SAVE YOUR BOND (TENANTS)-by Landlord

[Simon Dewsberry]

Hi All

As we are all striving to make life easier for both the Landlord and Tenant - something i have thought about doing for some months, is to create a "SAVE YOUR BOND/LEAVING ADVICE " Poster or sheet/checklist to give to tenants at the beginning of the term, then a copy again approx 1 month b4 they leave.

I know in my case there are certain "problems" which are re-curring for deductions on bonds -these cost the tenant money, can lead to disputes and cost the Landlord in terms of time/ money to sort out.

I thinking of just a simple one A4 page sheet, with a list of the most common reasons for deductions and advice to avoid these costs, along with advice to prevent the situation occurring in the first place!

Does any else use anything like this ?

SAMPLE BELOW ------ ALL COMMENTS WELCOMED !

SAVE YOUR BOND - ADVICE

When you leave the property we have identified several areas which keep re-occurring - to prevent these being deducted from your bond we have highlighted them below. It is not an exhaustive list but worth reading.

Kitchen

1 Clean oven grill and hob - that's clean not wipe !

2 Clean inside/outside of all kitchen units/drws - most people forget these.

3 Clean wall tiles -especially behind cooker/hob/splashback.

4 Use degreasing agent to clean floors - as we often find them to be akin to a skating rink!

General

1 Vacuum all carpets - that means under/behind beds and furniture - failure to do this regularly will end up with heavily ingrained dirt requiring carpets to be shampooed professionally (Approx £35 per room)

Leaving the vacuuming for six months then expecting to quickly hoover over on the day you leave will almost certainly put you in this position - especially in areas of heavy traffic ie. hall stairs landing etc

2 Windows/Cills and frames need cleaning - coffee rings etc

3 Skirting boards get filthy especially top edge.

4 Furniture- empty drawers of rubbish and dust etc - and need polishing not just wiping.

5 Doors can get very dirty if they haven't been cleaned regularly especially around handles.

6 Walls - The lease clearly states that "no part of the fabric of the property is to be punctured including walls"

(nail/screw holes without the express written permission of the Landlord etc) if you do then a "gob" of filler and a "dab" of paint will not suffice as after several tenants have done this at different times the property looks shabby Walls with "damage will require properly filling sanding and the whole wall completely repainting to a professional standard -as it was when you moved in !( if i borrowed your car and scratched and dented it in a few places would you accept it back with "gobs" of filler and "dabs" of paint on the door the bonnet the wing etc !!)

Bathroom

1 Bath toilet basin (inc taps) can all get very "grubby" if not cleaned regularly so use a good de greasing agent to make sure they are really clean

2 Tiled walls - we find a lot of people leave these in a greasy/mould condition as they are not regularly cleaned - to avoid the build up of condensation when you get out of the shower and the room resembles a steam room open the window - get dressed then come back and close the window - doing this will seriously cut down on the moisture content which can cause horrific problems in bathrooms ! If the grout between the tiles has gone mouldy - the bill to re-grout the room can be expensive - if you have persistent problems please contact me !

3 Shower curtains can go "orange" with mould so clean regularly with an anti fungal cleaner.

4 If you use a bath mat after you have had your bath hang it over the bath to dry as the continual "wet" can make the carpet below it go mouldy(most of our bathrooms have antislip vinyl so probably wont apply.

Garden/Shed/Garage

1 The property you have rented includes these- it is your responsibility to keep the weeds under control and the lawn cut. PLEASE dont leave the lawn to grow 2 foot tall as you will have a nightmare trying to cut it on the last day -same goes for the weeds!

2 Sheds and Garage need to be swept out and emptied of your belongings (including the things you dont want - guess what nor do we ! unless by special arrangement)

Rubbish

All rubbish should be removed from the property - that does not mean pile it up outside - larger articles such as furniture electrical items should be either taken to the tip or ring the council a few weeks before you leave to organise collection - if you leave these to us we will have to employ the service of a private contractor which you will have to pay for.

If you are in any doubt about any aspect of how you are required to leave the property please contact me.

If you contact us we will do a free pre inspection a few days before you leave to point out any potential problems and give you the opportunity to save your money.

This is not intended to "Teach your Granny to suck eggs" or in any way cause offence but has been written by request of previous tenants who "would have done it if I'd known !"

This should be read in conjunction with the "inventory"

We want to give you your bond back in full - Help us to help you !

Simon

[tgmjf]

Hi All

As we are all striving to make life easier for both the Landlord and Tenant - something i have thought about doing for some months, is to create a "SAVE YOUR BOND/LEAVING ADVICE " Poster or sheet/checklist to give to tenants at the beginning of the term, then a copy again approx 1 month b4 they leave.

<SNIP>

Simon

New to this, having had one tenant (via estate agents) and had to withhold some deposit to pay for things they didn't do. Agreement stated that all carpets should be professionally cleaned when tenant leaves - one of several things they didn't do. Still arguing the last £90 for leaving the gardens in a mess.

The point of that was just to demonstrate that I am pretty new to this. Reason for posting is that I came across this service which appears to be a way round the deposit problem and wondered what you/people thought: -

www.iguarantee.co.uk/

Glenn

[Simon Dewsberry]

Hi Glenn

This topic had been disscussed alsmost to death over the past few week on here - please read the other threads to find out more - my thoughts on www.iguarantee.co.uk/ are that it is a very good idea - the only problem being that a lot of people wont be "good" enough to get on to the scheme(tenants) which means that you either don't accept that person as a tenant or you need an alternantive approach in place as well

for example - a person on commission only who earns £40k a year probably wouldn't get on there because he is on commission only.

Housing Benefit cases probably wont either- we are still waiting for fuller details though!

keep reading on here over the next few weeks and I'm sure things will become a lot clearer as we all share are troubles !!

Simon

[tgmjf]

Hi Glenn

This topic had been disscussed alsmost to death over the past few week on here - please read the other threads to find out more - my thoughts on www.iguarantee.co.uk/ are that it is a very good idea - the only problem being that a lot of people wont be "good" enough to get on to the scheme(tenants) which means that you either don't accept that person as a tenant or you need an alternantive approach in place as well

for example - a person on commission only who earns £40k a year probably wouldn't get on there because he is on commission only.

Housing Benefit cases probably wont either- we are still waiting for fuller details though!

keep reading on here over the next few weeks and I'm sure things will become a lot clearer as we all share are troubles !!

Simon

Hi Simon

Thanks for your thoughts.

Yes I had read many but not all of the previous posts, but hadn't seen iguarantee mentioned.

When I find tenants I like the look of, who have been financially vetted by the estate agent, I'll ask them if they want to try iguarantee.

Glenn

[BTLWhizz]

Hi All

As we are all striving to make life easier for both the Landlord and Tenant - something i have thought about doing for some months, is to create a "SAVE YOUR BOND/LEAVING ADVICE " Poster or sheet/checklist to give to tenants at the beginning of the term, then a copy again approx 1 month b4 they leave.

I know in my case there are certain "problems" which are re-curring for deductions on bonds -these cost the tenant money, can lead to disputes and cost the Landlord in terms of time/ money to sort out.

I thinking of just a simple one A4 page sheet, with a list of the most common reasons for deductions and advice to avoid these costs, along with advice to prevent the situation occurring in the first place!

Does any else use anything like this ?

I would agree that, in general, a "SAVE YOUR BOND/LEAVING ADVICE" form would be useful for some types of tenants. Though, a better strategy for a landlord is to concentrate on professional, well educated, tenants who are likely to realise that leaving a huge hole in the wall may result in a deduction.

But I'm not sure that some of the things mentioned are legal. A property only needs to be left in a state as clean as it was in the beginning less normal wear and tear. For example, as far as I'm aware it is a potential unfair clause to stipulate that carpets must be professionally cleaned. I don't have all the references I've read on this to hand, but look at:

http://england.shelter.org.uk/advice/advice-3003.cfm

(Note: It wasn't Simon who mentioned the professional cleaning clause in the TA). There's more on this discussion here:

http://forums.gumtree.com/topic27983.html

But I'm unsure (means: too lazy to verify myself) that all of the clauses mentioned in Simon's original list would be suitable reasons for withholding money from the deposit if they are not met.

I myself would expect to have a day's work cleaning when a tenant moves out so that the property is spotless for prospective new tenants, rather than in a satisfactory state as the outgoing tenants are required to leave it.

[Simon Dewsberry]

Hi BTLWhizz

You have anawered your own question above in that

"so that the property is spotless for prospective new tenants"

assuming this is how they received it- then as you say it "only needs to be left in a state as clean as it was in the beginning less normal wear and tear"

"Wear and tear" and "cleanliness" do not really throw up any grey areas

An iron burn on a carpet is neither it is damage,burnt or "gouged" kitchen surfaces- damage - as are holes in walls, a worn carpet is "wear and tear" and odd chips scratches etc to walls and paint work can all be accepted as wear and tear - but a reasonable level of cleaniless is to be expected as your have clearly stated above!

I also would epect to spend a least part of the day doing "jobs" at the property when the T leaves - but not what is clearly the T responsibility!

ie cleaning !

The "top" end of the market are no better than the bottom I have had doctors - accountants - even a brain surgeon - area managers - consultants - a solicitor - company directors - allsorts and trust me they are no better at cleaning than any one else !

To be fair the cleanest property i ever had returned was from a young single mother with 2 young kids on HB who left the place immaculate - so much so that i actually gave her £20 on top of the bond, to go out, as a thank you for looking after my property so well

Simon

[BTLWhizz]

Hi BTLWhizz

You have anawered your own question above in that

"so that the property is spotless for prospective new tenants"

assuming this is how they received it- then as you say it "only needs to be left in a state as clean as it was in the beginning less normal wear and tear"

But normal wear and tear means that it won't be spotless. I don't understand the point you are making.

"Wear and tear" and "cleanliness" do not really throw up any grey areas

An iron burn on a carpet is neither it is damage,burnt or "gouged" kitchen surfaces- damage - as are holes in walls, a worn carpet is "wear and tear" and odd chips scratches etc to walls and paint work can all be accepted as wear and tear - but a reasonable level of cleaniless is to be expected as your have clearly stated above!

I'm not sure that I agree with your analysis. A reasonable level of cleanliness is to be expected, but it is unreasonable to insist that the property is returned in spotless condition. And while I again cannot be bothered finding exact references, I'm sure that I have read that a certain amount of dirt is covered by wear and tear. I.e. that W&T does not just refer to physical damage or wearing, but also dirt. People living in a house do create dirt as part of their normal everyday activities.

I would say that an iron burn is definitely wear and tear, specifically tear. The question is whether it comes within "normal wear and tear", not whether it's "wear and tear".

I also would epect to spend a least part of the day doing "jobs" at the property when the T leaves - but not what is clearly the T responsibility!

ie cleaning !

Depends. The tenants are expected to leave the property in a reasonable state. But I would like prospective tenants to see it in a much better than reasonable state. In theory professional cleaners could do it, but with few properties to look after it's easier just to do it yourself. It's just unreasonable to expect tenants to leave a property spotless. And I can't see tenant protection schemes or courts agreeing that they should.