Dirty Rental

Lulu0110

I moved into a rental which is just filthy. Who is responsible for this? I thought that part of the deposit was held back from the previous tenant and used to clean it?

Lulu0110

The Landlord lives in Tasmania but the person who deals with stuff lives nearby. Due to other circumstances my husband viewed it. The inventory company sent the document after we moved in. The rent is 1675pm and having left the house I sold spotless, down to scrubbing the plugholes and scouring the fitted dishwasher etc we had a week before we could move in only to find the dishwasher filter full of rotting food and all the bathrooms with long term filth. The inventory states we must not leave in in a worse condition than I found it but I would be hard pressed to achieve that level of filth.

pmlindyloo

So did you take photographs of the state of the bathrooms etc when you moved in? Did you amend the inventory to reflect the 'problems? Did you speak to the letting agent when you moved in and ask for it to be cleaned?

If you did none of these and have already cleaned up then there is not much you can do now.

Adly812

Personally I wouldn't be able to function in the state, so I'd crack on and clean it to my standards. But I'd take pictures of everything. And then get in touch with the agents/landlord and complain

Carrot007

Yuck! Sounds horrible. Document the state with photos and complain.

Reminds me of my move two years ago. House I sold was cleaned to immpecible standards on for us to arrive at the house we bought and have to start all over again. Still it could be worse, one of the houses I did not buy was because it seemed the people who bought it two years ago had not seemed to clean since they moved in and wanted an extra 10K for the priviledge! The agents unfortunatly agreed after we told them but what can you do!

00ec25

Lulu0110 wrote: »

I moved into a rental which is just filthy. Who is responsible for this?

no one
when a tenant moves out it is their responsibility to return the property in no worse a condition than it was in when they first moved in.
without knowing that condition you cannot attribute blame to either the LL or the previous tenant

Lulu0110 wrote: »

I thought that part of the deposit was held back from the previous tenant and used to clean it?

no, if the property is in a worse condition on check out than it was on check in the LL can claim monetary compensation from the outgoing tenant's deposit, but there is no legal duty to spend that compensation on cleaning the property. the LL could choose to leave it in a state, pocket the money, and let you move in on the basis that you received it in a state so can return it in the same state when you move out

what is legal and what is just decent behaviour are two entirely different things. Only if you have contractual assurances from the LL prior to check in that the property would be "clean" (how did you define that standard in writing?) would you have a basis to claim that what you got was not what you paid for

Lulu0110

The inventory was 34 pages of descriptions of various types of mess, dirt and stains. I did not get this until after I had the keys and what with moving in plus a family funeral and the death of our beloved 16 year old dog I only started to clean the other bathrooms today. My son is a student and money is often deducted for cleaning even when they have cleaned. My point I suppose is why am i responsible for cleaning year on year of filth when money is deducted when a place is unclean. I do not have OCD but this isn't light dirt its long term unclean and as I didn't do it why am I the one responsible for raking it out?

mrginge

Lulu0110 wrote: »

The inventory was 34 pages of descriptions of various types of mess, dirt and stains. I did not get this until after I had the keys and what with moving in plus a family funeral and the death of our beloved 16 year old dog I only started to clean the other bathrooms today. My son is a student and money is often deducted for cleaning even when they have cleaned. My point I suppose is why am i responsible for cleaning year on year of filth when money is deducted when a place is unclean. I do not have OCD but this isn't light dirt its long term unclean and as I didn't do it why am I the one responsible for raking it out?

Your husband viewed it. Blame him.

Lulu0110

My husband didn't make the mess. He would be unaware of such things but he flourishes in cleaner environments that I create.

G_M

* the contract between the previous tenant and the landlord is none of your concern. What matters is your contract with the LL

* Provided
a) the inventory is accurate, and
b) describes the state of the property when you moved in, and
c) the tenancy agreement does not inaccurately make statements about the property having been professionally cleaned at the start of the tenancy (or similar)

then there is nothing you can do legally.

* you can of course request the LL pay for cleaning (unless you've already cleaned it!)

* for your own protection when you leave, take photos of the condition before you clean

the person who deals with stuff lives nearby.

Does this person collect the rent? Or do you pay rent directly into the (overseas) landlord's account?

If the latter, read this:

HMRC (Non Resident [= overseas] Landlord Scheme)

aneary

The last place I lived in was dirty when I moved in I'm actually annoyed with myself that I can't leave it in the state it was.

My new place was cleaned twice by cleaning companies as the LL wasn't happy with the first clean therefore I will leave this place spotlessly clean.