Can my landlord charge for this?

NessyNoo_3

Hello all!

This is my first post- yay! Like many before me I have lurked around these boards for a long time now!

I need to get myself over to DFW board soon I think!:snow_grin

Anyway, I received a letter through from the landlord yesterday requesting £50 payment for the removal of a wardrobe.
Bacially, when I looked around the flat the wardrobe in the bedroom was broken and so I asked at the time whether it could be replaced- no problem they said. Upon moving in they replaced broken wardrobe with cheapo, ugly wardrobe that does not match any of the other pine furniture in the flat. I rang and said that they had agreed to change the broken wardrobe for a new one in the same style as the pine furniture- no problem they said. Apparently, cheapo wardobe was only a temporary measure and eventually several weeks later they replaced cheapo wardrobe with nice pine one.

Thought nothing of this and now, several months later I get this bill.

No-one ever mentioned I would have to pay for the removal of cheapo wardrobe and assembly of new wardrobe. I have rung and left a message with LL but I would like some advice please on how to handle this.

TIA

silvercar

You should have been told that there would have been a charge and given the option of saying no.

lynzpower

Hang on, did they remove the wardrobe before you signed the contract? ie when you looked around prior to signing.

It sounds to me like there is "rubbish" that needs to be removed and the LL is charging you for it.

I would play hardball, check that he has recieved 3 written quotes on headed paper and he chose the cheapest contractor. He wont have I bet! Ask him to take you to court for it then. Theres no contract, hes trying it on. dont stand for it!

NessyNoo_3

lynzpower wrote: »

Hang on, did they remove the wardrobe before you signed the contract? ie when you looked around prior to signing.

It sounds to me like there is "rubbish" that needs to be removed and the LL is charging you for it.

I would play hardball, check that he has recieved 3 written quotes on headed paper and he chose the cheapest contractor. He wont have I bet! Ask him to take you to court for it then. Theres no contract, hes trying it on. dont stand for it!

The broken wardrobe was removed before I moved in. Then a couple of weeks after I moved in I got cheapo wardrobe and then a couple of weeks after that it got replaced with pine wardrobe. For £50 I would have rather taken down cheapo wardrobe and put up new one!!!

lynzpower

if it was removed before you moved in, then Id assume it was removed as rubbish before the start of your AST.

therefore there is no way, you could be expected to pay it!

NessyNoo_3

lynzpower wrote: »

if it was removed before you moved in, then Id assume it was removed as rubbish before the start of your AST.

therefore there is no way, you could be expected to pay it!

Thanks Linz.

The invoice is quite confusing. It refers to removal of broken wardrobe (this would have happend before I moved in) and assembly of new wardrobe. What I think it is referring to is removal of the cheapo wardrobe and assembly of pine one. Both of which happened on the same day once I had moved in.

Either way- I don't see why I should foot the bill and from the look of the comments you guys agree!

chocolatechipcookies

Sounds like the LL should be charging the previous tenant for breaking the wardrobe.

Catblue

Sounds like he is trying it on to me. Is there a wardrobe on the inventory?

If so, I'd play dumb with your landlord.

Send the invoice back to him and write a letter to accompany it, saying that the invoice seems to have been sent to you in error. Leave it at that.

I suspect that this would be the end of it. Hopefully, he would be too embarrassed to push it any further. If he tries to tell you that you still need to pay, then tell him that the wardrobe is his property and that you are not interested in purchasing it from him.

I would be a bit worried about how solvent your landlord is if he can't afford the upkeep of his own possessions.

RHemmings

Catblue wrote: »

Sounds like he is trying it on to me. Is there a wardrobe on the inventory?

If so, I'd play dumb with your landlord.

Send the invoice back to him and write a letter to accompany it, saying that the invoice seems to have been sent to you in error. Leave it at that.

I suspect that this would be the end of it. Hopefully, he would be too embarrassed to push it any further. If he tries to tell you that you still need to pay, then tell him that the wardrobe is his property and that you are not interested in purchasing it from him.

I would be a bit worried about how solvent your landlord is if he can't afford the upkeep of his own possessions.

Does the invoice have the landlord's or the tenant's name on it? Hard for it to be an error if it's the tenant's name. Though, I'd send it back as if it's an error as advised and see what happens. If it came back, I'd take advice (e.g. CAB), and presuming that they advise that the cost is the landlord's responsibility, send the invoice back again detailing the advice and refusing the bill.

Problem is, if your landlord is a real stingy SOB, and a fair proportion of them are, this could be the start of a really bad relationship

Rick62

I pressume you're renting furnished.

Why on earth would you entertain this? Doesn't matter what you do, just don't pay this - I don't see any justification whatsoever and I can't see a court seeing any either.

When you viewed the wardrobe was broken, you asked if it would be replaced, it was, end of. If you want to be really polite then as someone says send back with a note saying that the invoice must have been issued in error.

TJ27

chocolatechipcookies wrote: »

Sounds like the LL should be charging the previous tenant for breaking the wardrobe.

He probably has.