Previous rental property-updated as problems re:deposit return

pinkshoes

pandaspot wrote: »

so i left my previous property on 24/11/12 and handed back keys and had inspection on 29/11/12. a few days later i received the following email with things the landlord wants done before we can have back our deposit.

Front Garden

Bins are to be emptied by the tenants who will put them out on bin day (Please if you could do this) ---- we did this even though the bin day was 2 weeks after we moved, we had put the bins out before moving
Some weeding to be done and leafs/debris tidied up

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this is fine, but our garden somehow attracted every bit of rubbish anywhere cause of where its located, if the gate was left open, you would get an array of stuff in there

Rear Garden

Weeding and general tidying up required. Throwing away rubbish left behind the shed ---- fine will do the little weeding there is to do.

Living Room

Painting of the entire living room/stairs/landing area the tenant has acknowledged will need carrying out as tried matching up the paint and getting marks off but very patchy (Not woodwork) 2 Picture hooks and some small picture hook holes need filling in too when painting

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i did email the agents asking for the exact colour white, and make of paint, he didnt know.
Fire – There is a slight section of the back foam/polystyrene type material damaged. The tenants informed us that a bird fell down from its nest on the roof and was stuck. They had to remove is otherwise would have rotted and smelt. (I did explain to the landlord the reason behind this but he said he will get a quote to see if it can be repaired)!----suppose i should have left the bird to die and rot ?!

Kitchen

Kitchen overall needs cleaning throughout, tenant agreed to this. She left it to her partner but ran out of time.

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reason i had to leave to partner is i have torn ligaments in my knee, cant kneel down

Damage to the right hand side worktop, section will need replacing

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this is fine
Some scuff marks visible on the walls in the kitchen , Landlord would like one wall repainted and holes filled in----again asked for paint make and colour.

Ground Floor W/C

Touch up paint marks in this room also that will need rectifying the landlord would like

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downstairs toilet has bathroom tiles on the wall and the paint is literally peeling off, he would need to repaint them all.

Bathroom

Mirrors left, some holes and patching up required. ----new tenants would need mirrors?there are no holes in the wall
Radiator cap missing will require replacing if he can’t find an old one.----never one there! not on inventory, I will get one for him

Rear Large Bedroom

Very small dark mark noticed on the carpet, require cleaning---fine

Scuff marks visible on the chimney breast wall and left hand wall adjoining the bathroom – would like patching up----was patched up with matching paint, mark on adjoining is where the bed was

Small stain on the blind noticed – Needs cleaning if possible----mark from condensation, the blind is one of those cheapy white roman blinds. i will buy him a new one

Front Small Bedroom

Small mark on carpet – requires cleaning----not a mark, its where the carpet is worn, no underlay, agent agreed with this

Staining on blind but from condensation –---water marks, cleaning if possiblewindows were single galzed! i had many winters with the whole window iced up on the inside. totally unresonable. again cheapy roman blind


The above issues are ones the landlord has highlighted and from the check out combined. He would have been happy to keep the Sky Dish installed at the property, however he said Sky have carried out poor workmanship as they have damaged the skirting board in the front room which he wants putting right!! Also the same in the bedrooms where they have drilled through the skirting boards etc.cant he just put filler in skirting board and paint? but is it my fault? had permission

I shall arrange a quote for all of the above, but of course if there are some things you would like to do yourself then you are more than welcome to do so.

now the issues i have with all that is, we lived there 3 years, we were excellent tenants, never missed a payment etc. the landlord is a first time landlord and obviously doesnt realise how bad tenants could be. The agents told be that basically he wants the property exactly the same! even without any wear and tear. she also indicated he is a bit or an idiot and doesnt listen etc.

here is what he didnt do:

1.double glazing had been promised to us after 6 months of living there - 2 days after moving out he installed it!!---surely he needs to repaint round the windows due to this?
2.the gas fire, which he is getting a quote for cause of where a bird fell down the chimney, was condemned on the 18/01/12. we had a gas inspector someone other than his mate, who said we should never have been using the fire. landlord sent round people for quotes to repair, but nothing ever done.
3. the back gate had literally fallen apart, massive gaping holes in it. this was going to be replaced from the date we moved in. again endless quotes no action.
4. the back fence blew down in the storms last winter. again endless quotes no action. offered to replace oursleves told no, landlord must decide
5. we have had a problem with our guttering. its been leaking since moving in, caused a damp problem in kitchen where the bt telephone point came in. was patched up, paint never matching as contractors couldn't match



do you think this reasonable from the landlord?

some of it fine, but painting etc is totally wrong i feel

I had an email from agents over Xmas and they stated the quotes for above work is over £1000 but they said that the landlord is wants to know how much we were expecting back and to come to some sort of arrangement. Really upset

Never had a prob like this, it's like he is saying we wrecked the place!!!

Did you have a dual signed inventory when you moved in?

I would dispute a LOT of these!

pandaspot

We had verbal permission for sky, not sure why he would want it removed? The skirting boards could be just filled and reprinted, he wouldn't need new skirting boards, surely?

I am finding this extremely frustrating.

We actually moved opposite, weird I know, but he just wasn't getting the jobs done and needed a warmer house. I have seen quite a few viewings at the address. What would happen if he takes on new tenants but still not returned our bond?

I just don't know what to do? I don't think there is an opportunity to do the work ourselves anymore.

pandaspot

pinkshoes wrote: »

Did you have a dual signed inventory when you moved in?

I would dispute a LOT of these!

We have a copy of the inventory, not sure if ll signed. I certainly sent back ours signed. Also have photos as well the agents did before we occupied somewhere. Not sure where now due to moving.

pinkshoes

pandaspot wrote: »

We have a copy of the inventory, not sure if ll signed. I certainly sent back ours signed. Also have photos as well the agents did before we occupied somewhere. Not sure where now due to moving.

If there's no signed inventory, then no deductions, but as you signed it, there's no get out here!

Find your copy and go through what it says for each part of the house.

I'd go back through the list, argue what is fair wear and tear, and also things that the LL should pay for.

re the bins, if bin day wasn't until AFTER your tenancy ended, then not your responsibility.

The bird falling down the chimney is for the LL to sort out, not you!

You do need to pay for the wall to be repainted where you had the picture hooks though.

Downstairs WC sounds like just old age, so LL to pay.

If there's no holes in the bathroom, and no radiator cap ever there, then they can charge a small fee for getting rid of the mirrors. Ask for them back! (bet they'll keep them!)

Marks on blind due to condensation is fair wear and tear. Not your problem.

Although you had permission for Sky, you do need to put the house back to how it was, which includes any holes drilled in skirting boards I'm afraid.

tim123456789

julieb1987 wrote: »

Not sure about the Sky issue. Did you get written permission? Does it state it needs to be removed after? If there is no written permission it may be your responsibility to have it removed and the skirting boards repaired to how they were (although it's expensive to get Sky sorted .

No it's not (for a standard installation)

all new contracts come with "free" basic installation (that's why it's done so badly) and there's no discount if there's already a dish installed

pandaspot

pinkshoes wrote: »

If there's no signed inventory, then no deductions, but as you signed it, there's no get out here!

Find your copy and go through what it says for each part of the house.

I'd go back through the list, argue what is fair wear and tear, and also things that the LL should pay for.

re the bins, if bin day wasn't until AFTER your tenancy ended, then not your responsibility.

The bird falling down the chimney is for the LL to sort out, not you!

You do need to pay for the wall to be repainted where you had the picture hooks though.

Downstairs WC sounds like just old age, so LL to pay.

If there's no holes in the bathroom, and no radiator cap ever there, then they can charge a small fee for getting rid of the mirrors. Ask for them back! (bet they'll keep them!)

Marks on blind due to condensation is fair wear and tear. Not your problem.

Although you had permission for Sky, you do need to put the house back to how it was, which includes any holes drilled in skirting boards I'm afraid.

Where picture hooks were, does it mean, paint the whole wall or touch up where they were? Also with the sky, does he have to replace the whole skirting board, or fill it, and paint?

Good idea with the mirrors I will ask for them back, and I will ask for the blind I left in the bathroom as well

Luckily I haven't had to a pay a bond at my new property

Should a wait for a breakdown of the quote to be emailed to me, or go straight to ADR?

Am I right in thinking that £1000+ is totally over the top? I had a quote myself before I left re:kitchen worktop of £80

FireWyrm

If I were you, I'd dispute almost all of this

The bins are nothing to do with you AFTER the tenancy has ended. It's the LL's responsibility unless you did indeed leave them full.

Go through that letter and your inventory point by point and make your case. Submit it to the DPS and wait for a response.

£1000 does certainly seem excessive but unless you dispute it, you'll get nowhere with the EA. Stop talking to them and get onto the DPS immediately as it sounds like they are gearing up for a damned good fleecing.

pandaspot

Ok I will continue with dps now then, I do have a slight problem, the agents put my partner as lead tenant, although I am the one who deals with all financial matters etc, I understand this cannot be changed and I will just have to pretend to be him online but over the phone can he give permission to me to deal with all this!?

Do I just go ahead with a single claim? I am a bit worried about ending up owing more. I know that there is no way that we should be liable for£1000+

It's very strange ,I think, that ll said to agents that he wanted to know how much we wanted back and maybe come to an arrangement.

pandaspot

Just had an email from agents stating that the quote of £1000+ is for all the work mentioned in previous emails (I know that!!!)

She states that she explained wear and tear to the landlord, and he has come back to her and asked what we would be willing to offer towards everything to try and come to an agreement.

She then asks in the email, what did I think at least would come from the bond so she can go back to him, and resolve this asap. She asks me to let her know a figure I have in mind towards the issues on the check out.

What do I do?

In all honestly I intially thought £200 would be a reasonable amount.

Should I even give her a figure and try and sort this out?

I know before ADR I have to try and resolve the situation direct with ll

pinkshoes

£200 for a days labour, plus £100 for paint etc... so maybe £300??