help re: difficult tennants pls

julybride

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone knows where i stand. We have tenants due to leave our property today. Until now they have been no problem... (although i have had some unneccessarly comments from them) I think the problem has arisen as i am being admitted to hospial today and could not attend the inventory of the house yesterday. We believe we need to take approximately £150 -£220 to make good paint work and some plug holes also to clean (reliable friends who rent there own property were at the inventory and this was agreed as acceptable by the tenants last week).

Th Tenants refused to leave last night and are now demanding a bankers draft for the whole amount and will not hand back keys until they have the draft in there hands!

I appreciate any experience with this type of conflict.

We have offered a personal cheque and asked them to correct the problems and the house will be reassessed tonight... I think we were being reasonable. And said we will provide a bankers draft but that this will take a few days and will be made out for the sum established tonight.

If they are still refusing to give us the keys are we able to enter the property tomorrow and change the locks? they have effectively moved out... no furniture or anything left. We would refund the deposit to their forwarding address and suggest they take the matter up with the appropriate body if they are not satisfied with the amount withheld (assuming anything is?)

or do I have to warn them and wait? just as an aside if they keep the keys are they liable for rent on the property?

lynzpower

why would you attend the inventory, surely it is done by an independent company? Otherwise it oesnt stand in court ( from what I was told by a company i was going to work for undertaking inventories)

julybride

We manage our own property after the letting agent set up the contract 18 months ago.

thesaint

Establish in writing whether they have moved out or not.

If they have, change the locks. If they haven't, continue to charge them rent. I would charge a weekly rate if they are retaining the keys.

Do not give them the cheque (whether personal or bankers draft) until you have secured the property. Are they paying for the bankers draft, I certainly wouldn't pay for it as a landlord.

An inventory does not have to be done by an independent company.

oldMcDonald

julybride wrote: »

We believe we need to take approximately £150 -£220 to make good paint work and some plug holes also to clean
QUOTE]

Not really giving any advice, just want to ask a question

£150 - £220 seems a lot to clean some plug holes and repaint here and there. In places that I have rented in the past, paintwork was part of the 'normal wear and tear'. Just interested if this is normal to charge for some re-painting?

Sorry if this comes across as argumentative, not ment to be, just interested

thesaint

I think julybride meant 'To plug (fill) some holes' and clean the property, not clean some plug holes.

Ems*Honie

I thought paintwork would be classed as wear and tear? (unless they've painted it without permission?)

Hope your hospital trip is nothing serious and goes ok x

silvercar

Until they return keys and vacate the property they are liable for rent. I would inform them that they will be liable for another whole months rent unless the keys are returned.

The other option is to change the locks, they have presumably given you written notice and removed there belongings, so it would be reasonable to assume they have vacated the property.

Under the new tennancy deposit scheme they would not get the deposit back for a t least a week!

peter999

silvercar wrote: »

The other option is to change the locks, they have presumably given you written notice and removed there belongings, so it would be reasonable to assume they have vacated the property.

Good idea, expect visit from the Police.
Could rapidly get out of hand.

peter999

julybride

yep, they painted without permission and the kitchen is filthy and yep to fill some holes (not clean some holes sorry!)

I thought that was a fairly reasonable ask i could have asked for the carpets to be cleaned (as they are also filthy but didn't.

Thanks for all your comments. Its put my mind at rest. I'm sure it'll be sorted, i'm staying reasonable and hopeffully they will come round. fingers crossed)

katepnlo

I would have thought you need someone indepandant to go in also.
As for paint marks, depending on who is living there (single person, couple family with children etc) then there is an element of day to day wear and tear.
I rented for about 8 years, scuffs on door frames etc were not reasons to hold back deposit. I only had a problem in one house, landlord decided to withold my deposit because the white walls had some marks on! i am talking bringing the shopping in marks, where the sofa had marked the wall! I protested polietly. he said he would provide the correct paint if i would cover the marks, which we did and i then recieved my deposit back.
(he was quite snotty about it all the funny thing was he gave us the wrong paint! silk insted of matt! so all his walls were matt with silk patches:rolleyes: )

Anyway, i wish you good luck as i dont know the extent of the wear and tear.
kate