Doing end of tenancy clean etc ourselves?
Tenancy Deposits

Claire Furner
Claire Furner
3 Thanks
10 Posts
1 year ago
0

Our tenant has just moved out leaving the house tidy but not clean, dirty kitchen and bathroom, dirty oven, etc and the garden a total mess - lawn not mowed in a year and shrubs overgrown. Walls badly damaged by teenage daughter sticking pictures to the wall which has had to be filled, sanded, and repainted. The incoming inventory clearly shows a property cleaned to professional standard and garden mown etc.

I told the tenant it was not up to scratch and he said he knew but had had a lot on. I met him when he handed back the keys, he said he knows it was not being handed back as he received it and said "just take it out of the deposit".

The issue is that because the incoming tenant is due in on Tuesday and Monday is a bank holiday, we have ended up doing all the cleaning, gardening etc ourselves and it has taken a very long time. There simply wasn't time to get professional cleaners/gardeners in.

I know it's normal to expect to do some maintenance etc but I assume we can bill him for some of our time - what would be reasonable do you think? I can itemise what has been done, do I need to produce an invoice?

I took photos of most of it but forgot to photo things like the toilets as I just wanted to get on and get it done.

His total deposit is £1700 so he will be getting a good amount of it back but it has taken me, my husband and teenage daughter most of a weekend plus a friend helping with the garden.

Thanks.

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