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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not put the house back to what it was PART 2

70 replies

itsallgoneshitflavoured · 20/11/2021 10:36

Can someone tell me how to link the other thread please? I'm the OP but unable to log in to that account. Then I will update.

OP posts:
CarrotSticks19 · 20/11/2021 12:29

Did they do the check out the day you moved out? Sounds like thet left it a couple of weeks anyway

Just go through the deposit protection scheme. If you dont even know where the woodwork is damaged it probably isnt. The carpet will be fair wear and tear, irrelevent what they say.

On a seperate note as a tennant if I rented a property with nice non-magnolia walls Id be pretty fucking disappointed to move in to find it had all been painted shitty magnolia!

CarrotSticks19 · 20/11/2021 12:31

Things liks the lightbulbs, apologise and offer to buy the bulbs yourself. £77 for bulbs is a pisstake and they know it

thetwofridas · 20/11/2021 12:32

@CleanQueen123

Absolutely dispute it through the protection scheme. I had a similar issue a few years ago with the letting agent trying to take me for my entire deposit because they were annoyed they couldn't get an extra fortnight's rent from me when my fixed term contract ended.

The bit I found most amusing in their list of the chaos and destruction I'd apparently left was "debris all over the worktop" and a picture of a single grain of rice they must have picked out from behind the sink to illustrate the mess Hmm

They also tried to charge me a £300 administration fee for disputing it.

Oh how I laughed when I got my deposit back Grin

Reminds of a story I saw a while back where some students were given a huge cleaning charge because there was a pea in the fridge or something 😂
Pinkfluff76 · 20/11/2021 12:33

Can you go to the house and take pics? Also ask for the invoice from the cleaning company. They clearly didn’t have to do anything as you’d cleaned it so maybe there isn’t an invoice…

CarrotSticks19 · 20/11/2021 12:35

A previous property we rented contained 2 bags of old magazines/post in the inventory. So we made sure to keep the bags of old magazines and put them back by the back door as per the inventory Grin

Svalberg · 20/11/2021 12:40

@Pinkfluff76

Can you go to the house and take pics? Also ask for the invoice from the cleaning company. They clearly didn’t have to do anything as you’d cleaned it so maybe there isn’t an invoice…
She doesn't have to ask for the invoice, it's all done through the deposit scheme. They have to prove everything and provide invoices for all costs like cleaning.
DrMadelineMaxwell · 20/11/2021 12:41

Bil moved out of his flat and was screwed over with being charged some or his deposit to do a deep clean and/or replace the carpet. Which he begrudgingly accepted.

Until (bit random) my sister, his ex wife, moved into the same flat while she was house hunting.

He helped her move in and saw the same carpet in the same state he had left it in. Not dreadful, just some small marks on the cream carpet.

So he complained with photos and got his money back. Some LLs will try anything to keep hold of some deposit money.

ArrrMeHearties · 20/11/2021 12:43

Sorry that your landlord is still pissing you about op. I was hoping you had managed to get things sorted

CleanQueen123 · 20/11/2021 12:46

@NovemberNovemberDarkNights I know! Clearly I'd been living like an animal Grin nevermind that when I moved in the kitchen was disgusting and when I called to complain the agent asked what I expected her to do about it.

That went in my counter argument with the DPS! It also happened that I vaguely knew the previous tenants and they told me they'd been charged £££ for professional cleaning which obviously wasn't done given the state of the place when I moved in.

Getting the deposit back was probably one of the most satisfying moments of my life😂

ILoveAllRainbowsx · 20/11/2021 12:47

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 20/11/2021 12:49

Have you gone to arbitration yet?

I’m a LL and it’s virtually impossible to gain anything back from the deposit when the property has been trashed so I think your case will get thrown out.

They don’t allow deposit to be taken for cleaning anymore so don’t worry about the £340.

Take them to court. Ignore the letter saying they are taking x from the deposit.

chesirecat99 · 20/11/2021 12:50

It sounds like the landlord is trying to recover the costs of redecorating by claiming for items they think they have a better chance of the TDS agreeing.

You need to compare the check in and check out inventory for all of the items that they are claiming for. There should be photos of the damaged/dirty items in the inventory. If not, ask for them. You also need to ask for proof of the cost of repairing/cleaning the items. The date that you left the property and the date of the inventory will also be important for things like cleaning, the poo in the garden etc that could have changed in the interim.

Unfortunately, £340 sounds like a reasonable price for an end of tenancy clean for a house if the inventory shows that the property was not as clean as it was when you moved in in multiple areas, enough to justify needing a full clean.

Do you want to list the items claimed and what the inventories say about each one so people can advise?

whynotwhatknot · 20/11/2021 12:51

they're clearly after money for some reason after realising they can't do anything about panting and decorating. go through the dispute process i bet you get most of it back

MsAgnesDiPesto · 20/11/2021 12:54

OP, I know you were feeling terrible, but I can’t believe that after all of this saga, you didn’t have it at the forefront of your mind to take photos before you left! It’s so basic. I know you feel that the situation is completely clear-cut in your favour, but this is one instance in which having evidence to back yourself up is vital.

chesirecat99 · 20/11/2021 12:56

@CarrotSticks19

Things liks the lightbulbs, apologise and offer to buy the bulbs yourself. £77 for bulbs is a pisstake and they know it
Unfortunately, it depends whether they have reciepts/invoices to prove it. It will probably be something like £7 for the bulbs, £70 for the minimum charge/call out fee for a handyman or the letting agent's maintenance service.
NovemberNovemberDarkNights · 20/11/2021 13:02

@CarrotSticks19

Things liks the lightbulbs, apologise and offer to buy the bulbs yourself. £77 for bulbs is a pisstake and they know it
They're claiming for the 'fitting' of them too. If they don't live local the bulbs don't put themselves up!

Though I imagine the new tenant could probably have managed 🤣🤣

Original poster
itsallgoneshitflavoured · 20/11/2021 13:03

@MsAgnesDiPesto

OP, I know you were feeling terrible, but I can’t believe that after all of this saga, you didn’t have it at the forefront of your mind to take photos before you left! It’s so basic. I know you feel that the situation is completely clear-cut in your favour, but this is one instance in which having evidence to back yourself up is vital.
I know, it was so stupid of me. I can't believe I forgot. I think it will make fighting my case so much harder and to be honest I don't hold out much hope of getting anything back.
OP posts:
NovemberNovemberDarkNights · 20/11/2021 13:08

[quote CleanQueen123]@NovemberNovemberDarkNights I know! Clearly I'd been living like an animal Grin nevermind that when I moved in the kitchen was disgusting and when I called to complain the agent asked what I expected her to do about it.

That went in my counter argument with the DPS! It also happened that I vaguely knew the previous tenants and they told me they'd been charged £££ for professional cleaning which obviously wasn't done given the state of the place when I moved in.

Getting the deposit back was probably one of the most satisfying moments of my life😂[/quote]
@CleanQueen123. I'd feel the same too

Cheeky bastards, doesn't even cover it does it! Scamming twats gets a bit closer.

CleanQueen123 · 20/11/2021 13:11

Don't be too disheartened @itsallgoneshitflavoured. I didn't have that many pictures to back myself up.

What worked in my favour was me meticulously going through all the pictures the landlord provided and pointing out discrepancies.

They hadn't date stamped the pictures which definitely helped me out. I moved out during a very miserable February. In one picture you could see the garden out of the kitchen window. Glorious sunshine and in full bloom Hmm

I think that alone was enough to make the DPS think they were pulling a fast one without all the other stunts they'd tried.

Marvellousmadness · 20/11/2021 13:19

You renter a house
You lived there for nearly a decade
Still that gives you no rights op
Return in to how it was. Like stated in the contract. And all the money you put in re flooring and stuff well that is your loss really. That's why renting sucks shit.
But them charging you for wear and tear of carpets etc that's rediculous. But them wanting you to return everything to its original state. Well.. that's what you signed on for op.

JacquelineCarlyle · 20/11/2021 13:27

I've been on your side since the start too Op - you have to fight this on principle!

I agree with a pp re knocking on the door of the house & asking the current tenants if you can take some photos. The worst is they'll say no but if they do, then you can at least warn them about the landlord & estate agent so that hopefully they don't get stung when they leave.

Good luck!

Slippy78 · 20/11/2021 13:27

She doesn't have to ask for the invoice, it's all done through the deposit scheme.
They have to prove everything and provide invoices for all costs like cleaning.
They don't have to provide invoices, the LL doesn't even need to carry out the work that they are charging for. It's compensation for the reduced value of the property, not payment for work carried out.

Just like if you prang my car and the insurance pays me for the fix I don't actually have to mend the car, I can blow it all down the pub if I wish and keep driving round in my dented car.

PriamFarrl · 20/11/2021 13:41

Do you have any other pictures you have taken in the house? Pictures of the children etc ? Anything that might help.

SpiderinaWingMirror · 20/11/2021 13:49

Please put it through the deposit scheme. Several friends have done that and had almost every penny back. It's 9 bloody years!

Hapoydayz · 20/11/2021 13:56

Go toTDS we got our whole £4K deposit back that the landlord tried to keep for repainting and carpets we had been there 8 years and was told he should have repainted every 5 years and the carpets were older than 10. He tried bits about woodwork chips too, all disregarded and he didn't get a penny. As you've been there 9 years I would think you would get all yours back.