End of tenancy cleaner took my posessions

92203

Good evening,
My girlfriend and I have just ended our tenancy for a furnished flat as I am moving to somewhere with a bit more space and is unfurnished meaning that we have been able to take our own furniture out of storage.

One of the stipulations on my rental contract was that I have to have the flat professionally cleaned when I move out.

The letting agent recommended a local company, who I commissioned to do the cleaning which was completed on Tuesday. The company stipulated that all of my posessions and goods should be moved out prior to the cleaning taking place.

I successfully removed all posessions from the flat, though stupidly had left some expensive model railway items (mint in box - value >£200) in one of the drawers and only realised that this was missing yesterday evening.

I spoke to my landlord who visited the property and confirmed that the item was no longer there.

I then spoke to the cleaning firm who said that they hadn't seen it, though the their employee may have mistaken it for rubbish and thrown it away. I asked if they could confirm whether this was the case, as if so, I would search through the bins store at the property to retrieve it!

Around 30 minutes later I got a phone call saying that their employee had it in their posession and that I could go around to their house and collect it from them.

While I am glad to have the item back,I feel aggreived for several reasons

1) I was handed the item back in a carrier bag, still in it's box. The box has been ripped open and damaged, and the instruction manuals scrunched up. Thankfully the model it's self is still in good condition, though the damaged packaging will reduce it's value

2) Why, when employed by me to act in my interests , did they not contact me to advise that they'd found something which was clearly of high value, or at the very least hand it in to the concierge at the block of flats

To add insult to injury, despite charging over £200, they have not cleaned the flat to a sufficiently high standard, which has displeased my landlord.

Where do I stand with regard to this? I don't feel that I can let this go, though have no idea what do do.

Teapot55

Have you have paid the cleaning company in full yet?

elsien

When you say it's clearly of high value, maybe that's the case if you are familiar with the items, but not otherwise. Hence the not handing it in or treating it carefully.

marksoton

92203 wrote: »

Good evening,
My girlfriend and I have just ended our tenancy for a furnished flat as I am moving to somewhere with a bit more space and is unfurnished meaning that we have been able to take our own furniture out of storage.

One of the stipulations on my rental contract was that I have to have the flat professionally cleaned when I move out.
Unenforceable
The letting agent recommended a local company, who I commissioned to do the cleaning which was completed on Tuesday. The company stipulated that all of my posessions and goods should be moved out prior to the cleaning taking place.

I successfully removed all posessions from the flat, though stupidly had left some expensive model railway items (mint in box - value >£200) in one of the drawers and only realised that this was missing yesterday evening.
So not so successfully then..
I spoke to my landlord who visited the property and confirmed that the item was no longer there.
Right..
I then spoke to the cleaning firm who said that they hadn't seen it, though the their employee may have mistaken it for rubbish and thrown it away. I asked if they could confirm whether this was the case, as if so, I would search through the bins store at the property to retrieve it!
Really?
Around 30 minutes later I got a phone call saying that their employee had it in their posession and that I could go around to their house and collect it from them.

While I am glad to have the item back,I feel aggreived for several reasons

1) I was handed the item back in a carrier bag, still in it's box. The box has been ripped open and damaged, and the instruction manuals scrunched up. Thankfully the model it's self is still in good condition, though the damaged packaging will reduce it's value
It's not really of great value is it...
2) Why, when employed by me to act in my interests , did they not contact me to advise that they'd found something which was clearly of high value, or at the very least hand it in to the concierge at the block of flats
Bad form from them...
To add insult to injury, despite charging over £200, they have not cleaned the flat to a sufficiently high standard, which has displeased my landlord.
Why did you not check their work?
Where do I stand with regard to this? I don't feel that I can let this go, though have no idea what do do.
If it were me i really would...

Exactly what do you wish to achieve?

92203

Teapot55 wrote: »

Have you have paid the cleaning company in full yet?

No, I've not paid them at all yet

elsien wrote: »

When you say it's clearly of high value, maybe that's the case if you are familiar with the items, but not otherwise. Hence the not handing it in or treating it carefully.

That's a good point, though had I been in their position I would have at least confirmed with my customer whether or not they wanted to keep the item.

Guest101

92203 wrote: »

No, I've not paid them at all yet



That's a good point, though had I been in their position I would have at least confirmed with my customer whether or not they wanted to keep the item.

They did, by contract.

Not that professional clean clauses are valid....

92203

marksoton wrote: »

Exactly what do you wish to achieve?

I have absolutely no idea.

I think my landlord is going to screw me for some of my deposit regarding the lacklustre cleaning.

With previous tenancies we have not had the professional cleaning condition imposed upon us. Ironically, despite having used a professional cleaner, this willl be the first flat for which we've not received our full deposit back.

Pixie5740

You didn't (legally) have it imposed upon you. "Professional cleaning" is an unenforceable clause. Who regulates these professional cleaners? Which professional body must the cleaners be members of?

You just need to leave the property in the same condition as it was in at the start of your tenancy. It does not matter one jot whether you pay someone to do this or apply your own elbow grease.

If the landlord can prove the property was left less clean that it was when you moved in then yes he can claim a deduction. You might then have a claim against the cleaning company for not supplying the service you paid for.

dimbo61

OMG you and only you forgot to pack your valuable toy train set when you moved out.
When you checked with the cleaning company you hired if they had found it they said yes and returned it to you.
The box was ripped, Lucky you as you got it back.
Now the bullocks the Landlord and Letting agents have come up with !
Did you inspect the cleaning after the work was done ?
Why not clean the property yourself ?
Landlord wants to keep some or all of the deposit.
Go through the deposit arbitration scheme and the Landlord has to prove the condition of the property before and after you lived there.
Pay the cleaning company and say Thank You for returning my toy train

moneyistooshorttomention

- Get proof of value of train before and after the damage to the packaging

- Take photos of damaged packing

- Send the cleaning firm copies of these valuations and the photos of damage and deduct the loss in value from the amount you pay the cleaning firm

- Personally I'd employ myself to go back and finish the cleaning aspect of the job off properly (though I'd probably mention that I'd done so in letter to cleaning firm and explain that they had had my labour for free to finish their cleaning job for them). I'd probably let the cleaning firm off reimbursing me for my time spent doing their cleaning.

But I certainly wouldnt let them off reimbursing me for loss of value on my train. After all - they would have caused me financial loss by their cleaner attempting to steal my train (let's call a spade a spade - she didnt "take". She "stole").

I would regard myself as morally obliged to do this - in order to put pressure on them to sack this thief.

(NB: Better not actually call the woman a thief in the letter to the cleaning company. She is probably lying and saying she thought it was rubbish and intended to throw it out later - even though she would have thrown it out at the time if she'd really thought it was rubbish).

-taff

92203 wrote: »

The company stipulated that all of my posessions and goods should be moved out prior to the cleaning taking place.

You employed this company or better or worse, and you didn't remove all your possessions. You were lucky you got it back. I doubt you have any claim about this at all.

Their lacklustre cleaning has no bearing on you leaving your possessions there.