Landlord charging for shower silicone replacement

loracan1

propertyman wrote: »

I suggest that you use a thick bleach solution applied with a paint brush and work it in and rinse ( cold water :eek:).

It should remove the mould which comes from our skin dirt and soaps building up in this area.

it doesnt build up ( or is easily removed) if this is physically cleaned each week, so its not simply wear and tear.

If it's really stubbon get some strips of cotton wool soaked in bleach and leave that along the grouting for a short while.

martinsurrey

Walls are not marked if you put your sofa 6 inches from a wall, but fair wear and tear allows normal furniture marks.

Sealant is recommended to be replaced every 12-24 months so charging the full amount is betterment as well (even though most people don’t replace this often).

I would be disputing the whole amount of this one.

BitterAndTwisted

[QUOTE=DTBlaster;61672733My_tenancy_is_a_group_assured_shorthold_tenancy._There_was_an_inventory_done_when_we_moved_in_which_doesn't_seem_to_note_any_mould_build-up,_but_this_was_done_over_10_months_ago_before_we_moved_in._[/QUOTE]

If the inventory was done over 10 months before you moved in, how can it have been done when you moved in? Please clarify.

Landlords and/or agents cannot rely on some old inventory done back in the mists of time: there needs to have been one done at the time you took on the tenancy which you and/or your housemates should have signed and dated. Is there such a thing?

In any case, if they are not holding a deposit they will need to apply to the court for their costs IF they can prove that your tenancy resulted in any dirt or damage. I would say that mould on bath sealant is fair wear and tear. At least that would be my position should they decide to take you all to court.

DTBlaster

Okay, I will give cleaning a shot since it's not overly expensive to get the necessary ingredients. Some people seem to recommend a toothbrush for cleaning, but would the bristles damage the sealant?
If not, I'll just stick to a cloth or sponge as you have recommended.

Some really good cleaning tips BTW - I really appreciate all the advice, because as you may have guessed, I'm pretty ignorant on these things!

martin, thanks, I'll think I'll send them an email disputing this ASAP. In the mean time, I guess a little bit of cleaning couldn't hurt/isn't likely to exacerbate any damage.

Sorry, Bitter, I completely contradicted myself there, it seems!
An inventory was done at the beginning of August (prior to any of us moving in), then when the first couple of housemates, they carried out their own check and reported damages to the landlord - although I don't know if they would have noted a small bit of mould around the silicone.

And thankyou for the support on this matter. Good to know I'm not the only one who thinks this may be a little unfair on their part.

sammyjammy

DTBlaster wrote: »

Okay, I will give cleaning a shot first - thankyou.

Looking up online, I can get HG mould spray extremely cheaply - does anyone have any experience with this (or any sort of mould removal) product?

Excellent product just make sure bathroom well ventilated and you leave the room whilst its working - its smell is pretty toxic!

Dorset82

The landlord should pay for that - without a doubt! Check your contract.

IronWolf

Dont replace the silicone yourself, if you mess it up then you'll definitely have to pay.

Dont scrub it too hard either because then you could do physical damage to it.
Try a product called HG Mould, its just a simple spray on and has worked for us before.

Just flat out refuse to pay for it, I've had landlords try this with me before too, and I've just refused. Never heard anything more about it.

olly300

DTBlaster wrote: »

Okay, I will give cleaning a shot since it's not overly expensive to get the necessary ingredients. Some people seem to recommend a toothbrush for cleaning, but would the bristles damage the sealant?
If not, I'll just stick to a cloth or sponge as you have recommended.

I use an old toothbrush to clean nooks and crannies in my own bathroom and other places I've lived. The toothbrush head will snap off long before it damages the sealant or even the grout between the bathroom tiles.

DRP

IronWolf wrote: »

Dont replace the silicone yourself, if you mess it up then you'll definitely have to pay.

Dont scrub it too hard either because then you could do physical damage to it.
Try a product called HG Mould, its just a simple spray on and has worked for us before.

Just flat out refuse to pay for it, I've had landlords try this with me before too, and I've just refused. Never heard anything more about it.

On consideration, I 'd probably agree with us - assuming you can't be confident that you could do a proper job.

In which case I'd find some backup of the post above stating the life of silicon is only about 12 months and refuse to pay.

olly300

DRP wrote: »

On consideration, I 'd probably agree with us - assuming you can't be confident that you could do a proper job.

In which case I'd find some backup of the post above stating the life of silicon is only about 12 months and refuse to pay.

The life of silicon isn't 12 months if it's:
1. Done properly
2. A mould resistant one.

A mould resistant silicon is about £2 more expensive from a trade retailer, that one clearly isn't.

I would clean it with bleach, cotton wool and then use a old toothbrush on it.

I would also clean the grouting in the tiles if white with a small amount of bleach and an old toothbrush. If the grouting isn't white use an old toothbrush and a bathroom cleaner that doesn't contain bleach/acid.

The final check-out needs to be done with the last person in the property and not before. That way you have a good chance to clean the property.

Edited to say: Obviously make sure you wear a pair of rubber gloves on your hands and wear old clothes.