(Rental) bond retention - excessive estimate

Panipal2005

I recently moved out of a flat, and attended the check-out inspection where the estate agent pointed out that
the property did require a light clean (cobwebs not cleared from ceiling corners), an oven clean, and minor
repairs to small holes in the walls (from where I'd fitted a curtain pole and taken it down to take to my new place).
They also noted marks to the carpet which were actually there prior to my moving in (however, they weren't
dealing with the property when I moved in; the landlord changed to them a few months into my initial tenancy).

I've since had the estimated cost for the cleaning/repairs which comes to £162, which seems unreasonably high
for what was pointed out to me during the check-out, by my reckoning the cleaning & repairs shouldn't take more
than 2 hours to carry out.

What would be the best way to dispute that and avoid being stung for that amount being deducted from my bond?

Notmyrealname

Are you taking into account that the repair for the curtain pole involves more than just filling the holes with polyfiller? It'll need that section of wall repainting or papering.

tbs624

Was an accurate inventory completed at the start of the tenancy and was this jointly signed by both you and the LL/LA?

You are required to leave the property in the same condition as when let to you, save for fair wear and tear. FW&T does not include dirty ovens, the leaving of cobwebs etc plus holes in the wall from a curtain pole.

Unless it was some expensive extra special curtainpole it would probably have worked out cheaper to agree to leave it there ( you did seek the LL's written agreement to putting it up in the first place, didn't you?)

A third party company called in to clean an oven will usually charge around 40-50 quid, and a cleaning contractor will usually have a minum charge.As the above poster indicates, holes left behind by you need to be "made good" which usually inclused redecoration in one form or another.

That said, the LL will have a harder job seeking recompense if he cannot prove the starting condition

Is your tenancy deposit scheme registered?

moromir

It depends where you are... you could easily spend £50 on a professional oven clean in SE England for example...

Filling holes involves removing any loose debris in the hole, filling with polyfilla, returnign to site when its set, sanding down, potentially sealing if its shiny vs a matt wall, you might get away with patch painting the wall otherwise its repainting the whole wall to match....

£162 seems reasonable for the decorating let alone the cleaning!

LEJC

I can now see this from both sides...as the tennant I understand your flustrations at what you consider to be excessive charging but wonder why you did not think to make good these things before you moved out..
Now with my landlords hat on....to clean an oven professionally it will cost me £70 to employ a handy man to make good the holes could be another£60 , the hire of carpet cleaners possibly £50...each of the things hightlighted in the snag list will need to be addressed before the next tennant arrives....
As you have not cleaned effectively then somebody needs to do this on your behalf and it is perfectly reasonable to expect the landlord to employ a professional to undertake the tasks that you have left behind.

Its a shame that if you thought the process was a 2 hour job...you didnt carry out the tasks before you left

Fire_Fox

Making good is a two stage job, day one you fill the holes proud then leave to dry, day two you sand down and paint - possibly the whole wall and possibly several coats with time to dry.

Depending how greasy or burned on the oven is if that is not a quick job either, you generally need to leave the product to soak for anything up to a few hours you don't scrub at it. IMO the charges are reasonable.