Rental house and end-of-tenancy professional cleaning AIBU

[WellWhyNot]

Hi all,

Could you help me out with a house rental cleaning query, please?

My housemates and I are arranging a professional clean for a rental house as we are all moving out.

I’m on a shared tenancy contract with the other tenants (I’ve lived in the house for 6 months and the longest-staying tenant, tenant ‘A’, moved in 4 years ago).

The cleaning company visited yesterday evening and refused to clean, saying that the house was too dirty to clean. They took photos to send back to their colleagues

(For added context, we are now trying to arrange for a new set of cleaners through the same company to clean the house instead. They have seen the photos sent by the previous set of cleaners and will let me know soon if they can come to clean.)

Anyway, I found out today - completely off the record and in confidence - that the house hasn’t been cleaned professionally in 8 years. I was told this verbally by a contractor hired by the estate agent to do some work on the house after we all leave.

I don’t want to mention this info to the estate agent as I’m concerned saying this and attributing this to the contractor could get him fired or lead to problems for him.

Tenant ‘A’ (mentioned above) has said now he didn't know when moving in when the house had last been cleaned professionally.

’A’ says that, when each of us signed the tenancy agreement, this was our legal acceptance of the state of the house at the time when we moved in.

So, now, we are responsible for the state of the house even though we all moved in at different times and even though it’s now been a very long time after the last professional clean.

’A’ says, in hindsight, he would have asked for the house to be cleaned professionally when he moved in and a new inventory to be issued for the house.

Realistically, we cannot get the house back to the same standard of cleanliness that it was 8 years ago.

However, we have no written proof from the estate agent or landlord that the last professional clean of the house was 8 years ago.

Where do we stand on this? Do we have to just accept we will not get back our full deposits from the estate agent, even though the last professional clean took place before any of us moved in?

I think you’re overthinking King the contracts and timescale. Clean the house yourselves and get a company to come in after you. Yes it’s rubbish but it will be cheaper than losing the deposit. Or get a different company to do the whole thing-it will just take time and money.
If you’re in London I’ll suggest a company.

Come on OP fees up, it must be filthy.

You’re adults.
Hot water, elbow grease and bleach should do it.
Plus think on about how your own home to be in a few years.

Ignore the rogue King and send us some photos! Get off MN-you could have cleaned behind a radiator

You can also ask for copies of receipts from prior cleans

Some Tenancy agreements specify that a professional clean must be done on departure, from what OP says that’s the case here.

Im just here to find out how dirty this house is

What does the inventory say? Usually it specifies the level of cleanliness. If it doesn't specify anything or doesn't say professionally cleaned, it doesn't have to be professionally cleaned by you unless the landlord has proof it was. You do have to leave it in the same level of cleanliness that it was at the start of the tenancy though. It should say things like whether the oven was clean, there was limescale on the sink etc. If it doesn't or there is no inventory, the landlord will need to prove how clean the property was before making any deductions from the deposit.

Even if it was professionally cleaned at the start of the tenancy, if you clean the property to the same level of cleanliness and take photos on move out day of everything to prove it, the landlord would have to provide evidence that it was not up to professional standards to be able to make deductions from the deposit.

That said, if a professional company refused to clean, it does sound like you've let it get in a pretty bad state. You need to get cleaning.

Basically, the cleaning company are saying that, because there is mould, rust and limescale in the bathroom, they are only able to clean the house by waiving the guarantee that comes with the service or by increasing the price of the clean.

I’ve now asked them if they can ignore the mould, limescale and rust in the bathroom (which they say they can’t clean) and focus on cleaning everything else.

I’ve said to the company that I know it’s not their fault but I feel like I’m going round in circles with this. I already asked them in a previous phone call this morning, after the original set of cleaners left, if they could still do the clean and ignore the limescale and rust.

If there is no up to date inventory then I think you might be ok. If I were you I’d get some proper legal advice. Maybe citizens advice? Mumsnetters are helpful but don’t always give the correct advice.

Are you sure your deposit is in a proper secured scheme?

I’d want to see proof of when the flat was last professionally cleaned?

Did you take up a new rental contract direct with the landlords estate agent?

The checking-out procedure letter from the estate agent says this:

• The property must be cleaned throughout to a professional standard as stated in your tenancy agreement.

• This includes windows, fridges, ovens and all other parts of the property.

• If the inventory states that the property is not cleaned to a professional standard, we are obliged to instruct a cleaning company to bring the property up to this standard.

The tenancy contract says this:

• To clean to (or pay for the cleaning to) a professional standard, the premises, its fixtures and fittings, including the cleaning of any windows, carpets, curtains (including net curtains), blankets, bedding, upholstery etc. which have become soiled, stained or marked during the tenancy.

• To provide, upon request, receipts to the landlord or his agent to demonstrate compliance with this clause.

The inventory clerks, who will do a check-out inspection of the house when we leave the house, have said this:

• A copy of the professional cleaning receipt is required; if not available it will be noted on the report as ‘not professionally cleaned’.

The inventory we have actually mentions that the bathroom (which the cleaning company didn’t want to clean because of mould and rust) has mould and rust in it and is dirty, dusty and discoloured.

How has it got so dirty that a cleaning company have said they won't clean it?

Spend the weekend cleaning and get everyone else to do it too.

The inventory I mentioned in my post above is from 2014.

It must be really grim? I'm struggling to see how it can have been cleaned weekly and still be bad enough that people who see grime every day won't touch it with a barge pole.

Weve rented for ten years moving every year to two years and never got it professionally cleaned. We just cleaned it, hired carpet cleaner and presented it as such. Always got deposit back. However how dirty is the house if they refusing the clean it?

The condition of the house is dirty but it’s not beyond help. I think it will be much better with a professional clean. Still trying to negotiate with the cleaning company.

Oh I see. So the cleaners are basically saying that because of the state of the bathroom they will not guarantee you will get your deposit back.
In that case ask them to do it, accept their conditions. Tell inventory people to swivel.

So it is required to be "a professional standard" not professionally cleaned. Give the bathroom a real go yourselves first, lots of products can deal with mould and limescale but they often need more than one treatment and time to work, longer than cleaners would be on site. If it was already noted on inventory then it cannot be deducted from deposit. Is the oven/cooker clean? Any other grime spots?

I'm convinced that in the last flat we lived in the estate agents just claimed to use professional cleaners to get money. We moved in after professional cleaners had been in. There was so much hair and other small things that no way was it professionally cleaned (it was basic standard clean) and when we moved out they have us part of the deposit back because they needed professional cleaners to come in. I'm convinced that they are just letting it to the next person and leaving it got eh basic clean that we had done.

If the inventory says that the bathroom has mould and rust, then you don't have to worry about that. You don't have to leave it in a better state than it was. Get some Viakal gel and get rid of the limescale.

Get the professional cleaners back and ask them to give a guarantee for everything except the mould and rust stains.

Get some mould and mildew spray for the mould spray and leave over night.
Some pink stuff for rust And some harpic black for the limescale in the toilet and a 2p for limescale I’m taps.
Honestly just clean it.
It blows my mind that 6 years ago the inventory said the bathroom had mould and was dirty and that one of the tenants hasn’t just cleaned it and now it’s so bad that cleaners won’t clean it. Why on earth did you move in?

I think any house that has been lived in for many years will have signs of wear and tear. Surely, they can't expect the house to look brand new. Just accept the terms the cleaning company gave you and go ahead. I can't see the issue.

That doesn’t have to be professionally cleaned, just cleaned to that standard, ie clean. Get the professionals back without their guarantee and do the bathroom yourselves.

You still haven't said why they think it's too dirty for then to clean. If that's the case how the heck have you all let it get into that state. When the last 'professional clean' was done is irrelevant. You should be keeping it clean all the time anyway, in which case all of this is a non-issue. Get off your butts regardless of how long you've lived there, drop the excuses and get scrubbing!

I'm not sure how the law stands but in Wales you cannot force a tenant to use a professional company even if its written into a contract. I suggest some good Googling.