Renting - quarterly property inspections

Modgepodge

I rent a property through a large letting agent. They carry out inspections every 3 months, which I have no issue with. I do however, have issues with the feedback we are given. As far as I'm concerned, inspections should by to make sure we are not ruining carpets, allowing mould to build up, or otherwise causing permanent damage to the house, am I right?

Complaints we have had include:

Bathroom light bulb needs changing (fair enough, but it only blew 2 days before the inspection)
The skirting boards are dusty
The kitchen sink needs cleaning
The oven needs cleaning (professionally cleaned 3 months ago, cleaned monthly by me, not perfect but not disgusting)
The surfaces need wiping
Outside porch area has cobwebs

They also comment on issues which were noted as being there on the inventory when we moved in.

As far as I'm concerned, these are all minor cleaning issues, and are none of their business. I pay them almost £1000 per month to live in the house, and if I want to live in a slightly less than perfectly clean house, that should be my choice. The house will be fully cleaned before we move out. The above make it sound like the house is a state; it's honestly not and I'd be perfectly happy to have visitors over etc. those issues were not all in one inspection.

Now, I wouldn't mind if all they did was note these issues, but often it means they do a "follow up" visit a month later. Meaning I have to obsessively clean areas all over again to keep them happy. It's causing me unnecessary stress.

Are they within their rights to do and say this? Am about to email about a particular issue (which IS an issue and I've already spoken to the landlord about it) and want to tell them what I think of their inspections but want to know where I stand legally.

Any help much appreciated. Thanks

dgtazzman

Legally, you could just refuse them access to the property for inspections (quiet enjoyment). Whether this is a smart thing to do is another matter as it might prompt eviction or make the LL/LA uncooperative on repairs etc. I believe a LL only has the legal right to enter the property without permission in case of an emergency and I would hardly class inspections as emergencies.

I think an inspection every 3 months is a little too frequent anyway, I would be tempted to come to an agreement for a 6 monthly inspection and remind them only material damage to the property etc. is relevant for these inspections so the LL can arrange appropriate maintenance to the building, the state of cleanliness only becomes relevant when you move out eventually and till then is basically none of their business.

G_M or consorts will probably have some more insightful information for you later on...

G_M

Grief! Reply:

Dear [STRIKE]mum[/STRIKE],Mr agent,

thank you for taking the time to visit on xx/xx/13. Please see my comments below:

Bathroom light bulb needs changing (fair enough, but it only blew 2 days before the inspection)I enjoy bathing in the dark. I will replace the bulb when the tenancy ends.
The skirting boards are dusty I will leave the skirting boards at the end of the tenancy in the condition they were in at the start. Meanwhile, the dust is doing no damage to the landlord's property.
The kitchen sink needs cleaning I will leave the sink at the end of the tenancy in the condition it was in at the start. Please note it is not a health hazard.
The oven needs cleaning (professionally cleaned 3 months ago, cleaned monthly by me, not perfect but not disgusting) I will leave the oven at the end of the tenancy in the condition it was in at the start. Please note it is not a health hazard.
The surfaces need wiping I don't enjoy wiping, however please note I will leave the surfaces at the end of the tenancy in the condition they were in at the start.
Outside porch area has cobwebs The spiders stop mosquetos getting into the house. I will remove the cobwebs at the end of the tenancy.

Please also note the following points:
* there is a slipped/missing/broken roof tile at the front/rear: please replace it to avoid damp getting in
* the boiler is making a funny noise and needs a service (not safety check). Please attend#
* etc
*etc

Finally, I propose there is no requirement for quarterly inspections since the tenancy is running smoothly. I suggest you write to me in 6months, proposing a date for the next inspection, and I will let you know if the date/time proposed is convenient.

In the meantime, if any issues arise in the property that require attention, I will, of course, let you know in writing.

Yours

A Tenant

clark24

I think the letting agent needs to get a grip, a life and a reality check!

Those issues would only be pertinent if you had ended your tenancy and moved out, and therefore would be used to make deductions. They are so minor during a tenancy it is laughable, hell did they also check if you had hoovered under your sofas and that your towels were folded neatly? I hope they are not charging your LL extra for these OCD inspections............

Modgepodge

Ok, so it's not me being a filthy pig, they really are being ridiculous! Good to hear!

We have been living here over 2 years and this has happened every 3 months, maybe 3 times they've reinspected a month later. Every other time, minor issues have been noted.

I'm not sure what the point of it all is. I will obviously clean the house before I leave. I have no idea why they want it to look like a show home the whole time. Someone has suggested, they are building evidence against us, so if there's a dispute when we move out over our deposit, they can say "well look at all these times we inspected and the house was a mess". Is this likely do you think?

Whilst I would LOVE to send a letter like he one above, I don't want to rock the boat too much. It's likely we'll leave next summer, but our tenancy is renewed in February. It would be a real hassle if they refused to renew and we had to move out for just 6 months.

Modgepodge

Also: mould on the bathroom ceiling. Who's responsibility is this? This was also mentioned in the letter this time, I didn't mention it earlier cos I agree it is an issue and needs dealing with. There was some rather patronising advice about airing the room after use in order to prevent it - funnily enough we do leave the window open (for hours!) and extractor fan on (again for an hour or so) after showering but it's still building up. I have cleaned it off numerous times but the paint also comes off. I had already emailed the landlord about this the week before the inspection (landlord and agency are separate and I don't think they talk!), offering to repaint or allow handymen in to do it, but no reply as yet.

caeler

I imagine the EA is charging your landlord a healthy fee for conducting these inspections. Perhaps you could write to your landlord and ask for them to be less frequent as you feel they are patronising and really unnecessary, giving your assurances that you will of course leave the property in the condition you found it in if and when you leave.

BitterAndTwisted

They can't "refuse" to renew. Only the tenant or a court can end a tenancy. If you don't renew in February and your landlord was determined to get you out legally it could take up to six months to achieve that. Your house-keeping is nether here nor there: it's how you leave the property at the end of your tenancy which matters where deductions are concerned.

This is assuming that there was a dual-signed inventory at the start of your tenancy. Was there?

dimbo61

Think the agent is charging the LL for all the inspections every 3 months and tell them to take a hike over follow up inspections.
Have a list ready for every minor thing you can think off next time.
Drive is covered in snow, moss, wet leaves can you send someone round to clean !
Living room is not big enough, bedroom gets too hot at night, you think the neighbours are lowering the tone of the neighbourhood!
When will the agents attend to the problems you are having

tom9980

I have the same issue with bathroom mould it is a real pain. Long term the solution is a dehumidifier. However i really recommend this stuff http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000TAUAS8/ it literally eats mould after a few hours. normally i use it around the bath grouting tried it on the ceiling the other day and its all gone there too.

BitterAndTwisted

Modgepodge wrote: »

Also: mould on the bathroom ceiling. Who's responsibility is this?

It's yours unless there is penetrating damp coming in caused by leaking guttering or downpipes.

Mould is caused by condensation, and that's coming from the vapour generated during bathing. You get rid of vapour by heating and ventilating adequately with the bathroom door firmly closed to prevent it circulating around the property. Even if you are doing both you could suffer a deduction from your deposit if you don't get this sorted one way or another at exit.