Hmmm - Landlord wants £160 for professional clean
Discussion
So it's been 2 weeks since we left our rental property in a spotless condition and we were hoping to get our deposit back fairly quickly. Today I received a real piss boiler of an email with some £490 of deductions included in the list were some true gems "missing bed and mattress" "missing chest of draws" cost to replace etc - the amusing thing: the bed and drawers were ours!!
In this list was a fee for £160 of professional cleaning. Now we spent 2 days cleaning this place, regrouted part of the bathroom (which was mouldy when we arrived anyway), repainted some of the walls and left it in a better condition than when we arrived (photos taken too).
It does not require a professional clean(in my opinion, yes biased I know) and I don't see my deposit against damage as being there to sub a "professional clean" if the landlord wishes to do one for the next tenants. Should this be his cost of doing business or do we have to suck up some cost.
Is this a common scam? Shall we tell them where to go?
In this list was a fee for £160 of professional cleaning. Now we spent 2 days cleaning this place, regrouted part of the bathroom (which was mouldy when we arrived anyway), repainted some of the walls and left it in a better condition than when we arrived (photos taken too).
It does not require a professional clean(in my opinion, yes biased I know) and I don't see my deposit against damage as being there to sub a "professional clean" if the landlord wishes to do one for the next tenants. Should this be his cost of doing business or do we have to suck up some cost.
Is this a common scam? Shall we tell them where to go?
Reassuringly the deposit is with the deposit protection service.
Funnily enough you think this would be a solo landlord trying this sort of game but it's actually a fairly posh looking letting agent in South London.
I'm all for paying for amends but when it's just assumed that they will bill you for a "professional clean" without taking into consideration cleanliness it feels like auto-pilot type fleecing
Funnily enough you think this would be a solo landlord trying this sort of game but it's actually a fairly posh looking letting agent in South London.
I'm all for paying for amends but when it's just assumed that they will bill you for a "professional clean" without taking into consideration cleanliness it feels like auto-pilot type fleecing
alfa daley said:
Reassuringly the deposit is with the deposit protection service.
Funnily enough you think this would be a solo landlord trying this sort of game but it's actually a fairly posh looking letting agent in South London.
I'm all for paying for amends but when it's just assumed that they will bill you for a "professional clean" without taking into consideration cleanliness it feels like auto-pilot type fleecing
The last place I rented had a clause in the contract about professional cleaning on moving out. If your contract didn't say anything of the sort, then object, in writing and as soon as possible.Funnily enough you think this would be a solo landlord trying this sort of game but it's actually a fairly posh looking letting agent in South London.
I'm all for paying for amends but when it's just assumed that they will bill you for a "professional clean" without taking into consideration cleanliness it feels like auto-pilot type fleecing
These are typical add-on services which professional agents like to use to increase their margins. I'd guess they can easily make 100 percent markup on cleaning services versus a mere 10 percent or so on the actual rental commission.
The non-missing furniture bit is a beaut. There's an inventory that proves the matter, I guess?
Just asked a friend of mine who owns a chain of agents, as he's sat here next to me.
It is common practice for a professional clean to be required (irrespective of the place needing it) if the Landlord had it done professionally before tenants move in. This is sometimes written in the Tenancy Agreements, but some agents take it as some 'unwritten rule' that prospective tenants should be made aware of before signing contracts.
The inventory should cover the furniture dispute, providing there is one.
It is common practice for a professional clean to be required (irrespective of the place needing it) if the Landlord had it done professionally before tenants move in. This is sometimes written in the Tenancy Agreements, but some agents take it as some 'unwritten rule' that prospective tenants should be made aware of before signing contracts.
The inventory should cover the furniture dispute, providing there is one.
EskimoArapaho said:
These are typical add-on services which professional agents like to use to increase their margins. I'd guess they can easily make 100 percent markup on cleaning services versus a mere 10 percent or so on the actual rental commission.
Yes, often additonal charges are inflated dramatically to make up for the lack of margin in a competitive lettings market. jbsportstech said:
Did u have an inventory at check out and check in?.
This is vital to prove the condition and that there was jot bed etc
^^^^^, this, and can the landlord provide an invoice covering the cleaning prior to the start, outset of the tenancy, also what does the tenancy agreement state with regards to cleaning carpets, curtains at the end of the tenancy.This is vital to prove the condition and that there was jot bed etc
OP should raise none of the above yet with the agents, but raise a dispute with the TDS.
Jasandjules said:
So essentially fraud is rife and considered the norm?
It's not uncommon for agents to stick ridiculous fees on to Tenancy Agreements and ripping off first-time tenants. I think there were regulations brought in not so long ago which made Agents have to put their standard admin fees in clear sight of the rental cost, eg "£1000pcm + admin fees*". This was due to Agents ripping the
out of applicants the minute their offer was accepted, often after they'd handed in their notice to their current Landlord.Having said that, £160.00 for a pro clean sounds about right.
My landlord tried this when I moved out of a rented place along with a get rich quick scheme of other charges.
After a bit of arguing she changed her tune pdq when she realised I was serious about claiming 100% back from the Tds. 2minutes later I'd agreed to about 5% of the charges on the basis it was sorted there and then.
After a bit of arguing she changed her tune pdq when she realised I was serious about claiming 100% back from the Tds. 2minutes later I'd agreed to about 5% of the charges on the basis it was sorted there and then.
One other point, the landlord can only claim for things they have done, not things they would like to do at some point in the future, so make sure they show you an invoice (best guess is they don't have one if it really is a scam). If they dont show it then use the dispute service through the deposit protection scheme.
As I found out last month, If they did not complete an original inventory and let you sign it they cannot charge you for anything.
My previous rental had no inventory completed when we moved in, so when we moved out they had to give our full deposit back, regardless of damage etc (There wasn't any anyway)
My previous rental had no inventory completed when we moved in, so when we moved out they had to give our full deposit back, regardless of damage etc (There wasn't any anyway)
I'm not a lawyer.
We had a similar charge many moons ago when I last rented.
I challenged it as it didn't need doing. Stated the agent had a legal duty to minimise my losses so please could they send the competitive quotes they'd obtained prior to instructing the work, and declare any relationship to the cleaning company, both personal and professional.
Deposit refunded in full.
What I told then is probably balls from a legal standpoint, but the person reading it wouldn't be a lawyer either.
We had a similar charge many moons ago when I last rented.
I challenged it as it didn't need doing. Stated the agent had a legal duty to minimise my losses so please could they send the competitive quotes they'd obtained prior to instructing the work, and declare any relationship to the cleaning company, both personal and professional.
Deposit refunded in full.
What I told then is probably balls from a legal standpoint, but the person reading it wouldn't be a lawyer either.
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