Check Out questions in the current climate?

A good inventory would have reported all relevant damage and cleaning deficiencies. Without the inventory you’ll have to rely on the outgoing tenants generosity. At least it serves as a learning exercise. Don’t rent without an inventory!

With your next (and every future) tenancy, don’t repeat the same error, get an inventory.

Reply to the comment left by Glen Ford at 05/11/2019 - 10:58
Hi Glen,
There is a detailed inventory which I did. It sounds like a third party independent inventory is the preferred option to remove the subjectivity and be used in a dispute if needed.

I understand where you are coming from. However with cleaning, it can be so subjective that it is an argument you are unlikely to win if it goes to arbitration with one of the deposit protection providers.

I found this out once when poor cleaning was part of a larger dispute.

In that case the tenants had an invoice of a professional cleaning company who clearly had done a terrible job. But as relations had broken down between us and they had stopped replying to my emails once it went into a dispute, I could not discuss asking the cleaning company they used to return and clean the areas they missed. But that’s what the adjudicator said I should have done so my professional cleaning bill was not allowed. Some tiles were very badly marked and I received the cost of the specialist clean for those because I sent a video of myself trying to clean them using a steam cleaner and when it failed called in a professional who managed to clean them (and filmed the process and had invoices etc). It’s the only time I’ve ever had to go to the adjudicator because of the level of damages - my evidence was over 50 pages long but the decision was so stacked in the tenants favour that from my experience It sounds like you would not get either of your two claims.

If the bath looks fine now, I’m sure the adjudicator would say it’s been repaired and that’s it. In my case for example, the tenants tried to replace some silicone in the bathroom that was damaged by mould (due to never being cleaned in two years!) The original silicone was beige to match the grout and professionally / neatly applied. They just covered part of the bead with white silicone and applied it like a three year old would have. In my claim, I had clear photos from the independent check in report showing how it looked before, and afterwards showing how it went from beige to white in places and was poorly applied. The tenants defence was ‘there is no such thing as beige silicone’. The adjudicator found in their favour saying they had fixed the issue and the quality of how it was done was irrelevant! I think that’s an utter nonsense, but it’s just how the process can work unfortunately...

Plus people generally like to think they are cleaner than they actually are! I can’t tell you number of times a tenant tells me how well they are looking after a flat because they are obsessed by cleanliness....only to visit when doing a repair and be shocked how dirty the flat is. One very nice couple just left a flat and despite them having a weekly cleaner it was a total mess whilst they lived there. They just didn’t notice the cleaner did a terrible job, and because they paid for a weekly cleaner they thought the flat was really clean!

The answer is always Good inventory both in and out . I have made claims to MyDeposits and had my claim agreed by having good detailed inventory.

Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 04/11/2019 - 15:39We ALWAYS change locks at tenancy end! We started right back by swapping all of the locks around when we started BTL. Then used a lock we had spare (from a lock change at our own home ... or you could buy one) at first tenancy change. We then kept hold of the lock we removed to use at the next tenancy change in any of our properties (so at most you would only ever need to purchase that one first spare lock)

I have only ever had two occasions when my houses have been clean enough to let again without needing some extra cleaning (been renting since 1994). I usually take the opportunity to renew carpets. re-decorate and do minor repairs between tenancies - so my contractor will be creating some mess anyway.

I have only ever had one really bad one - like you see on tv. I was just grateful that - although it was filthy and full of rubbish - they had done no real damage.

My tenants are paying me up to £1,000 pcm - so if they pay regularly and nothing is actually broken, I regard a bit of cleaning as an acceptable cost of doing business.

Regarding keys - I change the locks at each change of tenants - re-using the barrels from the previous house - as mentioned by Denise. A new key costs me £3.50 so if they want one I will get one cut for them. Though if there's only a couple living there, I would ask why they need another. And I always keep a spare which I tell them about. Last Saturday I had a phone call at 9.30pm from a tenant who had been rushed into hospital and had left her keys indoors - she was sitting outside the house (on her mobiity scooter) in the rain! I was able to quickly drive over there and let her in - better than a locksmith breaking in.