How clean is your rented house?

[bellsandwhistles89]

The tenants in a property we rent out have just moved out and have left it in an awful state. When we started it was gleaming and shiny but now is haggard and stinks of smoke (not allowed in the tenancy agreement).

The carpets were brand new and now look like they have been in the property for years. The walls are scratched and marked - they had only just been painted. The bathrooms are disgusting and the kitchen is sticky even though there has apparently been a 'professional clean' - my arse!

We have had a Check in and a Check Out, we have deposits and the such so it is fixable after a good clean, paint, recarpet and fix the broken bits. I am just shocked as to how someone could look at the property and go yep this is how I found it.

I admit that I am emotionally invested in the property as it was my first home and maybe I am naive in thinking that people will treat properties they move into with respect.

I am a good landlord, we dont overcharge, we listen to our tenants, we fix things quickly and make sure we aren't unfair. So maybe this is our fault? Maybe we need to crack down and become arseholes? I feel like they have royally taken the piss.

I think I may just be posting for a moan, as theres not much help mumsnet can give ... unless you have any paintbrushes handy?

I’ve just moved into a stunning rental. The landlord has really taken care of it, fresh new carpets, new seals on everything in the bathroom, New painted walls and new door handles. The oven was a bit gross but had clearly been cleaned so nothing I can’t go over.
Unfortunately I have a baby who likes to chuck food, or vomit carrot on the carpets. This gets cleaned instantly as I’m very aware these are not my carpets and would be mortified to move out and the landlord say I’d left it dirty. Keeping the tiles in the bathroom clean so the grout doesn’t stain, and the silicone behind the sink clean from mould when you leave sponges there etc. I know not all tenants are like this and I’m assuming the previous wasn’t because everything was re done.

I rent, and I have an excellent landlord.

She treats us with respect, gets jobs done quickly and without fuss, and we keep the place in good order and invest in it too (we’ve spent quite a lot on the garden, because we want a happy looking home). I also have a cleaner. We do sometimes scratch things, but I would if this were a home I owned too - moving furniture in and out is difficult without scratching anything.

I think you have to go heavy on references and become v fussy about who you let to. Do you let through an agency? If so, get them to do inspections once a year too.

You sound like truly lovely tenants.

I wouldnt mind if it was the odd thing, I am fully aware that its going to get 'lived in', however they have only been in there for a year!

It looks like they have had a wild animal clawing at the walls.

I think you are right we need to be more fussy about who we let to.

I am just shocked as to how someone could look at the property and go yep this is how I found it.

I admit that I am emotionally invested in the property as it was my first home and maybe I am naive in thinking that people will treat properties they move into with respect.

Get used to it. This is pretty normal for a tenancy business. It’s not your home. People trash houses. Accept it, expect it, deduct costs form deposit and re-let. You have to take all emotion out of it. If you can then you’re in the wrong business.

Maybe we need to crack down and become arseholes?

Err no. just be a landlord. Stop taking it personally.

Our rented home is kept as if it was ours! We do our own minor repairs /upkeep and have decorated quite a bit (ll quite impressed he said!). Few things we need to report this week - first time in 3 years we have needed someone out except new oven replaced next day just before Christmas!!

Get used to it. I think that may be what I am going to have to do, we have never experienced something quite like this so it was shocking but may be a case of getting a thicker skin. My other half is a lot better at dealing with things like this whereas I am a bit more emotionally attached, especially to this property, but you are right I have to become more detached.

I always rent out nicely done up properties and have to say that generally attracts perfectionist tenants. However, I once had a situation where a flat looked like it had aged a few years in a few months. I wondered if it had been sublet on Air B&B or something. One of my friends used to do that with the rented flat she lived in - she'd stay the weekend with her bf/friends or sublet while she was away with work (very often). The property looked very worn out quickly with walls scratched from moving suitcases around or too many people staying in it (often visiting London for a party weekend etc).

Hopefully better luck with your next tenants.

Did you paint with washable paint?
Were the carpets cream or a light colour?
Did you have it written into the contract about the state the property should be in on check out? Eg professional carpet cleaning, oven cleaning. - state in the contact that a receipt is required as proof of these, or the cost of them will be deducted from deposit.

On a personal note, as a tenant it is a nightmare If the walls are not washable paint, but are painted magnolia (or similar) are the tenants allowed to decorate (by that I mean supplied with a colour swatch to enable them to match the colour the walls already are in order to touch up scratches or marks). Because as a tenant there is nothing worse than magnolia/lemon/cream/touch of whatever white, walls that attract grubby finger prints, and one wipe of the wall with a cloth means all the paint is removed, when youre not allowed do anything about it. Because the walls look worse when you try to clean them, and not cleaning them looks like you don't care, when some tenants actually do care.

My fingers are seriously crossed that we can sort the house as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Going round there again at lunch and making lists upon lists of things we need to sort and taking images. Just got to get my big girl pants on and sort it without stressing and without taking it personally.

I wouldnt leave a property in that condition and I suppose its just a case of you live and you learn that not all people have the same standards. I wont become an arsehole landlord, I will however become less naive about letting a property.

My fingers are seriously crossed that we can sort the house as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Going round there again at lunch and making lists upon lists of things we need to sort and taking images.

Did you really expect to have to do nothing between tenants? There is always stuff to do between tenants. You need to adjust your expectations. Sorting a property for re-letting is exactly what you should have been planning to do and should be factored in to your schedule. It’s not an unexpected glitch, it’s your job!

Not washable paint but the the marks have gone past 'usual' marks and are more like scratches and chips. I have tried the eraser sponge which took off some but its still looking shoddy as anything.

The carpets were a light colour and yes I know probably not the best for a rental property however the marks on the carpet are such that I dont think it would matter even if the carpet was darker.

The property also stinks of smoke which not allowed in the contract.

It says in the contract that to pay for cleaning of the property to a good standard, a receipt has been provided. Could I go back to the company and say its not up to standard? There is no way it has been cleaned even up to a good standard.

It also says to remove rubbish from the property which they havent done and is currently piled up outside.

Yes I expected to be sorting the house out between tenants, I am not stupid. However, not to the extent that I am having to do now and not after only a year of the property being let. It looks like someone has been living in there for years.

It is sort able and I realise that yes my expectations are high and they need to be lowered. I am however allowed to moan about it.

This is know as 'fair wear and tear' and is not deductible from the deposit.
Its a hard lesson to learn that tenants are hard on property and do not treat a house like you would like.

We’re renting at the moment whilst looking to buy (always used to owning our home, so treat the rented place as such too). The tenants before us apparently trashed the place and were turfed out after the 6-month inspection.

May be worth you investing in a professional inventory check-in service, so you have a third party involved for recording damages and disputes.

In our very first rental after uni, I used our regular cleaner for the move-out clean. The place was immaculate, but we were still charged for a whole new “professional” clean as I couldn’t provide a receipt. I wouldn’t bother asking the original cleaners to redo the cleaning. Just engage your own company and then deduct from the deposit. Hotels usually charge a set amount for guests who’ve smoked in a room, so I’d be taking the same approach for having the curtains/carpets/walls undergo a specialist deep clean.

Good luck OP!

We got a company to provide a Check In and Check Out, just waiting on it to come back. The company has already emailed to say that they found several issues.

Not sure if it is fair wear and tear but we are taking advice on what we can and cant deduct. We let through an agency so they are also involved.

You can try to challenge the 'good standard' but it's a statement open to a lot of interpretation so it might your waste of time.

What about the smoke?

Obviously the property smells of smoke which is not allowed in the agreement? Would this affect anything or do I just need to let this go?

I'm not sure what you could do regarding the smell - the deposit schemes don't allow for "fines" for breaking the contract. A few days airing should sort it. Sorry this has happened to you, it's clear that you're hurt by the way your home has been treated but agree you need to toughen up slightly for future.

Yes I do need to toughen up, this has been a learning curve as we have never had to deal with this before plus I am very attached to this house - I suppose I have got to let it go. Like I said you live and you learn.

I will see what the Check Out has to say and also the letting agent. In the meantime I will go about sorting the house out for re-letting.

Thanks for the sensible advice and also the talking to. I need to let this go, sort it and move on from both this situation and the house.

We had a to rent a property twice, each time when we left we left the house immaculate. Both times the landlords contacted us to let us know how clean the house was when we left. We repainted rooms as they didn't seem as fresh as when we had moved in etc.

We had to rent our a property and the tenants left it in a right state. When they moved in it had just been redecorated throughout, when they left the walls were covered in blue tac or wall transfers, the kitchen cupboard doors were damaged, the carpets were trashed and the wood work, nearly all of it, was chipped. We did all repairs promptly while they were in the property. I know that we benefitted from the rent whilst they were in it but it cost over £3000 to fix.

Some people just don't look after stuff if it isn't theirs.

I’m a tenant and it’s sad that people treat the homes like that. I plan to move out this year but before we move we are getting the carpet cleaned and offering to decorate as some of the wallpaper has damage.

I feel that some tenants forget that there is a person who has to deal with their damage and they just don’t care.

You've said that you have tried getting some of the marks off and they won't budge. If you can't get them off, do you not think that they tenants wouldn't have been able to get them off either?

I feel for you and without photos no one can possibly say if it's fair wear and tear or more than that.

We rented a flat about 8 years ago (only place we ever rented). We looked after it incredibly well - even cleaned the grouting on the tiles. When we moved out the walls, which had looked previously spotless, looked filthy and one of the carpets looked awful despite having stayed on top of stains and marks. We were going to have the carpet professionally cleaned but the LL said not to as she was planning to replace it anyway. We cleaned that flat for 2 days with the help of 4 other people. Cleanliness wise it was spotless but the flat as a whole looked pretty tired and like it needed repainting in some places. The carpet which needed replacing definitely brought the whole tone down and it was hard to see past that. The LL refunded our deposit and then tried to make deductions saying we'd left it in an awful state.

I think that with the best will in the world no flat or house that has been lived in is going to look pristine when people move out. How much wear and tear is acceptable I don't know and I'm sure you'll find out. I do think though that PPs are right, this is part of being a LL, and you need to account for turn around time and work that will need to be done in between lets.

As for the smoke I'd say it's not acceptable if it's in the contract not to smoke. You'll need to take advice on that. However, smokers smell like smoke and their things smell like smoke, it doesn't mean they smoked in the property. I don't know how you'd prove that they did unless it's all looking a bit yellow. I have several friends who smoke but never indoors and their houses do smell like smoke.

Our rented house is spotless. We have a cleaner once a week and I do a quick run round at the weekend again. We have a gardener and window cleaner and do many minor repairs or maintenance ourselves. We have re decorated the whole place (LL given us free reign as he likes my taste and says we look after it to a higher standard than he ever did when he lived here). I touch up paint that gets scuffed every couple of months. All of these I would do regardless of if I rented or owned. It's our home and it needs to makes us happy and comfortable. Living in a tip is not an option for me.
I think it's just the rented homes that are trashed that people know about more. How many people who own their own place live like pigs? Plenty in my experience!