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Tenant end of contract - post decoration?

Started by AD, October 17, 2021, 09:27:33 PM

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AD

I have a tenant who has moved out of the property and despite alleging that the property was 'professionally cleaned' this was sadly lacking in evidence, paint work was grubby, large accumulation of dust and cat hairs and what appears swatted flies/fleas etc on the walls  The flat was pristine when they took the tenancy however when they left some two years later their assertion that they had professional decorators in was also lacking in evidence (they painted around the bed(which was freestanding!) and bookcases and mirrors they put up, painted the walls but let curtain rails in situ so all splashed with paint etc.   Oh and left cat fleas!  The tenancy has now been ended and we are in possession of the property again,

The ex-tenant asserts they should be allowed to correct all the poor decoration and cleaning rather than me take it from their deposit.  Am I required to give them another chance to make matters worse as I am hoping to flip the flat ready for the next tenant and so speed is of essence?

HandyMan

Your ex-tenant was required to leave the property in the condition it was in when they moved in (allowing for two years wear and tear).

They have not done that.

You should cost up the cleaning & repairs and apply to take the money from their deposit. Do you have an Inventory/Check-in Report detailing the condition of the property when they moved in?

You have no reason to let the ex-tenant back in the property, and certainly no reason to trust that they would do a good job of resolving the problems they caused.

Hippogriff

I am not going to comment on whether you spent any time and effort in preparing the ex-Tenants for what was expected of them. Myself, one month before Check-Out I send a draft Check-Out document that highlights my own expectations... and I ask for comments... if none come back, then I am perfectly within my rights to expect it will have been read and adhered to - this (mostly) leads to a happy Check-Out.

Even if I didn't do that... and I wasn't happy, and Tenants didn't do the things I considered necessary... I would never let them back in the property. Never. Never. Never. There is absolutely nothing out there that says you must.

The tenancy has ended. The ex-Tenant's right to access the property - under any circumstances - has ended. It's that simple. Communicate a simple - "no".

Your challenge now is whether the ex-Tenants decide to go the Deposit Dispute route. Do you have all the evidence you think you need? It's always better to negotiate your way out of these situations that rely on some third party who generally will rule in favour of the ex-Tenant.

heavykarma

I would also refuse to let them back in.There is no reason to suppose their standards of cleanliness or home decor have improved,it could be left even worse and you lose valuable time. There is also the admittedly small possibility that they will play silly buggers and refuse to leave again.Not worth the risk,they had their chance and they failed.

Townie

I had a tenant who let her daughter draw all over the walls in the property, and bless she even let her stand on the furniture so she could have a better reach!  The tenant was advised to decorate, twice, each time worse than the first.  Monies were deducted from the deposit, asked a professional decorator to quote. There were other issues ie radiator valve damaged that were not picked up on the inventory.  Make sure you check everything else.

eps501

Agree with others, do not let them back in the property. If you do take it from their deposit and your tenant disagrees and disputes it then the resolution decision will depend heavily on an excellent inventory and photos of the condition of your property on possession and professional quotes which they decide is reasonable or not. Also wear and tear will be a factor as well. Just don't expect the full amount you're aiming for even if you're successful.