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AIBU?

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Original poster

Damage by tenant

137 replies

Babysister · 15/04/2023 16:30

Am I being unreasonable to feel the way the tenant has left my house is unreasonable?

Two years ago I was offered a job in France through a teacher exchange and decided to rent out my house while I was living there. I was not sure of my future plans so put all my belongings and furniture into storage to let my house unfurnished. My dream was to move elsewhere when I retired but my personal circumstances have changed so I decided to move back to my house when the tenant gave notice.

I arrived in the UK last week to collect the keys to my now empty house having got a new job here. I fully expected to need to decorate after a two year let and clean carpets etc but was hoping that would be all. Maybe I was being unrealistic!

All the carpets are stained, there are lots of picture hooks on the walls as well as damage where the tenant has used poly filler to fill in a large hole but not sanded it down, there are sticky hooks on the fireplace which I cannot get off and the blinds ( new two years ago) are badly damaged in two rooms - will need replacing.

However, the main issue is that they have removed fitted wardrobes in the box room and left a real mess behind - missing skirting board, bare walls with uneven plaster and large holes in walls where screws were. I did find the wardrobe and drawers in pieces in the garage, along with some other rubbish like old carpets, only fit for the tip! The carpets were not from my house!

The property agents are going to come and look at the house on Monday to give their opinion but I thought I would ask here if I would be wrong to hold back some of the £1000 deposit to replace the wardrobes and blinds, as well as repair the worst of the damage caused by holes in the walls. I’m not sure some of the carpet stains can be cleaned but I’ll be replacing them soon so am not bothered too much about them.

My plans were to get my things out of storage in a couple of weeks after the decorators have been in but I think it will take longer than that now so I’ll be staying longer in my hotel room than I thought.

I’ve attached a couple of photos to try to show the damage.

Damage by tenant
Damage by tenant
Damage by tenant
Damage by tenant
Damage by tenant
OP posts:
L3ThirtySeven · 15/04/2023 17:58

You have to itemise the damages you are deducting and have quotes to back them up. You can’t say this, that and so I’m keeping all of it without itemising.

lipstickwoman · 15/04/2023 17:58

Are tenants not expected to repair things they damage?

LIZS · 15/04/2023 17:59

No definitely inspections as well as I have photos from two previous ones. They asked for 12% initially but I bargained with them as my sister uses them for three houses she rents out! I8

Dod they also do a Non Resident Landlord tax deduction?

L3ThirtySeven · 15/04/2023 18:02

lipstickwoman · 15/04/2023 17:58

Are tenants not expected to repair things they damage?

That’s too vague a question. Generally yes, but there is fair wear and tear which is a normal level of damage expected based on length of tenancy, and age of the item/condition it was in when the tenancy started vs it’s expected life span.

lipstickwoman · 15/04/2023 18:04

Spilling things on a carpet (and not cleaning it) and knocking sockets out of the wall is not usual wear and tear in my house.

eatdrinkandbemerry · 15/04/2023 18:06

Withhold the deposit until you get a quote for the repairs!
Totally disrespectful and unnecessary to damage your property x

Rewis · 15/04/2023 18:08

Who gets rid of a closet in a rented house? I've always rented and I would never say that's wear and tear. Maybe if the blinds were the only thing or the stains were the only thing etc. But all of it?! Get your money back through the deposit. That's not normal.

Inyournightgarden · 15/04/2023 18:12

They should def loose the deposit, but you should also give them some form of financial compensation for having to live with those hideous blinds

VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 15/04/2023 18:12

We have those blinds, honestly they are shit. You try and clean them and they bend, so you try and bend them back and they sort of go, but not the same. Then next time you dust them, they fold themselves up again. That’s before you’ve tried to pull them up so you can clean the windows and the whole fucking thing falls down.
Whoever invented them needs shooting.
we rent and when we move I know we are going to have to replace them, despite the fact they are shit and uncleanable, and not particularly user friendly. .

xxooxx · 15/04/2023 18:13

Lindy2 · 15/04/2023 16:51

Yes. It comes from their deposit to put right. Normal wear and tear doesn't count so just repainting wouldn't be deductible. The wall damage and replacing the fitted wardrobe should be paid for though. Also desposing of the old carpets that aren't yours.

You have to itemise and price the deductions you want to make.

The tenant then has to agree. Hopefully they will or it triggers a dispute process.

Your agents will advice and the deposit protection scheme has set processes you need to do.

Sometimes agents will try and be lenient because they don't want to risk the dispute process. I'd suggest keep it fair and hold your ground.

£1,000 is hopefully enough to cover it all. You're unlikely to get them to contribute any more than the deposit though so unfortunately any extra costs are usually covered by the landlord.

It's just one of those things that experienced landlords get used to and incorporate into their budgets.

Mumsnet like to call landlords the money grabbing villans but in reality getting good tenants that are careful and respectful of the property is a rare and valuable thing. Most tenants cause more damage than homeowners would to where they live.

That's such a generalisation! I'm a tenant and when my LL (rented their property to move abroad for a few years for work) came back to inspect he said it looked better than when he lived in it.
It's a mentality, not a tenant thing. I want to live in a house that looks like mine. So I keep it looking nice, as I would if I owned it.

Some people have no alternative but to rent, doesn't mean they want to live in a shithole and destroy someone else's property. We really need to change the mindset in this country. Renting is a thing, and it's not going away anytime soon.

Bad renters like yours OP are horrible, and I'm sorry this happened to you. But the trope "shit renters" has to stop before it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

L3ThirtySeven · 15/04/2023 18:13

lipstickwoman · 15/04/2023 18:04

Spilling things on a carpet (and not cleaning it) and knocking sockets out of the wall is not usual wear and tear in my house.

You are familiar with the concept of a stain? This is a mark that remains no matter how much you clean it. So stains do not mean no cleaning has happened.

Secondly, carpets in rental properties are usually replaced every five years. So, that is why I said the carpet could be fair wear and tear depending on how old the carpet was when the OP leased their home. If they were brand new for the tenant, yes probably damage. But if the carpets were a few years old already, a few new stains are probably going to be fair wear and tear.

Thelittleweasel · 15/04/2023 18:14

@Babysister

I would go the whole hog here. Bill for damage and advise deposit holding company to get money from them. If needed summons through County Court for any balance unpaid. [What used to be small claims court]. Above all an honest reference for any one foolish enough to wish to rent to them again!

Cherrysoup · 15/04/2023 18:15

Why on earth would they remove fitted wardrobes? How weird! I’d hold back as much as the deposit scheme allows, you have photos with proof of damage.

BlackFriday · 15/04/2023 18:16

Re: the fitted wardrobes, they replace them at their own expense.
And then you use the deposit money for the carpets etc..

L3ThirtySeven · 15/04/2023 18:17

I’ve just seen the carpets were brand new. In which case you can definitely deduct cost of professional carpet clean from the deposit and if it doesn’t get the carpets in a decent condition you can pursue damage costs to replace them.

Sourfairy · 15/04/2023 18:18

As the letting agents didn't conduct a check out then I think you could have a real problem here. The tenants could claim that none of that damage existed when they left. Obviously you know otherwise but without a check out inventory and photos by the agent, it can't be proved and the deposit protection service would have to side with the tenant.

PrincessofWellies · 15/04/2023 18:19

TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl · 15/04/2023 17:37

Honestly OP unless your tenant pays a really small amount the deposit will cover this. There is no structural damage or huge massive bill.

From one accidental landlord to another - you can’t sweat these things, it’s part of being a landlord

There is no such thing as an 'accidental landlord'. You rent a property out, that's a decision, you enter into a legally binding contract, there's nothing accidental about that either.

lipstickwoman · 15/04/2023 18:21

I've certainly been an accidental landlord. I was executor for someone who owned a rental at the time of their death. The whole experience put me off being a landlord for life.

VariantHela · 15/04/2023 18:22

When we were renting we would have never of removed fitted wardrobes! Actually quite shocked at that

CheersForThatEh · 15/04/2023 18:23

Babysister · 15/04/2023 17:40

Thanks for your comments about the deposit service being on the side of the tenants. Unfortunately the wardrobes cannot be refitted as they were damaged when being dismantled and the some of the doors are in pieces. They were old and flat packed though so wouldn’t expect as new replacement, just a portion of the cost of buying a new unit. Would it be reasonable to get a quote for repairing the damage to the skirting boards and making the wall good enough to paint as I was thinking of putting a desk in there instead - although the room will need a new carpet as there was none underneath the wardrobe.

I’m struggling to work out why she removed the wardrobes, they were definitely there in Feb 2022 in an inspection photo when there was a bed there as well. The room looks such a mess that I cannot imagine anyone sleeping in there recently!

Show quote history

Why wouldnt you expect them to pay the full cost of new wardrobes? You only need to replace them because they broke them.

I think you need to be a lot less apologetic for their shitty treatment of your home.

I've never treated a house like or or known people who do. They've taken the piss and treated it, and you, poorly.

CheersForThatEh · 15/04/2023 18:26

Babysister · 15/04/2023 17:40

Thanks for your comments about the deposit service being on the side of the tenants. Unfortunately the wardrobes cannot be refitted as they were damaged when being dismantled and the some of the doors are in pieces. They were old and flat packed though so wouldn’t expect as new replacement, just a portion of the cost of buying a new unit. Would it be reasonable to get a quote for repairing the damage to the skirting boards and making the wall good enough to paint as I was thinking of putting a desk in there instead - although the room will need a new carpet as there was none underneath the wardrobe.

I’m struggling to work out why she removed the wardrobes, they were definitely there in Feb 2022 in an inspection photo when there was a bed there as well. The room looks such a mess that I cannot imagine anyone sleeping in there recently!

Show quote history

I'd be looking to bill them to make he wardrobes etc right whether you intend to or not. Someone else may be able to advise whether you need to actually buy wardrobes and prove you spent the money on that.

Twocoffeesisbetterthanone · 15/04/2023 18:27

My goodness what have they been up to in there? We've had our house for 2 years and it's barely scuffed. No stains. Blinds are fine.

I just don't understand how someone has the time and energy to wreck a house. 😂

Ask the neighbours what they were like. Were there parties?

I expect there was a standing ovation as they moved out!!

Take lots of before and after photos OP and claim as much as you can.

LadyAstor · 15/04/2023 18:27

Shocking but not as bad as some.

Regarding the strange removal of the built-in wardrobe, I’m wondering if the tenant took it down in order to fit a massive TV in the Corner? Check behind the posters - they’re placed in an odd position.

HappyMe6 · 15/04/2023 18:29

Hold some of the deposit back, no way I’d be keeping the lot! Your tenant is a cheeky mate! And removing fixed wardrobes I’d be spitting feathers!

drpet49 · 15/04/2023 18:31

Thelittleweasel · 15/04/2023 18:14

@Babysister

I would go the whole hog here. Bill for damage and advise deposit holding company to get money from them. If needed summons through County Court for any balance unpaid. [What used to be small claims court]. Above all an honest reference for any one foolish enough to wish to rent to them again!

This, this and this.