I'll try and keep this brief and unemotional.
We've been letting our flat through a letting agency, as we moved up north for work. It's been with the same tenant since we left. We left it immaculate, and the only thing we ever had issues with (we had it from new build, flat is now 7 years this Sept) was the boiler, so any issues with the boiler we expected.
Over the years, the management agency have billed us for someone attending to replace a battery in the handheld alarm keypad (was a normal, round battery), a new extractor fan in the bathroom, and a total strip of the bathroom, and redecoration due to mould, caused by the extractor fan not working and not being reported as not working.
I disputed the battery (75!!), as it was easy and idiot proof to change (the alarm is a yale off the shelf from b&q job, so not complicated), and the redecoration, as if the tenant had reported the extractor fan as not working, there wouldn't have been the mould issue. I was told by the letting agency both times we were responsible.
We finally sold in Oct last year, tenant was given 4 months to vacate. She fucked us over at the last minute and refused to move out on the agreed date, so she's now moving out at the weekend.
She then had the cheek last month to email with a list of works that needed doing:
- broken toilet seats in both bathrooms
- needing lightbulbs which she couldn't find
- damp in the same bathroom as before
I disputed all of this as she said that the seats were "very cheap and obviously made of two bits of wood glued together" - they were solid wooden seats from next. The bulbs were freely available on line and she has actually changed the light fittings, and the damp in the bathroom is again because she's not using the fan.
I've finally gotten someone at the letting company who agrees that we shouldn't have been liable for the initial redecoration, or the battery in the alarm, and that the tenant has not acted in a tenant like manner.
We got a damp contractor to go to the flat yesterday and he estimates 1200+vat is required to redo the bathroom. The seals on the windows are also compromised.
Having relayed this to my dad and father in law, both asked if we weren't getting property inspections. So, I phoned the agency, who stated why yes, an inspection was done in October, and are done every year.
We have never received an inspection report.
I asked for it to be sent to me immediately.
The damp is horrendous. The toilet seats are absolutely WRECKED, and broken in half. There are water stains on the ceiling in the kitchen.
All of these issues are identified in the report, but no one ever made us aware. Thankfully, it was like that when the buyer saw it so she knows what she's buying, but I am horrified.
Where do I stand in getting some recompense a: from the tenant, who has never reported these issues until she was in the last month of her tenancy and b: from the letting agent, who was meant to be managing our property, but has never actually managed it?
I don't know how the tenant and the management agency can both get away with not letting us know about this?
I'm absolutely fuming and heartbroken. It was our first home, and she's shat all over it.
Also, we were told it would sell for 225k, and we eventually had to accept 215k, in a market that's booming. Now, I can totally see why.
There has to be some avenue I can go down, but I have no idea how or who to pursue.
Please, please, PLEASE help.