charge for the walls as they are already life expired, they need painting after 7 years and the landlord will incur no extra expense.

Depending on the severity of the carpet damage, that may also be covered by the same argument - most 'cheap' carpet has an expected lifespan of 5 years (pop into carpetright and ask!).

The landlord would have to prove loss. Well there is no need to replace the carpet as you yourself proved that the landlord can let the property with a stained carpet.

For a quiet life, I might be willing to contribute a very small amount - certainly no more than £75 for all of it.

butler_helen

Hi - thank you for all your inputs.

I think we will vacate the house having cleaned it spotlessly, paid for the oven to be done (it was new just 6 months ago so we need to leave it looking "newish") and just some painting of the window sills.

I expect then to be charged out of the deposit for cleaning the carpets or for replacement/repair of one and cleaning of the other. I don't think we will get time to paint so I guess the landlady will have to try to prove she can take anything from the deposit for painting.

Maybe not great for the LL but best for us financially and time-wise.

butler_helen

rpc wrote: »

Will sugar soap and elbow grease get rid of these marks?

I will try this weekend - or my boyfriend will