End of tenancy charges

jake_jones99

Hey all,

I received the end-of-tenancy report, and the landlord wants to charge £20 for a broken toilet seat. The toilet seat was plastic, with plastic screws, and one of those screws broke after 4 years of usage. I reported it beforehand, but I did not expect I would be charged given the quality of the original item. A similar seat is at Argos for £6. 

They also propose £15 for a lime scaled toilet. However, in the check-in report there was foam in the toilet that does not allow you to see how it looked like (I honestly don't remember if there was limescale and how much). 

I am going to challenge the second for lack of evidence, but I am hesitant about the first. Is it not wear and tear if after 4 years a plastic screw breaks?

theartfullodger

Start dispute procedure with deposit scheme your deposit is registered with.

Schemes brought in after years and years of landlords ripping tenants off.  Parliament had passed laws over this twice to give you rights to a dispute process - use it!

Van_Girl

I think replacing the toilet seat after 4 years should absolutely be paid for by the landlord, it is normal wear and tear, and I think the deposit scheme would agree

I'd challenge on both counts as I think they're both ridiculous

(former letting agent who wouldn't have dreamed of being such a d**k)

Edit to say, I just remembered one property where I replaced the toilet seat 3 times in a year. God knows what they were doing, but it was a HMO where every tenant was lovely and paid the rent on time, so I just replaced them. Taught me to buy better quality!

jake_jones99

Van_Girl said:

I think replacing the toilet seat after 4 years should absolutely be paid for by the landlord, it is normal wear and tear, and I think the deposit scheme would agree

I'd challenge on both counts as I think they're both ridiculous

(former letting agent who wouldn't have dreamed of being such a d**k)

Edit to say, I just remembered one property where I replaced the toilet seat 3 times in a year. God knows what they were doing, but it was a HMO where every tenant was lovely and paid the rent on time, so I just replaced them. Taught me to buy better quality!

Will do. Thanks both for the prompt reply! I will keep you updated with what goes on.

theartfullodger

Going through the motions?

The_Unready

Hopefully he'll soon be flushed with success!

chanz4

lime scale is caused by the water, and not yourself

Robbo66

chanz4 said:

lime scale is caused by the water, and not yourself

Nothing to stop a tenant putting a descaling agent in the toilet during the normal cleaning process

tenants do need to take some responsibility in how they return properties. A broken toilet seat is a justifiable deduction and £20 is not an unreasonable amount. The cost is not to just cover the purchase price but also someone having to go and buy the toilet seat and the time it takes to fit

jake_jones99

Robbo66 said:

chanz4 said:

lime scale is caused by the water, and not yourself

Nothing to stop a tenant putting a descaling agent in the toilet during the normal cleaning process

tenants do need to take some responsibility in how they return properties. A broken toilet seat is a justifiable deduction and £20 is not an unreasonable amount. The cost is not to just cover the purchase price but also someone having to go and buy the toilet seat and the time it takes to fit

I did and couldn't do it within reasonable time. The landlord said they used white vinegar. Anyway, the check in photo does not show the condition of the bottom of the bowl, the water surface is covered in foam.

Robbo66

So in the four years you lived there you never put any descaler/toilet cleaner or bleach in the toilet

jake_jones99

Robbo66 said:

So in the four years you lived there you never put any descaler/toilet cleaner or bleach in the toilet

I put bleach regularly when cleaning.