to pay so much for a bit of a sweep up?

[makipuppy]

We've just moved out of our flat overseas. When we moved out I asked our (lovely) landlady if she knew a cleaner, because I wanted to leave the flat nice and clean but am too pregnant to 'get down' (in any sense of the word) so couldn't do the floors. The flat is quite big, with wood floors. Before we moved out the cleaner came round to quote - she said she would come with her friend and they would need 8 hours between them, for 80 euros. I thought this was quite a lot (over already clean, everything removed, kitchen wiped) but hey, she promised she would do a good job. Now the landlady has contacted me to say the cleaner told her she had to do the floors twice so needed an extra 70 euros. Landlady has paid her.

Is 15 hours/150 euros not a huge amount of money for mopping a bit of floor and dusting some surfaces? She didn't do the windows.

Am I being unreasonable to tell the landlady she can't take this extra money off our deposit?

oven already clean.

YANBU - it sounds to me as if your landlady is telling porkies.

If you agreed 8 hours then you agreed 8 hours. Not 15 hours.

Depends if you want any kind of ongoing relationship with "lovely" landlady! Is it worth you getting another theoretical quote (based on square footage) from another cleaning company to use as a discussion point?

Seems a lot of money but you need something to compare it to. Also is there any proof that the cleaner did twice the amount of work?

Well, the landlady is honest. We got to know her quite well and she was very gooey about my pregnancy, found me a midwife, etc. I've emailed her back asking her to ask the cleaner (a neighbour) to justify the extra hours when she had seen the flat before she quoted.

Actually when she came over, her son was with her and made quite a few comments about how we must be rich to afford such a big flat etc., how much did we pay. I didn't reply!

I think he's pressured his mum into asking for more money.

I won't need to have any further contact with the landlady, but she has been so nice and supportive that, if the landlady won't give the money back, I'll have to pay because I woudn't want her to be out of pocket.

Landlady has emailed back to say she will discuss with cleaner.

I wouldn't mind if she'd done the windows or something extra.

Feeling cross and ripped off. With a baby nearly here that's a lot of nappy money!

Nah, just re-read original post and agree - if the cleaner came round then she must have been able to assess how mucky the floors were and so priced the job accordingly.

YANBU

Exactly, that's what I said to the landlady. Problem is the landlady is soft as butter and has just said yes. I even emailed her to tell her the price I had agreed with the cleaner so this wouldn't happen.

I'm no great cleaner but even I could get an empty flat like a new pin in 8 hours and then spend the next 7 having a nice nap.