To think that getting our flat deposit back minus £245 for cleaners is ridiculous

[SoftlyCatchyMonkey1]

We moved out of our 2 bed flat last week. We cleaned the bejesus out of it - it took bloody ages and was hard work. I would say that it was 90% spotless. Couldn't get it to 100% because I didn't have some of the relevant cleaning products. I hoped that, given how clean we got it, we would get all our deposit back. But no...the landlord decided it was not good enough. He said that the balcony floor should have been scrubbed, we should have cleaned the outside of the windows, there was residue in the soap drawer of the washing machine (ok I forgot to do that) and some cobwebs on a wall. Which, as I'm not a cleaner, I can accept and take on the chin. However, he had said that he has got some cleaners in to quote what needs doing and he's been quoted £245 and will reduce our deposit accordingly.

I can't accept that it would take £245 worth of cleaning work to put right. We had our new house (4 bed house) quoted at £300!!

Perhaps some cleaners can shed light on how they quote for an end of tenancy clean, and whether iabu then at least I will feel a bit better about losing the money!!

Cheby
You’re trying to compare regular, steady work cleaning you pay to your local cleaner, who is unlikely to be vat registered or invoice you to a one off ad hoc clean invoiced through a letting agent. They won’t be the same rate as the work isn’t guaranteed and will charge more simply because im a landlady not homeowner.

I didn’t pay it btw. The agent kindly went round for me. It took them 10 mins. I can’t dictate the minimum charge cleaners quote. They will not attend a property for less than £70.

Our landlord did this, infact he kept the entire 1k deposit as he said it was for cleaning. We left the place absolutely spotless. When we moved in it was gross and took near 2 days to clean it to make it liveable. We also had to buy new carpets as the ones that were there were stained and looked horrendous. We told the landlord we were doing that and he said it was fine and would actually help him anyway. Then when we moved out, he claimed he needed to get new carpets (also taken from our deposit) and such. It was actually one of our mates who moved there after us, and surprise surprise, our carpets were still there. So he was basically just ripping us off. Have had nothing but bad experiences with private landlords (generally its the agency thats the problem, not the actual landlord though) and I am so glad we got this place with out housing association. No issues at all and been here near 10 years now.

What does the inventory say. If it says professional clean standard that's the way you need to leave it. Ie like a good quality hotel room. Windows clean inside and out, skirtings done, lampshades dusted, washing machine and dishwasher cleaned with specialist product, new filter paper in extractor and so on. The bathroom chrome should gleam. Carpets will normally be shampoed.

It is standard in London and it costs.

If the inventory says 'good domestic clean' that is different. Look to the inventory to see if windows were clean on the outside, etc.

I would normally expect to discuss their cleaning plans with tenants before they leave, and explain my expectations. It is almost always resolved amicably. Often the compromise is that they get a quote from my preferred cleaning firm, but the work is done after the end of the tenancy and at my risk. So no need to move out early and there is certainty about cost. My cleaner is more thorough than Kim and Aggie!

Mummyoflittledragon just use a local cleaner then? Lots of them do ad hoc hours.

Errgh I moved house I’m abroad at the time DD was only 7 months, I spent 30hrs cleaning at that damn flat as we needed the money badly. I did every bit including the washing machine tray,behind the fridge, all bedding,pillows etc! When we rented the place the agreement was we would be leaving early in the tenancy which she was fine with as she wanted to sell. She didn’t give us back our deposit! Any of it apparently it all went towards bills and cleaning and as we left early she could keep it anyway.

The thing I’m most furious about is that she charged me for cleaning when I went round she was washing the bedding which I had washed the day before! Errrgh wish I’d left it in a state.

I’m a landlord

My letting agent requires the end of tenancy full carpet clean. Window outdone clean and oven clean. All done by professionals and proof of receipt.

If it hasn’t been done. Or the cleaning looks shoddy. Then they get the deep cleaners in, this costs loads.

But, all tenants have a professionally clean property when they arrive, so it makes sense they do the same on exit.

Cherby
I’m sure they do if I want the cleaning done Thursday fortnight. What happens if I want it done this afternoon or tomorrow? Being a ll means there are plenty of constraints and turnaround times. Anyway this situation is so rare I’m not stressing. It’s the maintenance jobs, where I try to get my trades people to do the jobs where possible. That’s where I’m seriously stung. Think £600 for a loo, which was changed the same day and £1200 for a bath changed the day after both when my plumber was unfortunately on holiday.

LadyOdd, the protection is there. The landlord is legally obliged to give you a leaflet setting out tenants rights and a deposit certificate. They have to propose deductions within about 10 days. If you dont agree you can open a dispute and it goes to arbitration. The onus is on the landlord to provide evidence for each deduction, and rulings are generally perceived to be tenant friendly. Putting together evidence is tedious. (I only did it once with a complete cf tenant. It took me days.) Most try-it-on landlords will give up at this stage.

I had my ear bent by another mum when DD picked up keys for her student flat. All landlords were crooks etc. Deposits were never returned etc. In contrast I took DD round the flat, testing the shower etc and noting discrepancies from the inventory. DD then sent a constructive email listing the couple of items that needed fixing (h&s) and a small number of other maintenance items that they hoped could be fixed. Then quite a long list of discrepancies they needed to be noted (it was a pretty scruffy property). It will now be quite hard for the landlord, who seems quite reasonable, to make unwarranted deductions.

But it is really poor behaviour to watch someone cleaning and then charge them. My tenants are usually happy to know in advance how much they have to pay and that they can just walk out of the property and leave me to sort it all out. But if I had a good tenant who wanted to do their own prof clean I would let them and only charge for any top up needed.

I got charged by a landlord for a 10p sized stain I'd missed on the laminate floor and... A cobweb! Went to Court and Landlord lost. Oh and he tried to say boiler wasn't working once we'd gone and that was down to us. As we'd no safety certificate & and no service of it in our 2yr tenancy he didn't get that accepted either.

That's about the going rate for an end of tenancy clean. The walls have to be washed, windows cleaned outside, all appliances spotless, grouting scrubbed, carpets shampooed. We always leave it to the cleaning team and ask them to deduct from the deposit (if you say you want the letting agency to arrange it they will). I don't know anyone who cleans a rental themselves when they leave.

People seem to be mixing up the cost of a professional cleaning job charged to landlords and the contractual obligations of a tenant.

A landlord may spend whatever they want on cleaning and maintenance at the end of one tenancy and before re- letting their property. But the tenant is only obliged to keep to the terms of their tenancy, leave the flat as clean as it was when they moved in and reasonable wear and tear over the period of the tenancy is also a factor.

Op look at your contract, look at the condition of the flat when you moved in. Open a dispute to challenge the deduction. Your landlord has to prove the costs are reasonable.

check citizens advice and class="underline">depositdeductionsyourlandlordcanmake Shelter on your rights and what constitutes reasonable deductions.

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/tenancy_deposits/how_to_get_your_tenancy_deposit_back