What does this mean to you?

[ThisFancyBear]

I'm moving in a few weeks and I have been told to leave my flat in a 'reasonable state of decoration' I know there is no right or wrong answer here but what does that mean to you?

Would you gloss and emulsion all through before leaving?

Would you take it to mean clean, tidy and no repairs needed?

Something else?

I do have a reason for asking and will come back to tell you why I'm asking, just wanted a few opinions first..

thanks.

Leave it in the state you would expect it to be if you were moving in.

Get rid of scuff marks on the glossed areas
clean throughout

You are only obliged to leave it in as good a state as it was when you moved in, minus reasonable wear and tear.

Our landlord tried to take money off our deposit for redecoration and new carpets. We took it to mediation through the tenancy deposit scheme who denied all of it and gave the landlord a massive telling off saying we had left it more clean than when we moved in and that they couldn’t get tenants to fund redecoration they should have done themselves anyway. It was super stressful, but I’m glad we went to the trouble of fighting it.

What does your contract say? Usually it means clean and presentable but allows for normal wear and tear.

If you've lived there for something like 5 years or more, it's reasonable that it needs a paint and freshen up. I'd expect to do that after a tenant moved out.
For a tenant, I'd expect you to leave it clean, tidy, anything you've broken is fixed. Essentially in the same state it was when you moved in (assuming you're not military and were given a hovel because you are known to make it like a new pin for the march out).

I wouldn’t repaint

Whenever I’ve left a flat I’ve agreed with the landlord that I’ll pay for an end of tenancy clean.