My tenancy is ending in 2 weeks. My landlord is demanding that I pay for a professional cleaning service in reference to the contract clause:
‘to compensate the Landlord for any reasonable cost incurred to clean the Premises to the same standard as at the beginning of the tenancy;’
This is all very well however I can provide evidence that the property has been left in the same standard as the beginning of the tenancy, if not to a better standard. To clarify, I have already vacated the property however still have access until the checkout day in 2 weeks.
Where do I stand with this should the landlord hire an unnecessary cleaning service once the tenancy has ended and take the costs from my security deposit?
The LL has the right to ask for the property to be cleaned to the same standard ashen you moved in but not to force you to use professional cleaners. If you can prove it is as clean as when you moved in you can dispute any deduction from your deposit. It will be up to the LL to prove the property wasn’t in the same condition, having your own photos will be very useful.
The landlord would need evidence of what remains unclean and the proportionate costs of correcting this. You should definitely find out from him his views on the current state, but if what you say is correct, then I doubt a full professional clean is justifiable.
Its the detail! As a landlord who has experience of high standard cleaning; military, private etc. I do the cleaning myself which may take me a week or more working bit by bit to get a property up to a move-in, hygienic standard and presentation; eat off the floor level, and find one clean in an area is never enough. Detail being the key here. Knobs, pulls, light bulb ceiling covers and so on. And will clean many times over before reletting. Against harsh stripping of a surface or damaging due to poor tenant type fast cleans.
Inside of ovens and extractor fans take a lot of work to remove grease from corners, linings inside glass doors etc. The same with door handles. Washing machine / dish washer filter cleans and sides/bottom of openings are another area.
As are plug holes - remove with small bottle brushes Another area is above kitchen units which harbour dust and layers of grease too. Recheck by running your fingers over these parts as proof.
The next is floor to wall edges which require corner cleans or steaming.
Run your fingers over to check.
Well I’d like to believe a landlord would be quite easy going, of cource if there was damage or what not it’s different, but wear and tear has to be expected just using common sence as in any home. What I have had aswell was told they got a professional cleaner in, now it wasn’t that bad, it was not emaciate when I moved in, but they insisted so lost my deposit, was not to bothered only £300 it £400 pea nuts really. They then tryed to hit me with another bill, but certainly did not pay it cause I knew they were in the wrong and I was right cause I heard nothing else about it. From anywhere. If it were legit I would have heard about it again. It really depends on your landlord, there just another human being some are good some are not, it’s a hit or a miss.
No I’m not in the property in question now I’m affraid. I’m not bothered now. It was a while ago. Before 2017 which I’m sure some sort of tenancy came Into place though I’m. No expert.