UK Landlord Forum / Life

Ok,

so my tenants (3 students) ended the tenancy at end of 12 months period, end of tenancy report confirms that property needs a clean to include cooker hob, fridge freezer and that some marks on some of the walls.

local end of tenancy cleaning companies charge about £2-300 for this, but the invoice from the company that the national letting agent use came in at £1,447.50 ! (See below). The tenants deposit in total was £1050. As you can imagine the tenants are disputing the invoices which I have not yet paid and they are defending the deposit on the grounds that the cost should really have been circa £300 ish. I have to say I kind of agree with the tenants, but letting agent wants me to take them to court. And now I know why ?, the invoice didn't detail the cleaners identity, merely a trading name, an account number and sort code and an address. upon enquiry, I was advised that the cleaner is in fact a sole trader and I was given his name. Upon checking the trading address, it turns out its an ex council house and the occupiers are not the cleaner. checking further, the cleaner is actually the boyfriend of the lettings manager and the cleaner also pays a percentage of the invoice to the lettings manager. So the lettings manager denies that the bill is inflated and is unaware of my knowledge that the cleaner is her partner. This is clearly a scam and I am minded to side with the tenant, but i don't want to agree with the tenant and then find the cleaning company sues me.  Clearly there is a breach of duty of care, a secret commission and I doubt whether the tax man is aware of the income.
         
         
Deep clean throughout property   1      £344.00
Oven & hob clean   1      £60.00
Fridge/freezer clean   1      £39.00
Washing machine clean   1      £30.00
Removal of items throughout property   1      £38.00
Bin empty & clean   1      £20.00
Shower grouting clean   1      £25.00
         £556.00
         
Painting throughout property   1      £778.00
Defrost fridge freezer   1      £51.00
Repair damaged bathroom door lock   1      £38.00
Light bulb replacement x7   7      £24.50
         £891.50

just to clarify, that's 12% to the letting agent firm and whatever profit to the letting agent employee and her partner !

I have tried to identify a question in your post, but cannot.

That said, I think you would like comment. My first point would be that Agents are well-known for marking-up invoices... this is a legal practice... it doesn't seem right (as they're already being paid by you, you'd expect, at some level) but they all like to mark up the quotes received from the trades they engage on your behalf. This is not unexpected and the 12% cited is not a percentage that shocks me. However... it would be more normal practice for the quote to be ran by you - the Landlord, the person ultimately paying (even if via a Deposit) - for approval. After all, you might decide the £1,500 for an end of Tenancy clean is an outrageous amount and decide to get your own quote in, a quote more in-line with expectations - for me that's less than £300, but possibly up to that. I note that some repairs have been conducted as well and those items seem high, but not extortionate - the biggest line item is the painting - a Painter will be around £150 per day, paint about £30 - so did they take 4 to 5 days? What I'm thinking you're telling me is that this Cleaner was engaged without approval (that may be how you work with this Agent) and you / the Tenants have received an invoice after it has been done. Ouch. Best to go into these things with your eyes open.

Now... back to the mark-up... whether it's going to the Agent and coming from a separate company with a professional relationship, or from the partner - it doesn't really matter - it's all cahoots in the end.

Your assertions about HMRC are, of course, entirely unfounded. One could just as easily conclude you are not declaring your rental income to HMRC (and I'm sure you'd be offended if that assertion was made without evidence).

Is the letting agent an employee of the company,or one of the owners? If the former,have you contacted her boss to tell them your findings? What did you agree to have done? If just the oven etc.that you mention,then they should not have gone ahead and had the rest done without your consent and a quoted price.I have always had an arrangement with agents that they can get emergency work done up to rough price,in the event that they cannot get hold of me.This has been around £150,although it has never had to be done.I always get my own tradesmen in now.The prices listed on your invoice are extraordinary,did they use a Biohazard team?

I don't know about a bio hazard scheme. the letting agent is an employee and the check out report was undertaken by the said employee and her boyfriend did the works. Its a massive conflict of interest, to the point of flouring it up for the employees benefit. It doesn't seem right to me. I am minded to refer to POS once I have complained to the letting agents firm

What is POS ?

Property Ombudsman Scheme.

Which will - certainly - not end with satisfaction...

why do you believe that POS will not end with satisfaction.I have read some of their adjudications and they seem fair to me.