What do you do to the rented property when you leave?

jadex91

We are moving out of our rented property Tuesday, as our landlord has sold it. So he won't be moving in neither will new tenants. I have ONLY just received a letter saying to get professional oven cleaners and carpet cleaners in etc, make sure all the windows are washed,all grass is cut etc. am I wrong or is this maybe a little bit too much! Why should we wash the windows, they were dirty on the outside before we even moved in! Why should we pay for professional carpet and oven cleaners, can't we just do it ourselves?

Is it really difficult to get your deposit back?

Thanks

pmlindyloo

The basic principle is that you leave the property in the same condition as when you started your tenancy save wear and tear.

In the event of any dispute you would use the dispute process of your deposit protection scheme.

These disputes rely mostly on the inventory that was done at the beginning of the tenancy unless there were photos showing obvious trashing of the property.

So if the inventory says the oven was clean, the windows are clean etc etc then you would need to leave them clean!

Cleanliness if in the eye of the beholder so this is often the basis of disputes.

Many people prefer to get cleaners in as it saves the hassle of doing it yourself and you can show the invoice to your LL/LA but there is no legal requirement to do this.

It is sensible to get photos of everything just before you leave the property. These would help in the case of a dispute.

stator

Check your tenancy agreement. If it requires you to do so then the landlord may claim against your deposit if you don't. He would still have to show that he suffered some kind of loss, so if you don't clean the oven properly he might pay someone to do it and deduct from your deposit. So if you clean the oven to a professional standard yourself I don't think he has any grounds to complain it wasn't done by professionals. If it's not in your tenancy then you don't have to get any professionals in, you can just make sure it's all in good clean condition yourself.

If you can find your check in report have a look and see if anything in the house is in a worse condition that wouldn't be considered fair wear and tear. If you've left loads of marks on a wall you might just repaint it yourself to save a more expensive deduction.

When you move out take loads of photos, everything you can think of. If the landlord tries to deduct from your deposit you can appeal and send in your evidence.

If he asks what cleaning professionals you've used, just refuse to answer, don't tell him anything. Don't tell him you did it yourself. Just wait until the list of deductions arrived and then dispute it

SerialRenter

Personally, i treat the inventory as a check list of what needs doing before i leave. Any photo's that you or the person who did your check in took are also handy.

Try to at a minimum match the condition the inventory and photos show. Although if easy, you can always do a little more to avoid any nitpicking by the landlord or their agent.

Once you're done, make sure you have photo's covering the same angles as the inventory photos, should you require them as evidence if a dispute gets to arbitration.

I also like to ask my landlord to visit before the check out, but after the clean, to ask them if i've missed anything and its up to standards. As once you've checked out most landlords won't let you back in to rectify anything.

hells_bells

Im not doing anything when I leave my place. It was a dump when I moved in.

19lottie82

stator wrote: »

Check your tenancy agreement. If it requires you to do so then the landlord may claim against your deposit if you don't.

This doesn't matter. The LL can't tell the OP that she must get the oven professionally cleaned.

As long as the property is in the same condition as when the OP moved in (as displayed in a dual signed inventory), that's all that matters, it doesn't matter if it's done professionally or if the OP does it herself.

marleyboy

We move into our own home in a few weeks, leaving this rented property behind. With a Month notice to the landlord, we have a transition period of about 2 weeks.

Once this property is empty, I will be returning to clean the house, the gardens have already been done, along with the guttering a few Months ago.

Aside from this, there are a few things we should have asked the LL to sort out, plastering on the stair hall was crumbled when we moved in, as was two plug sockets in one of the bedrooms were hanging off the wall. I have repaired the sockets but am not replastering the wall.

Our upgrades to the house include a 9ft metal shed and re-lagging the loft.

We suspect the deposit will not be returned due to the plastering, so am not breaking my back over the house, just a spring clean of the empty property in preparation for the next tenant. It will be left the same way it was when we moved in aside from the upgrades we have done over the course of our tenancy.

The LL is happy with the house and has mentioned we have been excellent tenants over the period, yet I suspect the deposit return is in the hands of the LA, who will go round the house with a microscope in order of withholding the deposit. This wont stop us applying for it, but we are not holding our breath in getting it.

Gonzo1987

Jadex91 wrote: »

We are moving out of our rented property Tuesday, as our landlord has sold it. So he won't be moving in neither will new tenants. I have ONLY just received a letter saying to get professional oven cleaners and carpet cleaners in etc, make sure all the windows are washed,all grass is cut etc. am I wrong or is this maybe a little bit too much! Why should we wash the windows, they were dirty on the outside before we even moved in! Why should we pay for professional carpet and oven cleaners, can't we just do it ourselves?

Is it really difficult to get your deposit back?

Thanks

You might find at the property has been sold it will be fairly easy to get your deposit back as there isn't any new tenants going in, and the property won't belong to the landlord much longer.

dimbo61

Belt and Braces on this.
Clean the oven and take lots of dated photos to show how clean it was when you moved out.
Read the meters and take photos! Contact the utility companies with meter readings and new address.
Contact the council tax people and give the day you are moving out and new address or you will still be liable for council tax.
Clean the whole property from top to bottom and take PHOTOS.
Dispute any and all deductions and take it to the DPS.
Claim all your deposit back the day you leave.