UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi all

My tenant moved out after 6 years and the walls are in a mess. He had stickers all over and took them off and patched the walls in the 3 rooms with a colour that is not the same as the rest of the walls.

What do I charge him for that?

Also one key is missing. Do I charge him for the key and for labour i.e. someone going to get the key replaced? I had to arrange for someone to get a key cut at a local locksmith.

Thanks all. 

Personally, if I've had six good years out of a tenant, I wouldn't charge them anything for a lick of paint. Arguably it's not wear and tear as such, but it's par for the course.

Do you have an invoice from the person who went to get the key cut for their labour? If not, all you can really charge for is the key itself, unless you're going to change the lock as a precaution.

Quote from: kesm on January 27, 2018, 10:33:54 AMMy tenant moved out after 6 years and the walls are in a mess. He had stickers all over and took them off and patched the walls in the 3 rooms with a colour that is not the same as the rest of the walls. What do I charge him for that?

Quote from: kesm on January 27, 2018, 10:33:54 AMAlso one key is missing. Do I charge him for the key and for labour i.e. someone going to get the key replaced? I had to arrange for someone to get a key cut at a local locksmith.

I suspected you were mad earlier, I think this probably confirms it. 

Basically, you are due to repaint a room after (at least) 6 years. Do you leave your own rooms painted the same for periods of that time? Maybe you do, most people have a change. Did you leave him the exact paint brand and colour you used, so that the outgoing Tenant could easily purchase said same and do the job properly? If not, then how is the Tenant supposed to match exactly? It's impossible, even if it's your basic white or magnolia. What you should have stipulated in your agreement is that patching-up is not acceptable - if a wall requires repainting and it's not possible to get a perfect match, then the whole wall (not room, or property) must be done.

This is all about dotting your is and crossing your ts.

As said - after 6 years, bearing in mind the concept of fair wear and tear, the property will benefit from being repainted so the next Tenants can see a) how lush the property is and b) how excellent their Landlord is gonna be.

On the key... labour? You charge for the cost of the key replacement. You don't charge for bus fares. You don't charge for phone calls. You don't have charge for lunch.