Damage by tenant

[Babysister]

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.

as op has stated the blinds were brand new. And no an outlet out of the wall is not 'wear and tear' it's property damage.

I don't think the tenants will be seeing any of their deposit back. You could probably do a lot of the repairs and cleaning yourself to keep costs down, but I don't see why you should.

OP before you do anything, take extensive photographs of everything, every room, every angle, open doors and curtains, do inside and out. Then go again with a video, video the entire house.
I've just successfully claimed the full deposit back from my tenant but I was expected to provide extensive evidence. Make sure to include all damage, even if you weren't planning on claiming. Because the DPS can knock random stuff off for no reason at all. A PP mentioned the calculated wear and tear based on life of the item, this is true so bear that in mind. I created a great document that I used for mine to claim back. Please send me a private message and I'll happily share it on email.

There are some really useful case studies and examples of how to calculate what to take from a deposit on the TDS website HERE.

I used these when my landlord tried to charge me hundreds of pounds for normal wear and tear, but I think they might also be helpful in your circumstances. Good luck!

I'm a renter. I've lived in my house for over 10 years, moving out in the next 6 weeks, and would I never dream of leaving my house like this. We have a damaged light switch and some skirting which we are fixing before leaving, as well as a fresh coat of paint. I've actually improved my home, rather than let it get into a state like this. But other renters give us all a bad rep. Usual wear and tear can't be taken out of deposit, but after only 2 years your carpets it shouldn't be that bad, so this is definitely something you should be charging for.

Also to the poster who claims good tenants are rare and most tenants cause more damage than owners, what an ignorant comment. We aren't all monsters living in squalor happy to trash houses and rip things off the walls. Actually most tenants are completely normal people who don't go around damaging their rental property, because it's their home. Most renters want to live in a nice home and keep it nice. If most renters trashed every house they rented, no one would ever want to be a LL at all and the rental market wouldn't exist.

I also say check behind those posters. The placement is really weird and sus.

Bloody hell, the tenant is totally unreasonable. What a mess! There is no way that blinds should have been damaged - what did they do to them? And taking apart the fitted wardrobes - wtf?

She should have had carpets cleaned too, and made walls good.

Your letting agents have let you down. I'm amazed they didn't inspect after the tenant moved out.

Not sure if this has been mentioned OP, but you should really get the agents in to do a proper final checkout procedure/inventory before you do anything to the property. They shouldn't have given you the keys back before this was done really, even if the tenant wouldn't meet them there, they should have gone in themselves after.

If YOU do the report, the tenants could just say that you ripped out the wardrobes when you moved back in and are trying to charge them for it etc etc.. one of the reasons to use an agent is to have an official impartial account of everything. If you try and do it yourself I doubt you'll see any of that deposit back.. and to be honest they shouldn't get away with the state they've left it in.

I'm an accidental landlord and I'd want the wardrobes making good, the hole in the wall dealing with properly and the plug socket sorting, I wouldn't worry about the blinds (if they are only the thin metal types, as they do bend/break), and the things on the fireplace, (they will come off).

Don't mention to anyone that you want to get rid of the wardrobes, just charge an agreeable amount as to what it would have cost to repair/replace and do what you want to do in that room.

@Babysister you should absolutely be claiming for all damage.

You can't claim for betterment, but can claim an adjusted value for age e.g the carpets, blinds, wardrobe etc...

You then need to get a quote for the wall to be replastered and painted, skirting board replaced, a wardrobe fitted etc...

This will probably be more than the deposit so be prepared to sue the tenant for any extra.

@Fernanfrank That will be @Lindy2 who definitely needs to meet our houses!

Blimey-

On the other hand I've just been charged (asa tenant) £420 for a house clean by Savills on a house that had only been professionally cleaned by molly maids 2 months before. Strictly speaking the house was still in our name although we had moved out and they then charged us when the new tenants moved in 2 months later as house was now- 'a bit dusty' - plus £60 for 4 of the picture Velcro stickers I forgot to remove in the hall and £35 for a crack in the bottom freezer chiller drawer. (Can't remember cracking it but possible I didn't notice it when we moved in)

Your tenants though OP have taken the piss- particularly on the wardrobes - who does that!!

You need to claim for everything that's terrible!

@Fernanfrank I agree- we've rented lovely houses for 20 years. My home looks exactly as if it were owner occupied (much better than many) - mind you when viewing places I've been suprised at how 'some' renters don't seem to give a crap about their surroundings- and these are lovely big family houses. I'm sure though if I was viewing to buy the situation would be the same.

Yawn. It’s just a saying. Calm yourself down.

Absolutely keep the entire £1k. Tenants like this contribute to the problem of landlords selling up.

The wardrobes are a piss take so yes I would be charging to sort that wall out & clear the stuff they left in the garage. The hooks,
carpets and wall I couldn’t be arsed with. You’ll get the hooks off, easier to sand the wall and said you want to replace the carpets anyway. The blinds… quite honestly
OP they’ve done you a favour.

It's just a saying really. All the term means is that you didn't buy a property specifically to rent out, you end up with a property that you can either rent or sell, either through death, inheritance or in my case you meet someone with their own house too and you decide to move in together.

The hooks and blinds are to be expected. Especially as the blinds look cheap.

But the state of those walls and plugs!!

I've been a landlord for 20 years. I absolutely believe you are great tenants and keep your homes looking lovely. My current tenants are the same and I'm charging a significantly below market rate rent because I'd like them to stay.

I'd say for every 10 tenants 2 or 3 are great, 1 or 2 are horrendous and the rest are OK. They all get referenced and credit checked but that doesn't really help determine how they will be. I no longer rent to divorced men who have just split from their wives. They usually fall into the horrendous category and I'm can see why they are separated and I'm glad their wives no longer have to put up with them.

'Accidental landlord' is a term coined for people who did not want to ge landlords but due to work/ caring responsibilities have to let out their main/ only owned property whilst they live elsewhere for a short period of time.

Absolutely not! That damage and the replacements needed are going to cost in excess of a £1000 deposit! I’d be getting ready to take this mucky tenant to small claims court. Feel for you, OP.

Landlord here. We had to have date stamped photos when the tenant moved in

I no longer rent to divorced men who have just split from their wives. They usually fall into the horrendous category and I'm can see why they are separated and I'm glad their wives no longer have to put up with them.

Funnily enough the only time I used an agent and (stupidly) let them persuade me to have a “professional” tenant was a recently divorced man with a good job. Most expensive tenant I’ve ever had in terms of repairs and costs to get rid. Also thought rent was something that he could pay “when I get round to it”. Was a nightmare.

There’s a couple of other LLs I know that say the same.

I'm a landlord to a recently divorced man and he keeps it immaculate!

hairdryer and dental floss may work on removing the stick on hooks