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Renting: Paying for light bulbs?

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I have handed my keys into the agents and had final inspection on our lease end date Few light bulbs are fused and agent advised me and my flatmate they will deduct cost of replacing those from deposit (i think)...well they're asking us to pay for them anyway.

Contract makes no mention of this. I understand its our responsibility to change the bulbs but can they take money from us to replace fused bulbs themselves?
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Comments

  • Werdnal
    Werdnal Posts: 3,780 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    You are required to leave the property in equal condition to the when you moved in, less fair wear and tear. If all the rooms had working light bulbs when you moved in, you should replace them when you leave. If you haven't done so, the agent/LL can charge you for buying them, and maybe even extra for employing someone to visit the property and fit them! Easiest thing would have been for you to have bought some £ shop cheapies before you moved out.
  • Innys1
    Innys1 Posts: 3,434 Forumite
    clkaz wrote: »
    I have handed my keys into the agents and had final inspection on our lease end date Few light bulbs are fused and agent advised me and my flatmate they will deduct cost of replacing those from deposit (i think)...well they're asking us to pay for them anyway.

    Contract makes no mention of this. I understand its our responsibility to change the bulbs but can they take money from us to replace fused bulbs themselves?

    Were the bulbs all working when you moved in? I assume they were.

    If so, why should the landlord have to pay to replace those that have blown when you were occupying the place?

    Put it another way - if you had moved in and some of the bulbs had fused, would you be annoyed at having to put your hand in your pocket?
  • ognum
    ognum Posts: 4,879 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 20 September 2013 at 2:27PM
    This is such an unnecessary question! Why as a tanant would you not leave the house with working light bulbs?

    Why as an intelligent medical student would you not do this?
  • A smart LL will make sure that all the bulbs are working at the start of the temamcy and will record this in the inventory. What does yours say?
  • Werdnal
    Werdnal Posts: 3,780 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    ognum wrote: »
    This is such an unnecessary question! Why as a tanant would you not leave the house with working light bulbs?

    Why as an intelligent medical student would you not do this?


    Surprised they didn't ring the LL and ask them to come 'round and change them when they originally blew ... wouldn't be the first time!
  • The few places I rented, I paid for the bulbs which blew over my tenancy. I could not use the bathroom without a light in the middle of winter!
  • Shelldean
    Shelldean Posts: 2,419 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    ognum wrote: »
    This is such an unnecessary question! Why as a tanant would you not leave the house with working light bulbs?

    Why as an intelligent medical student would you not do this?


    Possibly for the same reason the previous tenant of our HA property took every single bulb with them when they left?

    I have no idea either!!!!
  • Reue
    Reue Posts: 569 Forumite
    Werdnal wrote: »
    Surprised they didn't ring the LL and ask them to come 'round and change them when they originally blew ... wouldn't be the first time!

    I've recently done this for my place. The bathroom light is some fluorescent light tube fitted into the ceiling and wired to the extractor fan with no obvious way of isolation.

    I wasnt prepared to attempt to access it :P
  • ognum
    ognum Posts: 4,879 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    The last property I bought had no lightbulbs in when I took possession, all taken by the drug addict owner and he didn't have a house to go to. I guess he may have had saver bulbs in worth a fiver a pop!
  • arbrighton
    arbrighton Posts: 2,011 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    No light bulbs in the house we rented, which was newly refurbed. However we left the ones we out in. And the curtain rails
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