Deductions from deposit - is this fair?

rosieflowers

We've just bought our first house :j which means leaving our last tenancy.

Check-out inventory done today with me present. We spent two weekends scrubbing the flat from top to bottom so was pleased that check-out clerk said how clean/ fresh-smelling the flat was and everything was noted in the report as good condition except for the following.

The kitchen has all painted walls, no tiling or splash backs. So when cooking inevitably some grease splatters occurred. Somehow there was also the odd spatter further along the same wall where we had our kitchen table. During end of tenancy clean we removed these with a 'magic sponge'. Clerk said while I was there that it looked like paint marks - I said it's not paint marks, it was the magic sponge.

Please see picture below - you can see it was a crap paint job in the first place by the state of the light switch. It's only in that certain light that the marks show up - front on you can't see them.

https://www.photobox.co.uk/my/photo?album_id=5719493063&photo_id=502199293774

The check-in inventory stated for all kitchen walls 'Good condition, 1 x picture hook some marks and grease marks near the oven.'

The check-out inventory states 'Good, 1 x picture hook and some grease marks near oven as before. Paint marks on the right hand side wall.'

My argument is that the check in inventory states 'some marks' - if the walls were already marked, aren't the agents asking for betterment to request a freshly painted wall?

I would also categorically state that it's not paint touch-ups from us - its from a magic sponge - but I do appreciate that you can see where 'touch ups' have been done - but isn't that covered by 'some marks' on original inventory?

Furthermore without a splash back, aren't grease marks in a kitchen inevitable to some degree i.e. wear and tear?

Would appreciate your input before we challenge this as only want to challenge if we are in the wrong. Thank you in advance

Smellyonion

Cant see the photo. How long did you live there for? I probably wouldn't have put the effort that you put in and would simply make the point of fair wear and tear..

rosieflowers

Sorry forgot to say, we lived there for a year and 8 months.

Thanks for the reply, I agree.

rosieflowers

https://imgur.com/DEvYTNe

Hopefully this works

need_an_answer

So the situation is at the moment you have not been given any figures for the proposed deductions?

Wait for those.

If you disagree with any amounts charged then you should dispute it with the deposit service who hold your deposit

The check in inventory will be compared to the check out inventory and deductions proposed should take into account the lifespan of the painted wall and the time you were renting it for.

Wait and see how much they propose to charge you.
Were there pictures in the check in inventory showing that wall?
How different is it now in relation to then?

Bear in mind you cant be charged for repainting the whole wall...at worse case scenario its to restore it to the quality of the check in less 18 months wear and tear.

rosieflowers

need an answer yes that's right. I want to be on the front foot with this agent as they have a reputation for being bulldogs with deposit deductions (their google reviews are entertaining).

Hopefully you can see in the pic above the area above the hob - we scrubbed an area of about 1m x 1m there and it seems to have blended in much better compared to the smaller patches. Wishing we hadn't bothered now!

rosieflowers

Sorry for the double post but just to clarify they have told us that they are currently seeking quotes for the painting of the wall - I wasn't asking this question just on the basis of a difference in the inventories.

Thank you

sal_III

It doesn't really matter if it was magic sponge or not, it looks like paint patch and is noted as such by the checkout clerk. So you are liable for some work fixing this.

As above, wait and see what the proposed mount will be and then decide whether you agree with the amount or not.

For what's on the photo, I wouldn't give the LL more than £50, for a fresh coat of paint less 20 months of wear and tear.

Smellyonion

It seems as though the 'magic sponge' seems to have glossed large chunks of the wall and it does look like abit of a bodge on your end.


Having said that, the cooker placement makes it impossible to not get splash marks on the wall and they should have used a high gloss paint in the first place because the matte/ flat paint they used was unclean able.

rosieflowers

Fab thanks for your advice both. I do agree that it looks a bit of a bodge on those pics and of course agree that it doesn't matter what caused it.

I was wondering if it would be covered by 'marks' on the original inventory, or if it may be considered wear and tear as unavoidable in the circs over a tenancy of any real length.

Grease marks around the cooker are certainly unavoidable so I don't see how you can request one half of a fresh wall of paint anyway? Particularly as the walls were marked/ not freshly painted when we moved in.

If the deduction is in the region of £50 we probably wouldn't challenge anyway as you say.