"Wear and tear" in a rental property

Ms_Chocaholic

Miss K you state that you didn't start the insults but here's a quote from your first post. What's worse is that we have since discovered that the "pig" in question is a friend of yours !!!

Sorry to be picky !!!

missk_ensington wrote: »

... the property is meant to be for professional adults rather than pigs ...

polly7_2

Nick.. wrote: »

Its like social engineering isn't it, how dare someone dirty up the flat with kids or a cat, don't they know only home owners are allowed such luxuries

This country makes me sick, no-one is forced into becoming a *landlord

*and I use the term very loosely

this is because homeowners pay their own cleaning bills and know if they mess things up they have to replace it themselves. If they choose to have kids and pets in their own home and it gets filthy they have to see to it. How would you feel if someone brought their kids and dogs to your house and made it filthy then just left leaving you to clear it up and pay the bill.
This attitude makes me sick.

WHA

missk_ensington wrote: »

Because my mum has a law degree, she devises her own contracts.

So it's no real surprise that there is clearly considerable doubt about whether the contract is enforceable or adequate. The contract is clearly an amateur attempt at trying to save money by not using specialist solicitors or even buying a relatively cheap standard tenancy agreement.

Having a law degree does not make anyone a lawyer, in the same way that having an accountancy degree does not make you an accountant. Unfortunately, too few people realise that a degree in this type of discipline is only the first stage in a long and drawn out process of further examinations, compliance with professional regulations, ongoing continuing professional education, professional liability insurance, and on the job supervised training.

Unfortunately, in this case, your mother would appear to have little to back up her case simply because of her own penny-pinching which is hardly appropriate considering the expensive furniture and the higher rent. She needs to put it down to experience and start to run her business in a more professional manner which means paying for proper professional advice and joining whatever appropriate trade organisations/associations there may be to put her in a better position to avoid this kind of problem in the future.

Zara33

missk_ensington wrote: »

Thanks black saturn, this all stems from a thread about Direct Payment for an au pair. The thicko's on here cannot understand the logic in using direct payments to pay an au pair to do a carers role (Their title not mine) when she is already here until October and is cheaper on the tax payer than an agency at £12 an hour. Apparently, people would rather I employ a separate carer at £200 a week cost to the taxpayer to come into my home and sit there in the same room as my au pair doing the same job as her, at the same time, thus paying two people at the same time to watch over me Me trying to explain this has resulted in my apparently contradicting myself every farts end.

Anyhow, not going into that again. I was in hospital for 10 days (sorry 9 nights, 10 days in case anyone suggests I'm contradicting myself) after that thread and I dare say the bullying on here went some way to contributing to it so I dont want to go on about it again.

After much consideration, It's occured to me what's going on here. I think psychologists call in deindividuation - it's the out of character things people do under the cover of anonymity. Think people get a buzz from picking on someone when there are no comebacks on them, sat in their home with no one knowing who they are. I dare say people would speak to me very differently if I knew who they were and where they lived.

That's how bullies and cowards work isn't it?

Oh dear me poor little miss K :rolleyes: it appears that there is one rule for you and another for everyone else, where oh where did you see anyone mention your au pair's thread on this post People gave you advice on the wear and tear situation, you insulted people at the beginning of this thread and you have carried on doing so. You think it is ok for you to call others "pigs" and "thickos" because we do not agree with what you say, then you try to turn things around and play the sympathy card.

Many people come on MSE for help and advice including yourself, many people are willing to help others, but your attitude is disgusting and i guess this is what enrages others. Classic example of miss k in her prime

What can I say, I say the truth whether its socially acceptable or not. Unlike other people who come on here and say "Oooh my husband is out of work, he's really ill.... can we claim DLA...." yada yada. THAT is b****** what they're sugar coating is "how much cash can we get our mitts on by not working" but because they phrase it nicer than I do, you think its okay.

I am not a bully everything i say to you here on MSE i would certainly say to your face. I deleted my last post because i couldn't be bothered arguing the toss with you once again, but low and behold you carry on insulting decent people on MSE, so yes i will respond.

Guy_Montag

polly7 wrote: »

this is because homeowners pay their own cleaning bills and know if they mess things up they have to replace it themselves. If they choose to have kids and pets in their own home and it gets filthy they have to see to it. How would you feel if someone brought their kids and dogs to your house and made it filthy then just left leaving you to clear it up and pay the bill.
This attitude makes me sick.

Funny, it's your attitude that makes me sick. Tenants are not guests in your home, you are providing a service for your tenant & they pay you for it. In addition you receive such benefits as tax relief.

Of course, tenants shouldn't damage your property, but you shouldn't get involved in your tenants' lives - how would you feel if your mortgage lender told you you couldn't have children or pets in your house, because it might reduce the value?

barnaby-bear

Guy_Montag wrote: »

Funny, it's your attitude that makes me sick. Tenants are not guests in your home, you are providing a service for your tenant & they pay you for it. In addition you receive such benefits as tax relief.

Of course, tenants shouldn't damage your property, but you shouldn't get involved in your tenants' lives - how would you feel if your mortgage lender told you you couldn't have children or pets in your house, because it might reduce the value?

Or if people passed judgement on her being an unmarried 17 year old teenage mom split from the dad before the birth, claiming child benefit/tax credits and not working (student).... if you pass judgement on people as pigs for putting a coffee cup down not on a coffee table or sticking posters up in their home what kind of judgements will the Daily Mail brigade make...

rosysparkle

Doozergirl, the tenancy deposit scheme regs only apply to deposits taken after midnight on the 5th April 07, so the deposit you have already paid on your property doesn't fall into the scheme.

Kaminari_2

First, if your mother has so many properties i don't understand why she is not a member if the relevent bodies/groups.

Secondly, this is an easy one.

Smoking - dry clean all soft funishings and take it out of the deposit.
Cover the cost of painting yourself as this would be expected by the next tenant anyway. Cost of this could come out of the extra rent that you recieve for having a 'luxury' property.

Sofa - Get three quotes for recovering it, choose the cheapest. Charge them 75% of this. 25% for wear and tear (Or another realistic amount).

Forget the vase. It shouldn't have been in there.

Charge them for carpet cleaning and professional clean of the whole flat.

Yes, they shouldn't have smoked in the flat. Yes, they should have kept the place cleaner. But they didn't so don't dwell on it. This happens and if you are in this business it is best to get use to it.

seven-day-weekend

I really don't think you can dictate to people that they must take their shoes off in the house or insist they use a coffee table.

Therefore I think the dirt on the carpet and sofa is just 'wear and tear' and the cost should be absorbed by the Landlord.

As for the smoking - well it may be against their agreement, but it's done now - open a few windows and the smell will go in a few days. I know it's horrible, someone smoked here in my house in Spain a few weeks ago, and it took three days to get rid of the smell, but what viable alternative do you have here? You'll need to redecorate anyway.

I'd personally have some extra covers for the sofa, or a throw that you can just change.

thesaint

rosysparkle wrote: »

Doozergirl, the tenancy deposit scheme regs only apply to deposits taken after midnight on the 5th April 07, so the deposit you have already paid on your property doesn't fall into the scheme.

Doozergirls' deposit would be need to be covered by the new scheme, because she would be signing a new agreement(Albeit for the same property).
If the rental agreement was to lapse into a periodical, the deposit would not need to be protected.