Challenging a cleaning fee request after vacating a flat

Jonx999

Our son recently vacated a flat after 8 years. We helped him give it a very thorough clean. However, the letting agent has just hit him with a demand for £194 for a professional clean.

We now have their inspection report and the only cleanliness items in the inspection report were:

1. Dust in the bathroom ceiling extractor fan vent - OK, we missed this. A few seconds with a vacuum cleaner would sort it.
2. Black mould spots in the silicone sealant around the bath - we did try to clean this using mould remover but it was too ingrained. Surely this is fair wear and tear, the sealant is at least 8 years old.
3. Dirty oven door - we did clean the oven, but this referred to dirt between the two glass panels in the door. Unfortunately there was no obvious way to remove the glass to gain access to this space. I loosened a few door screws but nothing helped and I didn't want to risk damaging the door by trying to force it apart. I even downloaded the oven user manual; it didn't provide any instructions. So we had to leave it.

Overall it seems ridiculous to demand £194 due to these minor issues. What's the best way to challenge this?

UPDATE: We made a counteroffer but the agent has rejected it. They've also submitted an invoice to show that they've gone ahead and paid for a professional full clean. The invoice details show that it's just a standard clean rather than one targeting the issues raised (in fact the invoice states that they do NOT tackle sealant mould!)

I guess we've got no choice but to go to adjudication…

tacpot12

Much as you have done above. The oven and the silicone sound like fair wear and tear. The oven in particular should have come with a manual that describes how to remove the door for cleaning. Without a manual, expecting the tenant to clean it is unreasonable IMHO. Your son should put this to the letting agent.

The vent shouldn't cost £200 to clean, but you have to accept that if anyone has to go to the property to clean it, the minimum charge is likely to be £60-£100 depending on location.

Did yor son pre-agree to having the flat professionally cleaned at the end of the tenancy? Some agreements include this. If the letting agents say he did, it's reasonable to expect the to provide proof.

Was the flat acutally clean? I know you cleaned it, but I've seen people 'clean' and then I have cleaned and all my rags and water are dirty afterwards.

I'm a landlord and if it is clear that the outgoing tenants have made an effort to clean up, I will pick up the cost of the professional clean if necessary. Sometimes, like the vent, the work required is minimal and I will do it.

Was his deposit protected? If so, your son can respond to the letting agent as above, but he can also follow the dispute process with Deposit Protection Scheme. My feeling is that he should get most of his deposit back.

FlorayG

Difficult to say, really. I've had a tenant 'clean' a house on vacating, clearly she tried but had no idea what clean actually looks like.

I always pay for a professional clean between tenants anyway, that's just considerate to the new tenant, regardless of how clean it was left

Unless your sons tenancy agreement specifically states that HE is responsible to pay for the outgoings professional clean, I think you have a good case for dispute

Jonx999

The Smeg oven did come with a manual but it only said "wipe the glass with a damp cloth". There were no instructions on how to remove the glass to get inside. We've cleaned ovens before and usually it's obvious, but this seemed to be sealed (but obviously some grease managed to get inside). As I said, I didn't want to start stripping the door down and risk ending up with a wrecked door!

The agent has already submitted their claim to the DPS, so we're trying to decide how to respond.

sheenas

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82178437#Comment_82178437

I would then say that the Tenant could not reasonably be expected to clean the door if its not part of the manufacture specified user instructions. I.e. it's a maintenance issue. The mould would also be considered reasonable w&t IMHO

bouicca21

how clean was it when the tenant moved in? And is there any proof?

Grumpy_chap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6687819/challenging-a-cleaning-fee-request-after-vacating-a-flat

After 8 years of solid income with no void periods, the LL should be grateful and expect to need to refurb, or at least decorate, the flat right through. Any cleaning charge is the LL being a greedy idiot.

Jonx999

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82178814#Comment_82178814

Exactly, and my son has been a model tenant: always paid on time, has looked after the place etc. However, the LL has submitted their claim to the DPS so I guess we have to waste time challenging it (and hope the adjudicator does their job properly and doesn't simply side with the LL).

Jonx999

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82178688#Comment_82178688

There is a moving-in inspection report with photos. However, it didn't show extreme close-ups of the oven door nor the extractor vent.

simongregson

Similar claim from the agent when we moved out of a rental. We had cleaned, missed a few crumbs under a sofa cushion and same sealant mould issue. They wanted 200 similarly, but in our case the landlord had re-advertised the house after having presumably run the vacuum cleaner around, the photos clearly showed this. We offered £25 for a generous hour of the landlord's time which was accepted, probably would have been ok to refuse payment. They were clearly trying it on and if your deposit is protected once they realise you will challenge and they will then need evidence etc. They will likely back off. It did help I videoed around the whole house after cleaning and in some it was cleaner than the video I took when we moved in.

bobster2

As you have found - you canot clean mould spots from silicone sealant around a bath. Professional cleaners are not going to be able to either. After 5-7 years the sealant probably needs replacing anyway. Completely normal "wear and tear",