UK Landlord Forum / Life

We have just had a tenancy end and the property was left very dirty and the garden had not been maintained. We have done all that was needed to get the property back to it's original good, clean condition but have done a lot of the work ourselves. My question is, can we charge for our 'man effort' as an expense? Your thoughts would be appreciated. Many thanks.

You're confusing the whole basis of what can be charged after the end of a tenancy. You're not allowed to make any charges for your work (or anyone else's work).

But you are allowed to claim compensation for a loss you have suffered for something that wasn't an agreed part of the contract you signed with the tenant, which includes the normal wear and tear associated with living in a property. And that loss is usually related to the cost to put something right. But there's no need to actually put it right in order to claim, and it doesn't matter who does the work to put it right. Almost no one (landlords, tenants or agents) seems to really "get" that, which is one of the reasons this is such a problem area in being a landlord.

Your tenancy agreement may have specific wording, but generally speaking the property should be returned to you in the same condition that it was let to the tenant, adjusted for the normal effects of someone living there. Dirt and mess are not normal effects, so you can generally claim compensation for that.

Tenancy agreements often contain unenforcable wording, like a "professional clean", or unlawful terms like "pay for a cleaner". And gardens are particularly tricky, because one person's mess is another person's rewilding project. There's nothing to stop you making a claim for compensation for the garden, but a lot depends on what was agreed - the tenant doesn't cause the grass grow or weeds to thrive. It's particularly difficult if it's somewhere that used to be your home, or a relative's home.

You should make a claim based on the loss you feel that has happened. Note that the compensation you receive is income.