What do you consider fair?

Kim.wigley

We checked out of our property on 21st November with the letting agent. They have taken a week to come back to us with their issues, but no costs at all. We've requested costs, they say they may not get the quotations back prior to next week therefore it will have to go to arbitration at that point but they really hope we can avoid. We lived there for 7 months, 2 young children. We were the first rental tenants, landlord live there prior (with cats and no children, so I feel her. expectations are bit higher than ours).

What are your opinions on fair costs?

1. Red spots on living room carpet. The check in inventory states it was soiled in 2 places, and was not a new carpet. LA claims AST states carpets must be cleaned on check out, and this has not been done, so we will also be charged a cleaning fee. We cleaned with spot cleaner, but have not had them "professionally" cleaned as we didn't feel they had been prior to commencement (this may well get the spots out but its unlikely), and we already paid an upfront fee of £250 for any extra cleaning required in relation to the animals.

1a (edited to add after, sorry). Stains on stair carpet. Check in inventory states condition to be "CWA" (google suggests this is consistent with age). These aren't huge stains, spots from a potentially spilled drink which may or may not have been present when we took the tenancy - we can't remember.

2. Greasy extractor. Not disputed - we missed this. LA agreed a wash in hot soapy water would do it, now claims she gave us the option to clean it (she didn't).

3. Chipped paint on bedroom wall from headboard. Check in states scuffs on wall prior to tenancy, other paint chips in the same room have been spot painted to cover. LA thinks relocation of wall.

4. Scuffs on front bedroom wall. Initially my husband thought we had caused these as furniture was against that wall. Check in inventory states scuffs on wall, no pictures provided of that particular area. LA claims bunk beds did this (we didn't actually have bunk beds but a mid sleeper so a different level).

5. Marks in bath. These weren't picked up at check out, the landlord noticed them later. No idea what they are from or whether we caused them (not noted on check in), something could have been dropped in there after our departure? Bathroom was maybe a year or 2 old. We paid a cleaner for a thorough check out clean and she didn't pick up on them or remove them.

6. During a viewing (that the LA told us we must allow per our AST, and if we did not then she would enter after 24 hours notice regardless of permission) on 20/10, a weather station on the stairs was kicked and cracked. The LA witnessed this, I heard the commotion and realised after that it had been placed on the windowsill broken. LA denied any knowledge of this when it was highlighted during emails a week later (the earliest point that she had responded to a communication from me) and now denies any responsibility of the landlord to offset this cost against any deductions. It's only £20, but it's the principle of the fact they're trying to claim money from us. The LA has agreed to replace the item herself if we can produced the damaged item - first time she's asked, one month on from being notified, after she is aware we have moved and therefore unlikely to have kept damaged item.

We have £1377 with The DPS which I have requested to be repaid. They have suggested that because I have requested repayment, I have started a clock. I asked for them to get quotations of any amounts they wish to deduct, and they have now stated if these have not come in by mid next week, our entire deposit will be held in dispute which is out of their control. I have asked them to release any undisputed amount because we are 3 weeks away from Christmas, I have 2 young children and we've had to pay a further £1100 on a new deposit - cash flow is tough right not. We have no idea how much they're claiming for, so no negotiation can happen. The LA is instant that the £250 fee we paid was a fee for the landlord to consider pets - verbally, she told us it was taken for cleaning up front that we may not complete at the end of the tenancy. Written into our AST is that it is a fee for the landlord to carry out any necessary additional cleaning relating to the animals kept at the property (Same condition and state of cleanliness as the start of the tenancy, oven & hob cleaned, carpets cleaned and whole property cleaned).

My opinion is that the cleaning fee we paid upfront, plus the offset of damage caused by their viewer puts the landlord back in the same position she was prior to our tenancy, and that they're trying to claim for redecoration and replacement for tired walls and carpets. If reasonable amounts were put to me, I would be willing to consider but it seems I may have to start the "bidding amount" so to speak if I wish any negotiation to happen. They keep stating in emails that they want to agree this without it needing to go to arbitration, as that will take us longer to get our deposit back.

Cakeguts

1 I can't decide from what you have written whether the spots were there when you moved in or whether you have caused them in the last 7 months? If you caused them then even though the carpet was not new when you moved in it is your responsibility to remove the spots if you caused them. Worn out carpet is wear and tear but a stained carpet is damage.



2 You admit this needs to be cleaned. Cleaners have to be paid for their work.



3 and 4 Scuffs on paint work could be wear and tear. It depends how many and how big they are. Big areas of paint missing on walls and woodwork could be damage. Small scuffed areas is wear and tear.



5 I wouldn't expect a 2 year old bath to have marks on it from anything that could not be cleaned off. It sounds as if the marks were damage to the bath not something that could be cleaned.


The £250 is usually for any damage or extra cleaning needed because the property had had pets in it.



The arbitration takes as long as it takes.



This is perhaps a good time to take a look at your savings. It is a good idea to have enough in savings to pay either the rent or a mortgage for about 6 months. This is to cover you if you lose your job or become ill and cannot work.



It is more important for your children to have somewhere to live than a pile of new toys at Christmas. So you could look at this from the good side. If you can't get this money back before Christmas you will have to afford Christmas out of what you have now. When you get the money back you will then have the start of some savings that you wouldn't have been tempted to spend on Christmas.

[Deleted User]

I'm sorry but hiring a shampooer, or taking the time to scrub stains out with a cloth and biological washing liquid isn't hard. I have done it loads of times. Its just part of keeping a place clean, particularly if you have pets (had to do this today - only carpet tiles but I don't want to be looking like I live in a tip, even though I'm feeling pretty unwell today, and was arranging school visits to see which school is best for my son so it can be put on his EHCP - ie no excuses) it still had to be done).

Next time, take pictures YOURSELF on moving in, and moving out. Then if you want to dispute you have evidence.

And clean rather more thoroughly. Not just on check out but as a part of your weekly schedule. It doesn't take long and will save you a lot of money.

Once you get the costs, get a couple of quotes and see if its fair. If the LL says the bath needs to be replaced look at patching or repair costs instead etc. Ask if you can go back and clean carpet yourself then you won't have to pay for a cleaner. Anyone can say they are a professional cleaner, there's no definition of what one is, but they may say no.

Again cleaning a kitchen hood filter is not hard nor expensive https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-a-greasy-range-hood-filter-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203844

Sorry for the lack of sympathy. I guess I'm in a bad mood after today lolol.

AdrianC

Kim.wigley wrote: »

What are your opinions on fair costs?

Let the deposit arbitration decide. They have all the info and the before-and-after photos.

1. Red spots on living room carpet. The check in inventory states it was soiled in 2 places

So it was soiled in two places, and is now soiled in more than two?

and was not a new carpet.

So?
You can't be charged for the full cost, just either the cleaning cost or a proportion of replacement related to how much life it would have had left.

These aren't huge stains, spots from a potentially spilled drink which may or may not have been present when we took the tenancy - we can't remember.

That's what the check-in and -out photos are for.

2. Greasy extractor. Not disputed - we missed this. LA agreed a wash in hot soapy water would do it, now claims she gave us the option to clean it (she didn't).

Yes, they did. Unless you were surprised by moving out... You have no right to be given the keys back after moving out, to sort the things you missed. You do it BEFORE moving out, or not at all.

3. Chipped paint on bedroom wall from headboard. Check in states scuffs on wall prior to tenancy, other paint chips in the same room have been spot painted to cover. LA thinks relocation of wall.

Knocking the wall down and rebuilding it elsewhere seems... drastic.

6. During a viewing (that the LA told us we must allow per our AST, and if we did not then she would enter after 24 hours notice regardless of permission) on 20/10, a weather station on the stairs was kicked and cracked. The LA witnessed this...
LA denied any knowledge of this

He-said-she-said. The time to raise it was a month ago.

(How on earth was it "kicked"? Was it just sat on the stair carpet?)

HampshireH

If your contract states you paid £250 for any extra cleaning as you have written iy then I would expect the carpet cleaning and extractor to fall within this £250.

However this would normally be extra to the deposit rather than a fee. A fee indicates a charge for something whilst deposit indicates potential return if the requirements are met.

FBaby

I had a tenant who left the fan extractor caked in grease. It ididnt come out with soap and water, as a matter of fact, even the professional cleaner using professional cleaning product couldn't get to it. Grease that covers surfaces for months is extremely hard to get rid of. I expect it will cost more than what you anticipate.