…Or is my landlord?

[Saffie980]

Hello, I need a sense check please.

I’ve just moved out of a house and a company has conducted a check-out review and noted a large crack on the cistern lid. I accidentally caused the damaged, so understand that there will be some deduction of my deposit. The toilet and flush all still work absolutely fine.

The landlord wants to claim £220 for the cracked cistern lid. I think that’s steep.

Am I being unreasonable? I’m no cistern expert so I can accept if I am being unreasonable!

First of all it is not up to your landlord or estate agent to make the decision to withdraw money from your deposit.

The deposit by law should be in an independent deposit scheme and the landlord need to prove to them that the deduction he is planning to request is justified.

You can contest this with the independent scheme.

Ask the agency to confirm where the deposit is kept and make it clear you are going to query the cost suggested with the deposit scheme.

Frankly does the cistern cover even need to be replaced just because of a small crack?

Is the toilet really old and have you lived in the property for several years? in which case you can argue that this is just normal wear and tear and the landlord is trying to get you to finance a toilet replacement.

It is up to the landlord to prove to the deposit scheme that his demands are reasonable.

I would source the lid myself on eBay, and swap it out. Easy peasy.
Is there a name of the toilet printed on it somewhere?

Well that's what they might have to do, unless you can find that exact lid.

You have to add the agent fee too - they will add something for their time arranging it and meeting the plumber etc. so their charge sounds reasonable to me. It's always going to be more expensive than if you had done it/arranged it.

Absolutely this.

It will most likely be in your favour and the adjudicators will consider residual lifespan, condition, age, quality, value and fair wear and tear of the toilet to avoid betterment.

If for any reason it works in the landlords favour they will only be able to claim based on its current value ie; all steps above are taken into account first. So if it is an old toilet they will probably be able to claim something like £10 at the worst.

You can buy a new toilet including cistern at B&Q for £80. www.diy.com/departments/plumbsure-bodmin-white-close-coupled-toilet-with-standard-close-seat/3663602306306_BQ.prd

Actually ARLA state carpets every 7 years.

Yes plus at least £120 for two hours work from a plumber to remove the old one and fit the new one.

I'm a LL and I'd simply ask £80 to replace toilet and DH would fit it. It's actually not hard at all.

YABU. My cleaner cracked our cistern the same way. It caused a leak and have to replace the cistern and toilet (luckily the flood was fairly minor so no real water damage).
we had to replace the whole lot as they don’t make the lids/ cistern we have any more. In addition, had to call a plumber as don’t want to risk causing even further damage by doing it myself, however simple other may think it is.

You can see all the landlords on here.

Id say it’s wear and tear. They can’t have betterment and a new toilet would be so. Contest it.

Wear and tear doesn't include damage.