Lodger deposit deduction opinion

Mulder00

As the agreement is for people to live there, after 6 months, your place is going to look like people have lived there. It will never be exactly the same as before.

The bath still sounds usable and so does the chrome handle. Personally, I would just let it go - you have to allow for wear and tear and maybe this was slightly excessive, but the fact that you are asking on here, means that you probably also believes it is borderline.

The only thing that will come from this is losing friends and really, from the sounds of it, it seems like they are pretty decent people if these are your only issues!

Rosemary7391

I'd be particularly concerned about the stains on the bathtub myself. If I was looking to rent a room, I'd be put off by that. What precisely does it say about the LL if they're willing to show viewers around a dirty looking bathroom? And I'd have to live with them! No thanks. Realise this isn't the fault of the OP, but it is likely to come across that way if they wish to relet the room.

Pixie5740

Apparently olive oil mixed with some salt is good at removing henna stains.

hazyjo

They weren't bothered enough about your property when they did it - I don't believe for one sec they didn't know ash had dropped, or henna had stained - so I don't believe they would expect to pay for the damage. If they did, they would have spoken to you and either just apologised or offered to pay something.


If you want to keep them as friends, say nothing. Yes, you will feel niggled.


My friends let a friend stay in their house when they went travelling for nearly a year. They haven't really been that close since as he wasn't as careful with their home as they would have been. They'd decorated, and he'd scuffed walls, had his bike indoors, knocked and dented frames/walls, etc, and just generally didn't really keep it nice, clean or cared for. She was wound up about it for ages (still is!).


Jx

cloo

Sounds far too minor to bother with TBH and not stuff you can really quantify, mostly wear and tear. A bit annoying to have to clean up, but not worth the awkwardness of chasing money for it.

Jhoney_2

Is it a plastic bath? I ask as if they were cleaning (and from your suggestion re the chrome handle issue, I assume they were) with a scourer type sponge, it may have roughened the area where the stain has bedded in. A cotton wool ball soaked in Mr Muscle, Cillit Bang etc should help.

You could get some silver foil stuff that they use on radiator pipes from the usual merchant stores e.g BQ or paint with a silver metallic paint.

If not and you are really unhappy, you could buy/install a new bath and replace handle at the same time.

From the OP, you are obviously (and perhaps rightly?) aggrieved by this, but it can happen again so perhaps having lodgers is not for you.

Hopefully, some of the advice on the thread will help, but I would spend £50max and let it go this time for the friendship or at least to avoid animosity.

Cisco001

Question: How much are you going to charge if you decide to deduct deposit? £100? £150?

Will it worth ruining friendship for £100?

Arthritic_Toe

You are being way too picky. Let it go.

G_M

I assume as you were also living there, you had previousl noticed the bathroom problems, smelt the incence etc. What did they say at the time when you mentioned it?

Wassa123 wrote: »

Yes, the bathroom was previously fine. ??? what, before they moved out? So maybe you henna'd your hair yourself after they'd gone, and forgot?

We asked them to stop using the incense, mainly because the smell is very strong and makes the whole house stink!
So they used incence, you asked them to stop, and they complied.
Did you also mention the ash marks? Had you been in their room and seen them? What did you/they say about this at the time?

I'm afraid this is always the added risk when letting to friends/family (whether as tenants or lodgers). The 'business' aspects of the arrangement get tied up with the 'relationship' aspects.

The only way to protect against this is to have very clear house rules from the start so that your friends/family exactly know what they can/can't do while living with you, and what you expect in terms of things like financial contributions for shared costs, and maintenance/cleaning of your home.

You could now

* just let it go, and be more wary if letting a room in future
* diplomatically raise one or more of the issues, and ask what they think might be a good way to clean/repair - then see how they respond
* diplomatically raise one or more of the issues, and ask what they think might be a fair financial contribution - then see how they respond
* demand £X from their deposit and risk losing them as friends.

Wassa123

The bath was pristine before they moved in, we don't use that bathroom as we have our own.

They were a bit shocked that the incense smell wasn't to our liking and were a bit apologetic about the ash marks at the time when I mentioned it. But as I say it's mostly gone so not too bothered about that now.

We're trying to remove the bath stains, looking up all the old wives tales and bits and pieces online and trying one thing after the next.