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Soot damage


frail pigeon

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Brief history - 2 bed purpose built flat completely renovated early 2012, everything brand new including boiler, kitchen, bathroom, furniture etc - my husband and I are first time landlords - first tenants moved in April 2012. All ok until visit to flat about 2 months ago by my son who is doing our management. He discovered extensive black staining to walls and ceilings, especially around heat sources and inside cupboards and wardrobes. It appeared to be an oily sooty deposit. He noticed a fragrance oil burner in the lounge and asked them not to use it. The tenant denied that the burner would have caused the staining. The boiler was checked recently and was found to be in full working order, no problems. These tenants moved out yesterday, new tenants moving in tomorrow and due to lack of time and not wishing to risk a cleaner we didn't know, we tried to clean yesterday but found it impossible to remove this dreadful staining so decided to paint some walls and ceilings!

Firstly, can anyone advise whether an oil burner can cause this much damage to all rooms? Can we prove it is tenant's fault? Secondly, can we charge tenants for all our work (if so, can we produce our own invoice and what is a reasonable rate?) or do we have to have used a professional? Deposit with DPS, full signed inventory in place, everything done properly.

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Firstly, can anyone advise whether an oil burner can cause this much damage to all rooms?

No idea about an oil burner but I'm pretty sure the drying of damp clothes over heaters will have a similar effect.

Assuming the deposit was protected correctly & the prescribed notices served then......you will need an inventory showing condition when they moved in and an inventory showing condition when they moved out.

Secondly, can we charge tenants for all our work (if so, can we produce our own invoice and what is a reasonable rate?) or do we have to have used a professional?

Landlords are NOT permitted to charge for their own time spent running their business. So, you can pay someone else to do it and try to claim from the tenants or do it yourself and charge for materials & other expenses only.

Deposit with DPS, full signed inventory in place, everything done properly.

DPS have a reputation of favouring the tenant so going thru their adjudication process instead of the county court might be a bad move......who knows ?.

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Thank you for your reply.

We have detailed check in and check out inventories.

I appreciate my husband and I as landlords cannot charge for our time. However, my son is not the landlord,he is managing the property on our behalf (this is not his full time job) - can he claim for his time spent cleaning and painting?

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can he claim for his time spent cleaning and painting?

Yes.

* son can invoice you.

* you can pay him.

* you then offset the cost against income or claim the cost from the previous tenants.

* son then needs to declare the income on his tax return.

Don't let the existance of detailed inventories fool you into thinking that the deposit protection scheme will uphold your claim.

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I know scented candles can cause this damage and the soot will stick to warm areas above radiators even though the candle was the other side of the room.

I have sympathy as I had a terrible experience like this in my own home.

- Don't burn candles - unless you know they are really expensive brands! :)

But in other houses I have come across mystery soot above heaters and not been able to identify the source - no candles, nothing obvious.

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This soot is a new one on me and I thought I'd seen a few things. Black fungus growth from dampness is common.

With staining I have first used undercoat to paint over, if a bit 'oily' a clean with white spirit first might be useful.

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Frail Pigeon - I'd sack your manager. Only one inspection since April 2012! You only have yourselves to blame. Let's hope he is better at painting than managing - even if it is not his day job - bless.

If there is one thing I cannot stand is parents making excuses for offspring not doing the job.

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I have seen this once before from a tenant burning incense sticks and incense burners. We now have a clause in our tenancies not allowing them or candles (unless in a power cut)

As soon as the tenant moved out you should have got 2 professional quotes to put right then put a claim against the deposit.

I also agree with Mortita's comments.

You don't have to prove its the tenants fault all you need to prove is the condition when they moved in and that any other possible appliance such as the boiler isn't at fault.

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Frail Pigeon - I'd sack your manager. Only one inspection since April 2012! You only have yourselves to blame. Let's hope he is better at painting than managing - even if it is not his day job - bless.

If there is one thing I cannot stand is parents making excuses for offspring not doing the job.

:) Actually, he did inspect previously but there was no sign of soot damage then. It seems incredible that so much staining could have happened in a relatively short time. Baffling.

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:) Actually, he did inspect previously but there was no sign of soot damage then. It seems incredible that so much staining could have happened in a relatively short time. Baffling.

That article link from chestnut says noticable damage within 3 days of candle burning.

And in my own home the damage from one candle in just a short time (which was bought as a gift for us ) was amazing - there was no way the walls and ceiling could be cleaned they had to be painted..

I have bought expensive candles from John Lewis with no proble but i would not burn another candle of unknown source ever again.

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And in my own home the damage from one candle in just a short time (which was bought as a gift for us ) was amazing - there was no way the walls and ceiling could be cleaned they had to be painted..

Did you use any undercoat or stain blocker? Because we were limited for time, my husband quickly slapped on some emulsion but it's not sufficient.

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