AIBU in thinking this isn't really my responsibility?

[justchecking1]

Not sure if I'm being unreasonable or not so looking for opinions before I stand my ground.

Have just moved out of a furnished rented property. There is a water stain on one mattress, and the conservatory roof has green stuff growing on the outside.

Does this just come under general wear and tear, or can the landlord take the costs of these from my deposit?

I can live with the cost of steam cleaning a mattress (although I don't feel it needs replacing), but cleaning natural growth from the conservatory seems a strange thing to charge for?

Possibly yes. What caused the mattress stain? And was the roof clean when you moved in? Both you'd be expected to maintain to the same standard as you found when you moved in.

I would definitely expect to pay for damage to the mattress, but the conservatory sounds like something that should be the landlord's responsibility in maintaining the property.

Has the landlord ever arranged for the gutters to be cleaned? A lot of mounds on the conservatory below here have been birds dropping mounds from the gutters when nest building.

I actually think it’s pretty rank that the landlord expects to re use mattresses, he should build replacements into his costs.

The green stuff would depend if what your contact says about maintenance. Mine states it is my responsibility to clean the windows regularly.

Has the landlord put you on a Safe Working at Heights course and provided you with the apparatus necessary for maintaining the outside of their property?

If not then the roof is not your responsibility as you have neither the training or equipment to maintain it.

The mattress, have you/they photos of it before you moved in? Was it specified to be a stain free mattress on the inventory?

How long have you lived there?

There’s a difference between damage to a 3 month old mattress and a 10 year old one.

Read your contract. Some expect you to return the house to the condition you received it in. I'm going to assume you took extensive photos when you moved in.?

The stain on the mattress however... Who wants to sleep on a stained mattress! I wouldn't. Clean it properly and then they wont have grounds to do so out of your deposit.

One way to find out. If your landlord charges you, take it the scheme that registered your deposit for adjudication. If they think it's fair wear and tear they'll make the landlord pay up.

Or you could talk to your landlord. Contrary to popular belief they're human beings too..

Mattress stain down to you but not the conservatory roof.

Wear and tear. Would your landlord be able to take a used mattress back to a shop and get a full refund after several years of use?

The mattress you should pay for if you spilled water on it but the roof thing sounds like property maintenance that the landlord should cover.

Thanks all. The mattress is just a ring where a glass of water was spilt and has dried out. I don't mind paying for a clean on that but I don't think it requires a whole new mattress. I've asked to be given the old one if he deems it needs replacing so at least he can't just clean it and charge for a replacement anyway.

There isn't anything in the contract about the outside apart from to maintain to a safe and reasonable standard which I guess is hugely open to interpretation!

He can’t “charge” you for anything, OP, not take it our of your deposit because the deposit belongs to you.

By law he should have placed your deposit in a Deposit Protection Scheme when you moved in. If he didn’t, he’s breaking the law. Even if he did, the deposit is your money, not his, and he has to make a claim against it for any disputed costs, including before and after photos as well as a signed inventory with his claim.

Google “Deposit Protection Scheme” for more information.

You can also find out online whether your landlord has placed your deposit in a DPS. Shelter has good factsheets about it on their website.

The law is very much on the side of the tenant in these cases.