Damage To Vinyl Flooring - Landlord Ripping Me Off - Insurance Not Covered

mystic_bertie

Hey guys you might have noticed my recent post on how to clean candle wax from the vinyl floor in my last house which i was renting. I tried everything suggested and i could not remove the stain.

I contacted my insurance company, they came out to look at the flooring and told me i wasn't covered because the vinyl floor was bonded to the concrete floor. They said my landlord needs to claim it from his buildings cover as my contents cover doesn't cover a bonded vinyl flooring. I told my landlord this and he said its not true and the replacement of the flooring would come off my deposit.

Once i had checked out of the property my landlord had wasted no time and had someone measuring up the floor while we were doing the final inspection. Now i have seen what he is claiming and its £480 to replace the vinyl flooring in the kitchen. I think we all know this is over inflated quote. The guy that was there measuring up was obviously a friend as they chatted a lot and knew each other very well.

I might be able to get a copy of the quote from my insurance but its not going to be for bonding the flooring. Is it worth getting this quote for an idea of the cost?

So should my landlord be claiming off his buildings insurance or is that as his discretion?

I feel let down by my insurance as im going to lose £480 because i was not fully covered for incidents like this.

Guys what can i do to stop him ripping me off of £480. I dont dispute the damage done but £480 is just unrealistic.

davidmcn

Whether he insured it or whether he makes a claim aren't really relevant - it's still your liability (his insurers could recover the costs from you). And I expect the excess would be a large chunk of (or even higher than) £480 anyway. I would focus on whether it is really worth £480.

csgohan4

For future readers, always read the T+C of your insurance so there are no surprises.


It cost me £300 to replace an iron burn on carpet, so £480 is not far off tbh. Live and learn

quantumlobster

Your deposit's protected, right?

Dispute the deduction via the protection scheme's process.

lookstraightahead

quantumlobster wrote: »

Your deposit's protected, right?

Dispute the deduction via the protection scheme's process.

This. Years ago I had a similar thing with a stain on curtains which the agents charged me £500 for )the stain was already there but I couldn't prove it). Wish I had taken it to arbitration. The curtains are still there when I drive past which the landlord is entitled to do for some weird reason. However it is your stain. It's just the amount that needs querying.

anselld

The fact that wax could not be removed suggests existing is a cheap Lino.

Challenge with the scheme on the basis ...
Is the quoted replacement like-for-like in quality?
Has allowance been made for age of old Lino (L is not allowed new for old).
Has allowance been made for condition at check in ( photos and inventory description)?
Is the quoted price fair?
Have repair options been considered? Eg tile replacement if tiled.

Mutton_Geoff

£160 for some vinyl, £200 for a day removing, preparing (removal of kick panels, and floor standing appliances etc) and disposing of rubbish. Some glue and VAT looks like £480 about right even for a small kitchen.

But offer £200 towards it as landlord will get some betterment.

If he’s been a landlord for a while, he’s probably quite friendly with the local flooring fitters since tenants are always trashing flooring through lack of care (in my own experience).

00ec25

mystic_bertie wrote: »

Now i have seen what he is claiming and its £480 to replace the vinyl flooring in the kitchen. I think we all know this is over inflated quote.

no, it just shows you have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to costs including people's labour charges

mystic_bertie wrote: »

I dont dispute the damage done but £480 is just unrealistic.

no it is not unrealistic, it almost certainly is the cost the LL is going to have to pay to replace an entire kitchen flooring

your argument is however over betterment - sadly unlike an insurance policy, a tenant who destroys the landlord's property cannot be charged for new for old, they can only be charged for second hand value. That is the basis of your dispute - and is one you should win because the law is written to say so.

The LL therefore has to choose between trying to let to new tenants with worn second hand items in place and thus getting low class tenants or, foot the cost difference of fitting brand new so as to let to tenants who want, and will pay rent for, new, whilst only getting back part of the cost from the tenant who destroyed his property

ACG

How long were you in the property for?
Was the floor new when you moved in? (Bare in mind the landlord can probably prove whether it was or not with a receipt/bank statement).

If the floor was new when you moved in and you were there for 6 months, then it is probably right.

If the floor was new when you moved in and you were there for 6 years, then you are being over charged.

mystic_bertie

I apologise for the delay in replying everyone. I really appreciate your replies. I have been busy with work and unpacking and it just today i have managed to get round to replying.

davidmcn wrote: »

Whether he insured it or whether he makes a claim aren't really relevant - it's still your liability (his insurers could recover the costs from you). And I expect the excess would be a large chunk of (or even higher than) £480 anyway. I would focus on whether it is really worth £480.

Thanks for your reply. I know it is a large kitchen but £480 does seem a lot for vinyl. Im just a bit annoyed my own insurance did not cover it, i assumed all carpets and flooring would e covered but its not the case.

csgohan4 wrote: »

For future readers, always read the T+C of your insurance so there are no surprises.

It cost me £300 to replace an iron burn on carpet, so £480 is not far off tbh. Live and learn

Thanks for your reply. As i mentioned i had no idea my insurance did not cover this. Im surprised your insurance did not cover this.

quantumlobster wrote: »

Your deposit's protected, right?

Dispute the deduction via the protection scheme's process.

Yes the deposit is protected. So i now have to dispute it but i have not yet replied to the claim. I am the one who done the damage, do you think i can dispute the amount?

Sibz

Of course you can dispute the amount - it doesn't mean you will be successful - that's down to the process and the arbitrators.

For flooring costs and labour, that amount is probably not too far off - The removing a bonded flooring is hard enough work - but having it bonded was the LL's choice.