Moving out of Rental after 8.5 yrs

CLARKR

Hi There,

I wonder if you can help me?

My partner and I have lived in our rented (through Agent) property for 8.5 yrs and we are soon to be buying our first home. We have the inventory from 8.5 yrs ago on our rented property. However. 18 months ago, our landlord sold the property to an investor and the agent didn't come back to take new photos (7 years into our agreement). As you can imagine, during the 8.5yrs, a lot has been changed internally. We asked 4years ago if we could redecorate the 'magnolia' walls to something a little 'homely', so we painted neutral tones. Also, the carpets are completely worn down, what you expect being in a property for that amount of time. My question is, I am concerned that when we move out, they will refer to photos and inventory 8.5yrs ago and they may penalise us. Surely they should have taken photos 18 months ago as the new landlords bought the house 'as is'? I'm just being cautious, but I thought I would put this up as, just in case as generally the tenant always gets stung!
Many thanks in advance!

AdrianC

Your tenancy is your tenancy, and has been in place for 8.5yrs.
The new landlord took that tenancy on - with deposit.
The deposit applies across your entire tenancy - from check-in to check-out. A new check-in 18 months ago would make no difference.


The tenant won't "get stung" for fair wear and tear over 8.5yrs, only for damage in excess of that, and only with proper check-in and check-out evidence. The deposit arbitrators are on your side - it's for the landlord to prove any deposit deductions are justified, not you to prove they're not.


After 8.5yrs, the presumption will be that fair wear and tear means that most things (paint, carpets) will need redoing soon anyway, so even if you are found liable, the remaining life will be minimal.

The most likely cause for an issue is if your redecoration will mean more work for the landlord - say you'd painted the walls black, which would need a lot more than just a refresh coat over tired magnolia. But if they're genuinely a light, neutral tone, there's unlikely to be an issue.

CLARKR

Thanks Adrian, I appreciate your help. We have lived in previous rented accommodation and the agents appear to be extremely picky! Thanks again!

AdrianC

The agents can be as "picky" as they like. The decision on how much deposit to repay is in the hands of the protection scheme arbitrators - by law.