Reasonable wear and tear: tenant

pandaspot

Hi

Hope someone can help. We have just moved house and have our check out on Thursday. It says on the tenancy about reasonable wear and tear.

Do marks on a white wall, made by our removers count as this, I tried painting them, but the white is too white, also there are other marks where the sofa was downstairs. Is this wear and tear reasonable?

Also there are marks on the wall in the third bedroom, made by a step ladder leaning against it, again I tried to cover it up but can't get a colour match.

Will this count against me cause I tried to cover it up??

Kynthia

No damage caused by you and your removers is not wear and tear. Things no longer being shiny new, carpets getting threadbare, paint fading, furniture wearing out due to age, etc, are wear and tear.

pandaspot

Ok, so if I touch up the scratches with white paint, but it's whiter than the paint everwhere else cause that's faded is that acceptable? Cause I can't afford to paint the whole stairway and downstairs of the house by Thursday plus I don't have the time. Surely the landlord would have to repaint anyway? We have been there 3 years

tbs624

As Kynthia suggests, FW&T does not cover dirt or damage such as you describe. You don't say whether there was a jointly signed inventory/photos indicating that the walls were in pristine condition at the start of your tenancy. The tenancy deposit schemes have a pdf explaining what FW&T is, as does the ARLA website (assoc of residential letting agents)

For any other T who has these sorts of marks to deal with, *before* trying to paint over them you could try gently removing them with one of those white eraser sponges or with some Astonish cookware paste. Try on an inconspicuous corner first and do not rub too hard. Sugar soap should also work but you'd have to wash down the whole wall.

OP - why not just ring the LL/LA asap and ask them what the paint manufacturer & colours are. Explain about the scuff marks and tell them you'd like to repaint the walls prior to Thursday's check out (assuming you can *make* time to do so).

Some LLs will not make a huge issue out of a few scuff marks*, especially if you've been there more than a year or so and they were about to repaint the walls anyway, but others will expect Ts to clean/repaint to a suitable standard or cover the costs of someone else doing it on the LL's behalf. *Edit: there is a difference between a scuff and actual *scratch* marks. If the surface of the wall has been gouged it will obviously require application of some sort of filler

Was your tenancy deposit scheme registered btw and were you given the scheme's "prescribed information" by the LL?

droiderm

Are scuffs reasonable for example, where there is a corner in a narrow hall etc? ie. where you really can't help but touching it when you walk past.

Lolzicles

To be honest I'd expect to lose some of the deposit for that. From hearing about friends experiences with letting, they have been charged for far less. I am expecting to lose of of our deposit too thanks to our new baby who has vomited on the carpet loads of times and there are big pale splat marks of discoloration all over it that will not come out! (even though the carpets are horrible and old anyway)

pandaspot

Hi thanks for the reply, they are scuff marks not scratch, couldn't think of the right word.

I really don't have time I work full time, I go to college mon and wednesday 6-9pm. The only time I have is this evening and Thursday morning before check out. Tonight we are going to clean the house. There are marks above the radiatior also, and not from drying clothes as never did that.

We have had problems at this house with our landlord not doing repairs and is the reason we are leaving. We had our gas fire condemned last jan after having a gas inspection by someone other than his mate, who had done it previous years. We also had a back gate which he promised would be repaired and had fallen apart, we had to try and repair it ourselves with screening, leak in guttering. We were promised double glazing which never happened. Well until yesterday when they wanted to fit them.

Our bond is with the dps

I will contact the agent and ask them, I get on well with them

hazyjo

I had marks over the radiator in my old house. Whatever you do, don't wipe them, they will just spread and be far more obvious. Best to leave as is!

Jx

tbs624

pandaspot wrote: »

Our bond is with the dps

That's good. But given that your LL has his shortcomings before you do this bit :

pandaspot wrote: »

I will contact the agent and ask them, I get on well with them

please respond to this from my previous post

You don't say whether there was a jointly signed inventory/photos indicating that the walls were in pristine condition at the start of your tenancy.

tbs624

hazyjo wrote: »

I had marks over the radiator in my old house. Whatever you do, don't wipe them, they will just spread and be far more obvious. Best to leave as is!

Jx

What on earth had you slopped down the radiators - sounds rank. Get yourself over to the cleaning kings and queens on the Old Stye Board.;)

makeyourdaddyproud

I really don't have time I work full time, I go to college mon and wednesday
6-9pm.

What about weekends, and Tues, Thur and Fri at 6-9pm? :cool:

If you damage the walls you must make good or pay for repair. Simples. If the paint has discoloured only slightly then set aside some of your paint and put a tiny dollop of marmite in it, then you have 'discoloured' paint that will match.

There are two white paints in circulation: White and Brilliant White, it sounds as if it's painted by the former.