Agent telling me to do washing up...

[PercyPigfangirl]

Advice please. Had flat inspection today, I was not able to attend due to work however ensured flat was generally tidy. Hoovered etc. Had a few friends for dinner last night so there was some plates and cookery things by the sink for washing.

I've been emailed by the agent saying they want to talk to me as concerned about the cleanliness of the flat. I asked them to be more precise and they said the amount of washing that needs doing in the kitchen.

This was something I was not thinking would be any issue... Having some washing by the sink. I admit there was quite a bit due to having friends around but surely I am entitled to reasonable enjoyment of the property and having dishes to be cleaned has nothing to do with them. I would understand if it was something that could damage the property or a dirtiness issue.. but that flat was overall tidy. Don't know how to respond to them and if I've been entirely unreasonable here by not doing it?

It's like people think renters are peasants who should be tugging their forelocks to the landowner

Yes that is exactly what a lot of (homeowning) Mumsnetters think.

They obviously went to the same finishing school as Therese Coffey.

I don't think they should be tugging their forelocks at all. But the reality is that renting is insecure, and there's absolutely nothing out there at the moment. So it makes sense to make the landlord want to keep you on. Which means that once a year It might be with making sure that the place looks well cared for, and that the washing up is done (or hidden).

They should only visit when you are there as you’re belongings are there! I’d email a response saying that you had a few friends over, a late night, an earlier morning and the dishes will as always be addressed when you have the time! I’d then state that in future all inspections should be arranged for a day when you are home as you find their criticism rather petty

Why would you leave dirty dishes when you knew there would be an inspection?

Dear God, it's a bit of washing up. It's not like the op had a wild party and the agent walked into empty beer cans, food trodden into the floors, fag ends in the sink, mice dining on the leftovers and someone's knickers hanging from the lamp shade.
I wouldn't even bother with a response.

That is utterly ridiculous. An inspection should be to ensure that you are not doing anything to damage the property in any way. Leaving a few clothes on an airer or some plates on a drainer has fuck all to do with your landlord or agent. It's completely unreasonable.

Threads like this make me feel grateful for our agents and LL - we've had a rough few months with a lot on and the guy that comes to do the inspections has every time (when I've apologised for clutter) come back at me with 'oh don't worry I'm not here to make judgements just to check if the house is ok, take a few photos and see if there's anything you need me to escalate'. A bit different from a lot of my previous LL's/agents but I have a massively hectic lifestyle and simply don't have the time for a lot of things. It's basically clean but there's a lot of 'stuff'.

I also never allow any appointments for anything if I'm not home - despite the fact it's my LL's 'house' it is actually my 'home' and I pay my rent so I'm poggered if I'll let anyone in whether from the agents or trades without me being here.

OP I think your agents were totally overstepping making that comment, sounds like they felt like they just needed to find 'something' if that makes sense?

This isn't anything against you OP but I always make sure there are no dirty dishes because my estate agent is like this, doesn't do repairs but would play hell if I dared have a few dishes in the sink even if it was because we had just eaten lunch, he wasn't happy when he did an inspection just after I took kids to school one morning and they'd left some lego out, not loads but some and was otherwise clean and tidy. Landlord is being unreasonable but personally I just make sure they are done before inspections just to avoid the hassle.

I'm a tenant.

I absolutely hate inspections because I find them intrusive and with four kids, there's always some washing that needs putting away, a mountain of laundry in the bathroom waiting to be done and 392992 cups in the side of the sink because my children are apparently incapable of using the same one more than once.

I don't go out of my way to clean and tidy before an inspection. My house is not dirty or particularly untidy anyway, it's just a normal family home with four children and two full time working parents.

We had one letting agent moan about the front lawn being a bit long. It was November and had been raining for about three weeks none stop so 🤦🏻‍♀️ it wasn't 'lose a child or pet in the lawn' length, just not freshly cut.

However we have new agents now and she's lovely. Last inspection I had to apologise for an enormous pile of laundry in my bedroom waiting to go away and we had some rubble and scrap metal in back yard (were waiting for a skip to be delivered). She laughed and said 'honey, it's your home. As long as you're not destroying the place, it's fine. We don't expect homes to be show houses, they are homes'.

Your LA sounds like an arse

Painting is recommended every 5 years or so at the landlord’s expense. The carpets and curtains after 14 years would have been very tired. It would have been hard to argue they had anything more than a value of zero so the ll would have struggled to get any money back even if you’d left iron burn marks. This is where the TDS works for shitty landlords and it was obvious you’d win in a dispute.

I’m a ll and I do look to recoup costs for cleaning dirty ovens or filthy carpets - if they were in new or in good condition and professionally cleaned before the tenant moved in. I’ve only ever been to TDS dispute once and I won my claim. I do not charge anything if I’m going to do a refurb because those items will be removed. I’ve had ever so happy long term tenants move out and not pay a bean despite various cleaning issues, damage here to kitchen cabinets, walls, doors, baths, fridge freezer etc. All ignored because they were all ending up in the skip or would be easily repaired in a refurb. Could I have tried to charge them legally? Yes. But morally, no.

@Goldenbear the new oven was because they’re so cheap these days, it’s not much more to replace one than the cost to clean it. In fact, if an oven is really dirty, I will now just replace it as I’ve had cleaners ruin an oven with products and cause issues for the new tenant. The products, if not correctly removed, cause the grill to degrade and shed rusty scum and I certainly would not want that in my or anyone else’s home… not to mention the legal ramifications, which would then be costly to prove I wasn’t negligent. However, you shouldn’t have had to pay for a replacement, only to pay for the value of the clean. The ll would then have been able to use that money to contribute toward a new oven. Sneaky and nasty if the oven was old and due an upgrade. As for the Lino, if it was old, it would have needed replacing anyway. There’s a line between fair wear and tear and additional damage. However, the damage should only have been a relatively small contribution for old lino if anything at all. I know this is now moot. However, tenants should know they have rights.

Invasion of privacy.

Nobody’s business but yours when you wash your dishes and you shouldn’t have to explain yourself.

Just tell them about dinner party and don’t let them have access to your home again unless you’re in. But I wouldn’t tell them that bit just yet in case they’re looking for excuses to increase the rent and it aggravates the situation.

Let them find out nearer the time.

You can't fathom? I have a life that doesn't revolve around dishes.
Friends leave late I go to bed. I couldn't give a stuff about the dishes
I get up and go to work. Sometimes I stay out late enough that the dishes don't get washed even the next night
Next day, I might have a go. ^
I've got a baking dish from 3 nights ago that hasn't yet made it to the dishwasher due to being the wrong shape.^
House still stands and is fragrant as rose. ^^

I used to work in Property Management so I would be the one to do these visits at rented flats.

It’s completely unreasonable for them to even mention this, plus it’s just making more work for themselves in having to send the email!

Send an email to the head of property management at the company explaining that they shouldn’t be commenting on your washing up schedule and that they won’t be allowed to do any further visits without you present.

Dd1 and 3 friends had a house share in London about 10 years ago and the LL was a nightmare. As part of their contract they had to pay £400 for a professional clean by someone appointed by him. They were all post grad medics and the place was kept spotless. Ds's present LL is good at fixing problems in the house but the house has a large back garden on a massive slope and he expects it to be well maintained or they have to pay £300 for a gardener. He does not provide tools etc and ds is a 19 year old student 200 miles from home.

i think i would have done it or at least hidden it

I’m sure your house is fragrant alright….with the smell of those three day old dirty dishes you’re so inordinately proud of.

Taking ten minutes to wash dishes is hardly a life that “revolves around dishes”
It’s called “being an adult” and not living like you’re a Uni student in a squat.

No, it’s actually the opposite trend on this thread, the MN posters who are currently landlords or homeowners are all saying the OP should get snarky and rude with her landlords agent (and landlord). As are some other MN posters who used to work in or used to be tenants in the private rental sector years and years ago.

None of them have the first clue what it is like in the private rental sector right now as a tenant. That’s why, if you look at who is advising what, it is clear it is those of us who are current tenants and have recently been subjected to the mad obstacle course and bidding wars that is securing a rental property TODAY- we are the ones advising being conciliatory and polite.

Because we know for a fact that renting is extremely insecure right now. Agents have their pick of tenants and they want an easy work life as much as anyone. They will get a rude/obnoxious tenant off their books if you hack them off. Agents can easily advise the landlord that the tenant is “trouble waiting to happen” and say “don’t renew the lease- we can get you a better tenant” and the landlord is usually going to take the agents advice.

You obviously didn’t read all the OPs posts because

• the dishes filled the sink and were by inspection swimming in cold soapy congealed water.
• the pots and pans were similarly filled with now cold, congealed soapy water and covered the countertop by the sink.

Lovely to be told to “fuck off”. You are exactly the kind of people landlords are all too happy to evict at the drop of a hat if you go round saying “fuck off” for no reason.

You think landlords will evict someone on the basis that they told someone to fuck off, on an anonymous internet forum, because someone said they should do their washing up? Riiiiiggghhhtttt…..

It is interesting to read the comments with people saying the agent is unreasonable.

To me the main points are still:

• it was very unwise to have a party just before an inspection if you knew it was very likely you would not have time to clear everything up
• of course the agent is going to extrapolate that there might be more people living in the flat because of the amount of dishes left or that you routinely leave places with food lying around without cleaning up
• the best course of action was to either cancel the inspection or postpone your party.

It might not be fair, but it was entirely predictable that the agent might become concerned, considering that agents and landlords have a track record of treating tenants poorly in the UK housing market and always regarding them with suspicion.

You can choose to huff and puff and be offended and send the agent a snarky email, and again be unwise in your interaction with them.

Or you can be smart and send them a short, polite email explaining that this was an unusual situation with work getting in the way of you clearing up after your dinner party and take their comments onboard.

You have to look at the bigger picture: as the tenant you have very little power. Unless you don't mind losing the flat you need to remember that.

Abso-bloody-lutely this! It’s high time people realised the tenants are the paying customer and should be treated with a bit of bloody respect.

It wasn't a party. It was friends over for dinner and since it's her home she can do what she likes when she likes and has no obligation to wash up because a jumped up twat of an agent tells her to.

Tenants are somehow viewed as lucky to be paying huge rents for homes that someone else gets to dictate what can and can't be done in them. It's totally disgusting.

No, I read all the posts and still don't see the problem. How it's described is not slovenly or gross and does not affect an inspection how to the property is being treated. Soaking is not a mess. I could only agree if OP had just left dirty dishes lying all over the counter top.

So glad I've never had to rent

If you rent alone and there was washing up for 4 or more people, they may assume it hasnt been done for a few days rather than having friends for dinner, sure it's just a misunderstanding