Landlords text message.

[Pennypocket9]

I’m moving out soon and my landlord has sent me a message about returning the property in the same clean condition it was rented to me in, with no rubbish for him to dispose of, including oven and carpet clean.

Im really not worried as I have photos to prove this but I really can’t believe the cheek of him. When I moved in it the property was filthy, the toilet was filthy, skirting boards filthy, garden was over grown and had rubbish in the grass, one carpet had a big stain and they were all threadbare, the oven wasn’t cleaned at all, it was filthy. As well as the hob.

I feel like replying back about the state the house was in. Aibu?

Depends whether you want/ need your deposit.

Cheeky bugger!
Please tell me you have photos of the state it was when you moved in 😬

Do you have dated photos from when you moved in?

Is it through an agent or do you rent directly from the landlord? Is your deposit in the protection thingy?

Do you have photos of the state it was when you moved in?

Don’t respond. Just ignore, you want your deposit back and he’s a CF. Don’t goad him.

Does your contract say you have to return it in clean condition or you have to return it in condition it was when you moved in?

Was there an inventory done when you moved in, which shows how bad it was?

In any event, I wouldn't refer to actually how bad it was, I'd be more oblique in my reply and say something like 'I'll leave it in no worse a condition than it was when I moved in.' He's not stupid, he knows it was shit.

If there was no inventory signed by you, he has no evidence either way as to its previous condition, good, bad, ugly or otherwise.

Do you have photos of the condition or was on when you moved in? And he's asked you to return in the same? I'd have some fun with this if so...

It's a bit shit this, because I'm fairly certain your contract will specify leaving the property clean, tidy, empty of rubbish and with a professional carpet and oven clean.

The condition on arrival isn't relevant to departure condition excepting pre-existing damage.

The time to bring up the state of the place when you moved in sadly was when you moved in. You could have demanded a deep clean at that point, or refused the tenancy.

I strongly suspect that now you do have to fulfil the contractual obligations.

Shit though.

Id send those pics to jog his memory

Reply and say Great thanks, I still have all the photos of the condition of the house when moved in so I will ensure to adhere to those same standards.

Love it.

Hi op. As a landlord who always gives the house clean as we pay and document the cleaners who attend its a given the house needs to be given back clean so it's not anything he needed to text and ask for, at check out the agent will inspect and review against the check in pictures. The threshold is set in the tenants favour the houses are never given back to me clean and we have never charged someone for it, the agent has to send all this info to the tenants deposit scheme who have the final say as to if you can charge agasint the deposit. Your deposit must be in a scheme. I wouldn't worry , if you can document the house wad dirty and he won't be able to prove it was clean you're fine. In any case small amounts of dirt are very rarely even noticed by the agent when they do the checkout . Actually agents don't notice serious damage either but that's for another thread lol
Good luck.

The contract just says ‘return to the same condition as when I moved in’

He didn’t give me an inventory but I took photos of everything, which is all dated on the day I got the keys

I would send all the photos with a message saying "Photos taken on day of moving in. Please confirm if this is the standard to which you wish the property returned."

But only if your deposit is protected!

Deposit should have been protected and it’s not so easy for landlords to keep any of it anymore.

.

in my experience the rental property paradox is that I’ve had to leave each property I’ve rented in spotless condition at the end of my tenancy, yet each property I’ve moved into has been grubby and not seen a marigold glove for many moons 🤔

Sorry OP I expect it’ll be easier to keep quiet until your deposit is safely returned, but I’d be tempted to offer ‘feedback’ once the money hits my account. Unless you need a reference for a future landlord. But yes it sucks how cheeky some landlords can be.

@Pennypocket9 is your deposit in a registered scheme? You will have been provided with the details if it is.

If it isn't, your landlord is breaking the law and will be unable to retain your deposit.

Op sorry.. I've assumed you have an agent... is there an agent involved or does the landlord manage this himself? I really don't think you have anything to worry about, he needs to also allow for fair wear and tear and and there will always be some dust and dirt when the house is given back. It doesn't mean the house isn't clean. You're obviously giving it back to him cleaner then he gave to you amd I'm sure that's all he's expecting but if you want confirmation send an email with your comments so you have a copy of everything. If he gave you the house dirty and you give it back to him reasonable clean he will think that's a win I'm sure.

The deposit should have been protected within a reputable scheme, and if not, your landlord can be penalised for not doing so.

Also, a decent tenancy agreement should have reference to a prepared inventory report to evidence the condition of the property at the start but if that is not the case here at least you have time stamped photos.

Landlords can no longer make unreasonable deductions from the deposit so I wouldn’t worry about that happening.

I would respond to him to say that you will return the property to the condition existing at the commencement of the tenancy as evidenced by the photographs that you have.

dont rock the boat with an arsey message back. Just roll your eyes and send the message above, it’s perfect. You know what it means, he’s just being a willy waggling twat.

If he deposit isn't protected he's fucked and she's laughing.

with no rubbish for him to dispose of, including oven and carpet clean. can you manage that? I would just get some oven cleaner and clean it but presumably you've been cleaning it anyway. The carpet is the only thing you'd have to pay for then.

They can't make you clean the carpets.