I had rented my house 7 months ago and this is how the work top looks like now. I asked the agency to check the property and they told me it could be a normal wear and tear and that tenants said it was cause by using the sink. What I supposed to do? They are still living at the property, they have a contract till the beginning of July. Do I have to claim it after they leave? Do you think that it could be described as normal wear and tear?
Looks like normal wear and tear, not the tenant’s fault, the chipboard has swelled up due to getting wet. I don’t think it can be repaired. Best to replace it with a more expensive material.
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The work top was used for 5 years before their move and it was in perfect condition. The damage was noticed by me inspecting the house after 3 months of the tenancy. This is how it was before their move.
Its a very cheap worktop, just a glued on veneer, so it won’t be possible to prove it was tenant’s fault.
doesn’t match this
This is normal wear and tear for a cheap worktop that has no edge seal. That worktop was not designed to be used with a sink. That’s not the tenant’s fault. However, the tenant is liable for not telling you about this damage as soon as it was noticeable. Proving that liability and working out how much they must contribute to the repair is going to be diffiucult. I’d say it was more hassle that it was worth so I wouldn’t bother.
You need to get a new worktop fitted asap that is better quality and designed to hold a sink. It’ll cost you, but that’s how much experience costs these days. That worktop was a false economy.
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No, I would claim that on your insurance. Do you have accidental damage? It does look like wear and tear but depends if you can claim on that. Or can you get a simple cheap fix? You may get a new work top quite cheaply, maybe a nicer one too!
cheap worktop on insurance = increased cost of premiums + replacement worktop in a few years
I had the same situation albeit the kitchen worktop was solid oak, installed 7 years prior to the tenant ruining it entirely with leaving the tap pouring water on the wood, over a few months. It went black and tenant claimed it was due to bad tap design and wooden worktop not fit to be a kitchen worktop. I claimed from the deposit and mydeposits ruled the 50/50 responsibility.