how much can I charge a tenant for a chipped bathtub

Lexie_M

my tenants have just moved out and we discovered a small chip in the bathtub during the inventory. they say it was there before but it wasn't caught in the check in inventory. I'd like to charge for repairing it but not sure how much I can charge? It's an easy DIY job to fix it.

If the check-in inventory does not mention the condition of the bath and they dispute the charge will an adjudicator decide in their favour?

stevenjhepburn

Charge the amount that you will be out of pocket. I'd suggest the materials cost for your DIY repair.

quidsy

whatever it costs you to fix it. i.e. materials. Or are you looking to make a profit?

Tyler_Du

Lexie_M wrote: »

my tenants have just moved out and we discovered a small chip in the bathtub during the inventory. they say it was there before but it wasn't caught in the check in inventory. I'd like to charge for repairing it but not sure how much I can charge? It's an easy DIY job to fix it.

If it wasn't covered by the inventory I don't see how you can charge for the repair. If I was the tenant I would not be happy if you tried to charge me for it. For the record I'm a landlord also

00ec25

Tyler_Durden_UK wrote: »

If it wasn't covered by the inventory I don't see how you can charge for the repair. If I was the tenant I would not be happy if you tried to charge me for it. For the record I'm a landlord also

let us assume he meant the check in inventory did not list any damage and therefore it is assumed the bath was in perfect health

of course if the check in inventory does not refer to the condition of items then the tenant has good grounds for disputing a charge as the LL cannot show the conditon at check in o tprove it is now damaged

quidsy

if not mentioned in the check in inventory then yes, if the tenants didn't raise it once it was noticed, then they should pay for repair, but the LL shouldn't inflate the cost of repair.

spacey2012

You can not assume anything, if the inventory makes no mention of the condition of the bath, then the condition of it on handover is irrelevant.
I suggest you produce a more detailed inventory in future.
What you say is worth nothing is it is not on the inventory, it is not covered :
Example : Inventory : Room : bathroom, fixtures Toilet roll holder, sink, bath with taps, pull cord light, laminate flooring.
Noticeable defects, small wear on flooring, all other fixtures are in good order, free of any damage.

richardw

Chips at the shop are £1.50 standard or £2 large.

Reue

Lexie_M wrote: »

I'd like to charge for repairing it but not sure how much I can charge?

You can charge what it costs you to repair.

pinkshoes

Lexie_M wrote: »

my tenants have just moved out and we discovered a small chip in the bathtub during the inventory. they say it was there before but it wasn't caught in the check in inventory. I'd like to charge for repairing it but not sure how much I can charge? It's an easy DIY job to fix it.

What did the check-in inventory actually say about the state of the bath?

If it said it was in perfect condition, and there is now a chip in it, you can charge them for a repair. It was up to the tenants to spot this before signing the inventory. (They did sign it, didn't they???)

If it doesn't mention the state of the bath, then you can't charge them.

A repair kit is around £15 to £20, and would take you about 10 minutes to fix, so £30 is a fair charge.