Tenant has just moved out.
Laminate floor in living area is in pretty poor shape it only a year old from new.
Laminate floor in low traffic area like bedroom looks perfect just how it was when I laid it.
Laminate is Kronospan domestic light commercial with 5mm foam underlay
In high traffic areas the end of plank joints have failed MDF delaminated.
Tenant insists the damage is because the flat is damp.
When I arrived to do moving out inspection she was mopping the floor with water!!!
I believe the damage is caused office chair with small wheels overloading the laminate and underlay.
I had fire extinguishers in a block of three flats .One in each flat and on each landing . council inspector asked me had I instructed the tenants how to use them . I said the instructions are clear on the notice at each one. She told me to remove the fire extinguishers. I was not expecting the tenants to be the fire brigade . Only as a standby
From what I have read deposit scheme seems a complete waste of time as tenant always gets their deposit back.
I might not even bother with a deposit anymore.
I can always take tenant to court which is what I may do with tenant that damaged floor
for office chairs you can get thick transparent plastic mats to put them on and protect wooden floors. otherwise any wooden floor, solid or laminate, will be damaged by the wheels. My point being that it is not reasonable wear and tear because a floor can be expected to last for 20 years and anyone who had paid to have a floor laid would take reasonable precautions to protect it, like having a simple chair mat.
I’m wondering why you didn’t spot this on quarterly inspections. Perhaps it was an agent who did them and they tend to do very cursory inspections which, in my experience, are virtually useless unless the T has a specific complaint they raise.
For new tenants, I do a detailed inspection myself a month after the check-in date. It’s at this point I’m looking for issues just like this one which would lead to long term wear and tear and which I can flag early on. I make sure the T knows that damage will lead to a deposit claim and I’ve never had a single tenant not respond to rectify any issue that might lead to that. It’s their money after all.
property 100 mile round trip from my home. Didnt do inspections when I should have.
When I finally got access to property to do inspection she had so much stuff in flat it was pretty difficult to inspect anything.
Tenants made her position on floor quite clear regarding blame. Floor is at fault, flat is to humid.
since the current deposit system is so biased toward tenant I dont think I will waste my time making a claim.
I always warn tenants on check in what likely deposit claims might be, and how to avoid, and to ask me for help if any problems start. Pre move out I discuss possible deductions. On check out, I agree reasonable deductions after first pointing out what is wear and tear so has no charge like paint knocks, and make sure tenant is happy to agree. I aim to be reasonable and not sweat the small stuff. Making a claim then means not much detail or evidence is needed as tenant has already agreed and will instantly confirm this in order to get their share back or to finalise the matter. So far, this has always gone smoothly.