Inventory clerk impartiality?

owicz

Hello all,

Have you ever heard of an inventory clerk, hired by the estate agents to do the check-out, being MARRIED to the letting manager at the agency?

This is what i've discovered through very minor sleuthing.

The inventory actually stated that our property was in very good condition and was professionally cleaned, noting only that "some cobwebs remain". They are now trying to charge us for the place to be cleaned all over again.

They haven't provided photo evidence or specified where these cobwebs were. We are ready to challenge, small claims etc.

But I wondered whether we could also question the impartiality of the inventory process, because I would argue it's a conflict of interest if the guy is married to the estate agents.

Many thanks for any advice.

DTDfanBoy

Quite often the check out is conducted by the agents themselves, so I don't see why the checkout being conducted by the agency managers wife creates any sort of conflict of interest.

casper_g

The accuracy of the inventory is assured by its being agreed and signed by both the tenant and the landlord or agent. It shouldn't matter who wrote it.

Presumably you were happy with the content of the inventory when/if you signed it? If the inventory "stated that our property was in very good condition and was professionally cleaned" then this is the reason you shouldn't have to pay for a further full clean. If anything, the fact that the agent's husband thought it was "professionally cleaned" feels like it slightly supports your case.

fairy_lights

I don't see what grounds they have to try and deduct from your deposit, if the check out inventory has already confirmed that the flat was in good condition and had been cleaned. Have you been given a copy of this report?

owicz

Thanks - makes good sense...

I guess I wondered because the inventory clerk is a company contracted out by the agents, and I thought these were meant to be impartial. (In my paranoid moments I further wondered whether adding a caveat like "there were some cobwebs" gives them an opportunity to try to charge us for another round of cleaning)

But from what you say, I suppose that's immaterial.

We haven't yet signed the inventory as we are waiting to hear whether the landlord wants to charge us for missing items etc, there are naturally one or two since we were there 4 years.

owicz

fairy_lights wrote: »

I don't see what grounds they have to try and deduct from your deposit, if the check out inventory has already confirmed that the flat was in good condition and had been cleaned. Have you been given a copy of this report?

Exactly.

The wording of the inventory, verbatim, was "Property had a professional clean before checkout - however cobwebs are present in various places."


The agents next email said:

"We would need urgent action taken, although you have professionally cleaned property there are parts of the property which was missed.

Therefore we would need you to send your cleaner back today or we would have to send someone and have you charged."

Our reply:

if there are areas that you think have been missed please send over what they are with evidence of that.

We wait to hear...

stator

Do not admit to anything, do not offer to pay them anything. Keep a copy of the report. Ask for your deposit back in writing. If they try and make deductions appeal to the deposit protection scheme, sending a copy of the check out report.

AdrianC

Sneaky little !!!!!!s, spiders. As soon as your back's turned, they build cobwebs everywhere. But if the inventory noted them at the time, it's the work of seconds to remove them.

harrys_dad

The only person who needs to worry about the relationship between the LA and the inventory company is the landlord who is paying the fees and the commission. I doubt they are getting value for money.