Check out - charging for replacing the sofas?

pimento

My son and his three friends moved out of their student house on July 1st and have just received a list of things the landlord will be taking out of their deposit.

When they moved in the old house had just been redecorated (in white) and all the furniture was IKEA value range. In the sitting room were two cream IKEA Klobo sofas. I was there when the check-in was done and said to the landlord that he was a brave man to include cream sofas in a student house and he replied 'Oh, I will just throw them out and replace them at the end of the tenancy'.

Of course, they did get dirty, my son can't deny it (the requested table and chairs were refused on cost grounds so every meal they ate was eaten sitting on the sofas) and now they are being charged the full cost of replacement (£190).

Is there no wear and tear allowable for this type of thing? Should they be charged for replacement? Or just for cleaning? Or should there be some depreciation on stuff like this?

Before he replies to the landlord, can I have some opinions please?

Thanks

princeofpounds

Yes, there is depreciation. Landlords are not entitled to 'betterment'. Arbitration would look at the expected life of the product.

They could be charged cleaning, reupholstering or replacement. Entirely depends on what it takes to fix the damage and what is cheapest. If you can find a cheaper option make your case.

Personally I think it's likely he would have to pay quite a substantial proportion of the costs given he has got it so filthy within a year.

pimento

I reckon even I would have had trouble keeping this sofa clean. It was the most stupid item of furniture to put into any rental, let alone a student house.

I did give them a couple of throws but they didn't fit properly and IKEA don't make custom covers for this model. If he had spent another tenner, he could have got the Klippan and then a set of covers would only have cost £20. Really short sighted.

princeofpounds

These are all points you can make in any suggested settlement and/or arbitration. They may carry a limited weight in judging the lifespan of the item.

ValHaller

pimento wrote: »

When they moved in the old house had just been redecorated (in white) and all the furniture was IKEA value range. In the sitting room were two cream IKEA Klobo sofas. I was there when the check-in was done and said to the landlord that he was a brave man to include cream sofas in a student house and he replied 'Oh, I will just throw them out and replace them at the end of the tenancy'.

Of course, they did get dirty, my son can't deny it (the requested table and chairs were refused on cost grounds so every meal they ate was eaten sitting on the sofas) and now they are being charged the full cost of replacement (£190).

Is there no wear and tear allowable for this type of thing? Should they be charged for replacement? Or just for cleaning? Or should there be some depreciation on stuff like this?

Before he replies to the landlord, can I have some opinions please?

I suggest you produce a signed statement covering the the LL's statement. Son should argue that given that table and chairs were not provided, fair wear and tear should include use for meals and the consequences are a substantially reduced life. Obviously the LL only expected a year and I would hope that the dispute service would uphold the line of argument.

Guest101

To be fair, £190 deduction after a student let, either they are very good tenants, or the LL is being very fair.

Thats £47.5 each, grand scheme of things...

pimento

It's £190 just for the sofas. The whole lot is going to cost them £775 (out of £1200).

Guest101

Ah, i see. So not the cleanest students in the world.

Also why such a high deposit? ( i mean i know 'WHY') because of this, but was their rent really £1200 a month?

I'd be suspicious that the LL does this every year, to present a nice house everytime he goes to relet.

pimento

Yes, the rent was £1200 a month (for the whole house). I had my doubts when he used a professional inventory company on check in. Last year, the landlord was an ex student's father who had furnished the house with good quality second hand stuff and didn't take a deposit.

This year, the landlord is a young bloke (about 25) with four newly renovated houses all furnished on the very cheap. They look the dogs but it's hard to keep something so white and new looking good. Not that they tried.

It didn't help that no cleaning equipment was supplied (buckets, mops, hoover, that kind of thing). He has actually befitted from a microwave, a toaster and a kettle left there (all new at the beginning of the tenancy) and left because there was no room in the car when they moved out. He's charging £45 for 'the removal of personal items left behind'. I hope he doesn't mean the almost new kitchen bits and bobs.

Guest101

pimento wrote: »

Yes, the rent was £1200 a month (for the whole house). I had my doubts when he used a professional inventory company on check in. Last year, the landlord was an ex student's father who had furnished the house with good quality second hand stuff and didn't take a deposit.

This year, the landlord is a young bloke (about 25) with four newly renovated houses all furnished on the very cheap. They look the dogs but it's hard to keep something so white and new looking good. Not that they tried.

It didn't help that no cleaning equipment was supplied (buckets, mops, hoover, that kind of thing). He has actually befitted from a microwave, a toaster and a kettle left there (all new at the beginning of the tenancy) and left because there was no room in the car when they moved out. He's charging £45 for 'the removal of personal items left behind'. I hope he doesn't mean the almost new kitchen bits and bobs.

Blimey! im in the wrong game!!

Yes he probably does, not that he will remove them. But he'll charge you for it.

When did they move out, and have they requested their deposit back from the scheme?

princeofpounds

It didn't help that no cleaning equipment was supplied (buckets, mops, hoover, that kind of thing).

He's their landlord, not their mother. There is absolutely zero requirement to purchase things like this and normally the tenant should.

He has actually befitted from a microwave, a toaster and a kettle left there (all new at the beginning of the tenancy) and left because there was no room in the car when they moved out. He's charging £45 for 'the removal of personal items left behind'. I hope he doesn't mean the almost new kitchen bits and bobs.

The LL is totally entitled to make a reasonable charge for things like this. Just because you think they have value doesn't mean he wants them in his property.

However, he also has a requirement to look after the items for a hort period and offer an opportunity to collect them (google 'bailment'). So if you really want to you can counter-claim for the value of items (but at depreciated value, so probably not worth it unless he takes you to court).