UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi all
I'm new to this forum so bear with me please,I have just carried out my 1st landlord inspection in two years as I reside overseas, and the condition of the interior of the house is filty and not in my opinion in keeping with the terms and conditions set out in the tenancy agreement which states " Too keep the property & fixtures in a reasonably clean & tidy condition"

I have argued with the managing agent today who said she will not instruct any tenant how to clean a property or indeed to clean a property.
There are dirty interior window frames , lots of dust on appliances and the stair carpet, not to mention chipped paintwork & damaged walls.

My argument is the property was leased to the estate agent in pristine condition & the terms of the Individual Tenancy Agreement state " to clean the inside and outside of the windows regularly" they are all filthy!

Finally how easy is it to change estate agents?

Hello bernier,

It's a sad fact that some pople like to live in filth.  There's far too much good TV to watch to bother about cleaning.  There's no point taking the direct approach of: It's in the contract so you have to do it.  You need to make it subtle.  "I'm worried how dirty it's getting.  I'm thinking about asking for my property back".  Maybe we'll see how things look at the next inspection.  If the tenant gets the hint, fab.  If not, send them away.

As someone who's meant to be a property professional who looks after your interests the agent should know the reason for cleanliness is to prevent dirt getting embedded into soft coverings like frniture and carpets, so shortening their useful life, as it all gets difficult to differentiate from Wear and Tear.

On their first visits they should have picked up on the clienliness issue and tried subtle persuasion to change the teanat's ways.  And if it failed they should have let you know what was going on and seeking your direction over whether it was acceptable to you or not.  They've let you down.  Especially as you live so far away.

Changing agents can be difficult if you want to keep the tenant in situ.  But from what you describe, I think you made up your mind and want to get rid of both.  Instruct your agent to issue a Section 21 notice immediately, which will terminate your relationship with both agent and tenant.  Don't let the agent know they're getting the boot too until the last possible moment.

You will want some friends or family on the scene of moving out day and re-cleaning the place for re-etting or sale to look after your interests.

Hope this helps.  Let us know how you get on.

Remember too that you can deduct the costs of cleaning and repair from the deposit before you return it.

Hi Guys
well after sending the agent at least 5 politely worded emails we have now sent an email informing the agent that unless payment is received this week we shall be making a formal complaint to the head office of the franchise company and also to the TPO,

Of course still no reply!