Lodger deposit dilemma - what counts as damage? Chalk up to experience?

G_M

blueskyrooftop wrote: »

I have also arranged to have the carpets cleaned professionally tomorrow morning at 8am and have told him that I will be fixing the walls myself.

It is much harder to justify a deposit deduction for your own time. Using a contractor gives you paperwork you can (if necessary) produce in court to justify the amount, as well as indicating to a court the need for the job.

For the same reason, having the carpets cleaned professionally is preferable to hiring a Rugdoctor (or similar) and DIYing.

moneyistooshorttomention

G_M wrote: »

It is much harder to justify a deposit deduction for your own time. Using a contractor gives you paperwork you can (if necessary) produce in court to justify the amount, as well as indicating to a court the need for the job.

For the same reason, having the carpets cleaned professionally is preferable to hiring a Rugdoctor (or similar) and DIYing.

Quite:T

Arguments could go on for a month of Sundays as to what rate it was fair to charge for one's own time and some might even dispute the whole idea of charging at all for one's time. Obviously someone would charge at least minimum wage for their time (so £7.20 per hour) - but then someone else might be well-paid enough to figure they could spend a couple of hours of their time working professionally at a much more profitable rate of pay and would want "opportunity cost" factored in.

For instance - these days - I would want at least £20 per hour before I considered giving up my time to work against my will (though I was low-paid before retirement). Don't have to/don't want to = so that's what you pay if you want my time when I don't want to give it to quote one example.

I wouldnt agree with putting right the walls personally myself - ie as that will be using OP's time for damage that shouldnt have happened in the first place. But then - in my own case - there would be no option but to pay a handyman to do it (ie as I'm not able to do jobs like that myself courtesy of total lack of skill at that sort of thing). In OP's position - I'd be charging for a handyman's time to do that (ie rather than using my own time).