AIBU to expect carpet and house clean for new rental when specified?

[mummy2CnB]

We spent the weekend moving into a rental house. I haven't lived in a private rental before, so it's all new to me.

As the previous tenant had a cat, we specifically asked if the house would be deep cleaned and the carpets professionally cleaned, or if we could arrange this before moving in, as I have terrible cat allergies. We were told it's standard practice for the previous tenant to arrange this and that, if it wasn't done, they would ensure it was completed during their inspection period between move-out and move-in. I double-checked and confirmed that I meant a DEEP clean and PROFESSIONAL carpet clean, and this was confirmed again.

Upon moving in, things looked fine on the surface. We moved ourselves due to the cost, so the day was very hectic and busy. When we finally settled down for the evening, especially once we were in our new bedroom, I started to suffer from severe breathing difficulties, a runny nose, bloodshot eyes, and swelling of the whites of my eyes due to my cat allergy. I had to spend our first night sitting upright by an open window just to be able to breathe.
I called the rental company, and all she could say was that it said "cleaned" on the notes and that someone would contact me on Monday.

I made them fully aware that I needed to buy a Vax carpet cleaning machine and do it myself just so I could be in my own room.
Over the weekend, when unpacking kitchen items, I found cat hair in the cupboards, thick dirt on the hinges, and dirt in the vents for the fridge and oven.
I spent hours scrubbing and bleaching the whole room.

I sent pictures of the dirt and the water from cleaning the carpet they claimed had been cleaned less than a week before.

The response today was basically: "Sorry to hear that. We will ask the previous tenant for a cleaning receipt, and you won't need to do an end-of-tenancy clean when you leave."
I think that's a joke of a response, no?

AIBU to expect at least the cost of the Vax machine I bought to do it myself? Or even compensation for the hours of cleaning I've had to do just to be able to live in the property?

YANBU – They need to offer more than that.
YABU – You're in now and need to suck it up.

I am really sorry you seem to suffer from such an awful allergy but I think for most properties it would be expected that the property was simply cleaned by the previous tenant and returned in the state received ( minus wear & tear) But not a DEEP clean and PROFESSIONAL carpet clean. This extra level would be something for the landlord and yourselves as agreed.
I think the cost of the vax would be on yourselves unless the landlord had agreed to cover the purchase ...presumably you will be using it again and not giving it to the landlord if they are covering the cost? I think this not not something that the landlord would do normally.

Depressingly, I think it's very typical. I've had a lot of rentals where quite obviously the property hadn't been cleaned in more than a cursory way. Because we don't have allergies I always just took photos and then used them at the end of tenancy to argue against being billed for a professional clean (which is what these landlords always tried to insist on). The few places that had been cleaned to a good standard, we just cleaned like for like at the end.

I do see the PP's point about a deep clean being maybe more than you'd automatically expect, but since you kept asking about it and they agreed, they really should have done it rather than lying to you. I don't know where you stand legally, though.