We are coming to the end of a 12 month contract (not an AST as rent is over £25k per year)
Our landlords have recently supplied us with a 20 page cleaning schedule and have insisted that we use specific contractors to do the carpets, curtains and cleaning. These are commercial companies, charging commercial rates. Can they do this?
Secondly, they are insisting that we pay around £500 for the soft oak wood floors to be varnished by a specific company. In our view floors are there to be walked on, and the passage of time and wear and tear is covered in our rent. Therefore can they force the issue and if they do, where do we stand legally? Surely this is betterment and they should bear the costs?
We did sign a 40 page contract (the warning bells were ringing then but we liked the house) and it does stipulate re the oiling of the floors but we thought that we would be able to do it ourselves. We don't think we should have to do more than have the house professionally (not commercially) cleaned and return it to them in a fair state less reasonable wear and tear. Is this correct? If we do this, and they dispute the condition of the property, our deposit is not protected in the DPS but is only held by the lettings agent as the landlord agents so we are not feeling confident that we'll be treated fairly and they have over £3000 of our money.
They are incredibly difficult people to deal with and seem to work to their own standards rather than understand that they don't receive the rent for nothing, we're paying to live here, they are not doing us a favour!
How can we ensure that they don't try to take more of our deposit than they should when we move out in a few weeks time?
If anyone has any advice, I would be really grateful. Thanks.