Landlord cleaning requests for end of tenancy

littlemiss19

Hi everyone,

we are in the process of moving out of our rental property into our own home. Our landlord of 3.5 years has sent us the following list of cleaning requirements so there are no claims on our deposit.

GUIDANCE NOTES FOR TENANTS VACATING A PROPERTY

These notes have been designed to assist you when handing your property back to the landlord at the check-out appointment. In order to protect your deposit against claims being made, it’s advisable that you read these guidelines and take the appropriate action. If you have any questions regarding the check-out or you require a duplicate copy of your inventory, please contact your landlord immediately.

• Ensure that the property has been left in a good, clean condition throughout and all of your personal items have been completely removed.

• All items should be returned to exactly the same position as they are listed on your Inventory.

• All windows, mirrors and glass items should be cleaned and polished.

• All woodwork, skirting, dado rails, picture rails, frames, shelving and cabinets, etc. should be cleaned and polished.

• All soft furnishings, such as carpets, curtains, rugs, bed linen, towels, throws and mattresses, etc. should be laundered/washed free of stains, ironed (where applicable) and left clean.

• All walls and ceilings should be dusted, wiped over (where necessary) and free of excessive wear.

• All kitchen appliances, including cookers, hobs, microwave ovens, toasters, washing machines, tumble dryers, etc. should be cleaned free of residues, grease and stains.

• All kitchen cupboards should be cleaned and emptied of your food and belongings.

• Fridges and freezers should be emptied of food, cleaned thoroughly, defrosted, switched off and doors left open.

• Bathrooms should be cleaned thoroughly and all sealant and grouting should be free of staining or mould.

• All light bulbs should be present and in working order.

• All picture hooks, tacks, screws, nails or other fittings installed by you should be removed and any damage made good.

The house is a Victorian terrace that is prone to mould on the walls, grouting and ceilings. We have kept most of it under control with electric humidifiers. However, the mould has spread to the curtains and some of the mould is not coming out of the window grouting and has spread to the curtains. We got a professional cleaner in to do the work, but they were only able to clean 4 rooms (about half the property) due to having to leave for a family issue. So we ended up trying to get it clean ourselves. We did not wash the curtains, nor clean the ceiling above the cooker,  but cleaned everything else. We did not have time to polish any of the woodwork either. The landlords are saying the clean is not good enough and they will make a claim for a professional cleaner to come in to make the house to the standard they are expecting so they can rent it again. We have asked them for a specific list of which items do not meet their standards but they are refusing to do so. So we are afraid we will have to pay for another full professional clean. The landlords have suddenly lost their usual joviality and threatening court action/being really tough negotiators.  

So, my question is, are their expectations too high or is this a standard end of tenancy cleaning requirement? Any suggestions on what to do? 

Thanks,
Littlemiss. 

[Deleted User]

 Pretty standard requests imo, He's not asked for professional cleaning which many try and demand. You could've scrubbed and polished yourself and claimed any mould on windows was his fault as you've taken precautions with a dehumidifier 

RAS

In which scheme is your deposit registered? 

What evidence do you or the landlord have regarding the state of the house and furnishings when you moved in and moved out? For example were the curtains brand new?

Any evidence that you raised the condensation/mould problem with the LL whilst living there?

AdrianC

I think you probably mean electric DEhumidifiers...?

Those aren't "requirements", they're suggested guidelines. They do not look inherently unreasonable to me - but the key is not what you do or not do, but the end result...
Leaving mouldy curtains... That is unreasonable. The vast majority of mould is caused by a simple lack of ventilation through your occupation of the property. With adequate ventilation, only properties with a serious damp problem will have a mould issue.
Whether the ceiling above the cooker is in a reasonable condition or not, we can't say, because we haven't seen it... It will depend as much on what and how you cook as on anything else.

But, ultimately, it doesn't matter what requirements or guidelines they leave you, or what standard they expect... the decision on what is or is not an acceptable standard is made by the tenancy deposit scheme's arbitration.
They are also the people who decide what, if anything, is a reasonable deduction.

Simply claim your entire deposit from the deposit protection scheme, sit back, and wait. The landlord will be asked to justify any deductions - using photographic evidence from check-in and -out. You do not need to justify the return of your money.