Tenant broken bed - how much to charge

[Deleted User]

LMS94 wrote: »

Considering you cannot make your mind up, I'd take them up on the £100 offer.

Been considering a few options

Davesnave

Divan base £150.


It's the mattress that really matters.


She might just be clueless, rather than disrespectful. After all, she is paying for other damage.

Rosemary7391

I bought my bed secondhand 4 years ago and it's still fine - mattress has seen better days but I would've thought the base would last pretty much indefinitely unless misused ! Mine is an old wood frame though, no drawers, maybe that wouldn't last as long.

ACG

How much would you expect for the base? If it was £370 for the mattress and base I would say £100 seems fair personally. You would probably not have got massively more than that, you do not need to deal with buyers wasting your time and so on.

If she is moving out, I would take the £100 and tell her to keep the mattress if your friend wants it.

Bossypants

You were never going to get more than £100 for a 2 year used bed set which was less than £400 to start with. I'd take the £100 and be grateful, in your position.

Comms69

Deleted_User wrote: »

Hi everyone - hopefully you can help me this morning

I recently let a room to my friend - the room had just been decorated (new carpets, painted and blinds) and all furniture was new.

She didn't pay a deposit, but agreed that she would pay for any issues when she left. Currently she is having to pay to replace the carpet, as she burnt it and fix the blinds as she has broken them (from improper use not wear and tear!)

However the issue is that she has broken the divan bed frame and is refusing to pay for this. It is a 4 draw divan, and the frame has snapped above one of the drawers. She claims that it is reasonable for a bed to last 2 years, I was planning on selling this when she moved out - and she has instead offered me £100 for the bed & mattress.

Considering it was £370 new (Silent night mattress & 4 draw divan, grey) but it is now 2 years what would be a reasonable cost to charge her for this damage. Is she expected to replace the bed completely or is there a percentage reduction based on the years that is been in use? I suspect it could even be fixed and have suggested that she could try this or have the bed/mattress for £150


Thanks

£100 for a 2 year old bed and mattress is very reasonable. There is very little resale value in it so I think you wont get more than that on the open market.


But as a percentage, I would estimate a good quality bed to last 5-8 years, so in terms of loss, you are probably owed around 60% of the value from new at most. However that's just for the base unit, the mattress is separate

Comms69

Davesnave wrote: »

Sorry, it doesn't work like that. She either wasn't a tenant, just a lodger, or it seems you broke rules if you think were a landlord with a tenant.


Be grateful for her current offer, because she probably owes you nothing at all.

Uhm you're wrong, I just cant work out which reason to give you.


I'll put it this way, whether a tenant or a lodger, a deposit is not mandatory. She is still liable for damage.

FreeBear

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

Who buys second hand mattresses? Do charities even take them?

Some charity shops will take them as long as the labels are intact and there are absolutely no stains or marks.

Davesnave

Comms69 wrote: »

Uhm you're wrong.... whether a tenant or a lodger, a deposit is not mandatory. She is still liable for damage.

OK, happy to be wrong. I took from the first post that this was an ad hoc arrangement with a friend, skipping some of the niceties of the usual formal contracts.

But it still doesn't work very well, does it?

If a deposit is taken, then the boot is on the other foot.

Davesnave

FreeBear wrote: »

Some charity shops will take them as long as the labels are intact and there are absolutely no stains or marks.

And easy to sell if that label also includes the magic word, 'IKEA.'


Even out in the sticks, I found it so.