Tenants Moved Out - Now Disagree With Deposit Deductions

steve2005

They did have from the 21st Feb until the 26th Feb to put everything right.
They even attempted to hide the damaged furniture and pretended it never existed - that really peased me off.

Doozergirl

steve2005 wrote: »

OK, not ideal but I appreciate you guys are a lot more experienced at this than I.

We're refreshing all the paintwork in our own house after two years.

We had a tenant leave last year after four years in a house and redecorated with no question of a deposit deduction. It just needed doing, regardless that there were some marks that were not so much wear and tear. I really think fresh paint for new tenants is a must.

steve2005

The walls were fine - they only need painting because their kids have drawn all over them.

NVRAM

I wouldn't see that as maintenance tbh, the usual refreshign of paint every now and again due to aging, fair does. Deliberate damage however?

How many walls/areas needing painting?
And what was your quotes?
Can you reference the original paint used?

steve2005

Problem solved.
Tenants said they were referring the matter for an 'independant review' because they disagreed with (now) everything I was claiming for, even after I agreed to reduce the amount for the wall painting.
I told them I was fine with this, but to make sure they told the independant review officer about all the damage I was prepared to not charge them for. A few hours later they decided to agree with my original comments for the damage claim.

Matter closed. Why they didn't just do this in the first place I don't know.

jaylee3

I'm really not sure why landlords expect the house to not look 'lived in' when a tenant leaves, especially after 3 years! They really should allow for natural wear and tear. I understand that it may be annoying having to spend a bit of money on it, but to be fair, the LL should really have a contingency fund when a tenant leaves.

If a LL doesn't have a few hundred put by for refreshing the place and doing minor repairs when a tenant leaves, then they are in the wrong job. I bet the tenant needs the deposit money much more than the LL in most cases.

I mean, I have known some people who were in private let, get fleeced for several hundreds pounds of their deposit, for 'rubbish removal,' 'tidying the garden,' and 'cleaning,' when the tenant has often left the house - and garden - cleaner and tidier than they found it.

theartfullodger

steve2005 wrote: »

....

Matter closed. Why they didn't just do this in the first place I don't know.

Really?? "I don't know"?? Landlords try things on in the hope of getting ££££, or don't understand the rules. Tenants try things on in the hope of getting ££££, or don't understand the rules. Agents try things on in the hope of getting ££££, or don't understand the rules. You really "don't know"??

Would you not agree that you started out

to have the carpet, oven, walls and furniture put back to their original condition.

- which is unlawful??

steve2005

theartfullodger wrote: »

Would you not agree that you started out - which is unlawful??

The oven was brought brand new for them, only 5 months prior to them moving out, after they broke the original one. They simply refused to acknowlege that it needed to be cleaned.
Carpet installed less than 8 months prior to them moving out, damaged due to sheer negligence.
Walls were damaged due to their kids drawing all over them - this is not wear and tear.

theartfullodger

I take your point but having been a landlord since 2000 I find attempting always to be even handed a more successful approach. 5 or 8 months of use means replacement by new would be "betterment", and, AIUI, unlawful: Or do you have some other legal authority I & others would profit by knowing about, please??

Cheers!

PS Had much worse damage etc that this btw....

steve2005

I wasn't looking for betterment. I wanted the oven cleaned, simple as that. It had a layer of grease you could quite eaily run for your finger through.
Carpet I just wanted to be in the condition an 8 month carpet should be in, ie not with a giant iron burn mark on it.