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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to feel cheated and want to fight for this?

18 replies

waddlecakes · 02/09/2013 15:32

I rented a flat for 6 months and left it this Thursday. I called my landlord a month ago to inform him and then sent him an official letter a month ago telling him I would be moving out on the 29th. A week before the move out, I called my landlord who is a bit of a wheeler dealer to organise what time he was going to come and sign me out of the flat/take back the keys. He said he couldn't be there on Thursday, or on Wednesday, and I should just leave the keys in the letterbox. He told me to make sure the flat was clean as a new person was moving in on Monday (aka today).

Wednesday night, I spent 3 hours cleaning the place, then packed. The next morning, I put the keys in the letterbox and left.

I have just received an email from him telling me that he wasn't happy at how unclean the flat was, and that he will be calling a professional cleaning company to deal with it and taking the money out of my deposit. The flat wasn't clean to luxury hotel standard, but it was clean to a clean home standard, which is what it was like when I moved in. Now I'm upset because I feel cheated out of my money. I'm wondering if he did it on purpose not to be there to inspect the place and get my keys off me, and I'm also wondering why I'm getting this message now from him if the new tenant was due to move in today, and he had originally told me that he would be inspecting the flat prior to the new tenant moving in on Saturday/Sunday.

What do you think, am I unreasonable to kick up a fuss?

OP posts:
LouiseAderyn · 02/09/2013 15:38

Definitely kick up a fuss - maybe get some advice from citizens advice

Cabrinha · 02/09/2013 15:42

Minimum, ask to see the invoice for the cleaners.
I suspect he's taking the piss.
And a bit late for this now, but never ever just leave keys!

absentmindeddooooodles · 02/09/2013 15:43

Ive jist been through this. Well a similar thing. Did you have a condition report when you moved in? Has the landlord put youe deposit in a tenancy deposit scheme?

CharityFunDay · 02/09/2013 15:43

How much was your deposit, and did the landlord put it in the registered deposit scheme thing (I forget what it's called)?

You may have to take this loss on the chin, but you would be within your rights to ask to see a receipt/invoice for the cleaning, and demand any surplus left over from your deposit.

HerrenaHarridan · 02/09/2013 15:45

If you took pics of how it was when you moved in and how you left fight it. Demand an invoice from cleaners, threaten solicitors etc

If not chalk it up to experience.

Xales · 02/09/2013 15:45

Check your agreement. When I rented I had to get the carpets etc professionally cleaned when I left. A home clean wasn't good enough.

If there is nothing in the agreement then you need a specific breakdown of what was wrong and you can probably dispute that this could have occurred between you leaving and now how can he prove otherwise.

Not sure who would win at the end of the day though.

KirjavaTheCat · 02/09/2013 15:46

Isn't there a rule somewhere that says that a final inventory check must be carried out with you present, and any deductions from the deposit must be discussed with you and proven to be valid before the deduction takes place??

Or am I going mad? I'm sure this is the case.

LittleBallOfFur · 02/09/2013 15:46

Legally he should have submitted your deposit to a tenancy deposit protection scheme, if you are in the uk, and he will have to prove to them why he is keeping any of your money. You can dispute his claim. (I work for one of the schemes.)

Was your money protected?

LittleBallOfFur · 02/09/2013 15:50

And yes it will be hard for him to prove his case if he hasn't done a thorough inventory and check-out procedure.

Original poster
waddlecakes · 02/09/2013 15:51

The deposit was not protected, and I am not in the UK.

Do you think I could insinuate that I will be taking the matter further, by asking to see a bill and also asking him for photos of areas he thought were not cleaned properly?

OP posts:
absentmindeddooooodles · 02/09/2013 15:54

If your deposit was not put into a scheme you can take him to court for the deposit back plus upto three times the amoint again ontop. If he has not used one of the (4 I think) legal twnancy deposit schemes then he cannot take a penny out of that deposit.

What does it say in your contract? Again he cannot takeanything off you for so so many reasons.

I had a thread on this recently but cant link on my phone. If you search for it..." help with landlord and deposit please" theres some fab advice on there feom people who really know what they are talking about x

absentmindeddooooodles · 02/09/2013 15:55

Ah ok, no idea about outside the uk. Here you can call shelter....housing advice for free over the phone. Do you know of the equivalent where you are? They were fab with helping me.

LittleBallOfFur · 02/09/2013 15:57

I'd certainly question it, if he'd checked it before today when the others had moved in you might have had the opportunity to rectify it yourself, so he seems to have purposefully made things difficult. Did you take any photos at the start of your tenancy? In the uk it comes down to properties being returned in a similar condition to when they were let out, bearing in mind reasonable wear and tear.

LeoandBoosmum · 02/09/2013 16:00

Don't most landlords try their best - even when unjustified - to find excuses to hang on to the deposit? Not saying it's right.

Pigsmummy · 02/09/2013 16:01

Depends on cleaning standard specified in contract, I have always had a check out clean done by a cleaner as a normal clean isn't be rally acceptable. i.e. All cupboards cleaned, fridge, freezer defrosted and cleaned and and carpets shampooed, I found one who hates estate agents and will guarantee her work, so when the landlord/agent comes along saying it isn't clean she pops back and in front of them cleans it until they back down. If you cleaned then packed I suspect that it wouldn't have been "check out" clean tbh, you can't really proper clean until a property is either packed up or empty.

Ask for a receipt, a reference and enjoy your new (hopefully nicer?) place.

Original poster
waddlecakes · 02/09/2013 16:12

I took no photos or anything, I assumed good faith! Just got a new email in which he said the full clean of the place (bear in mind that the flat is 20 square metres) will cost 280 GBP. :(

OP posts:
ILikeBirds · 02/09/2013 16:15

You'd really be better off asking this question on a forum based where you are located as advice is likely to be location specific.

LittleBallOfFur · 02/09/2013 16:23

:( where do you live op? Can you get a few more quotes yourself to see if the cost is realistic?

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