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Cleaning fees taken from deposit

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  • 23-09-2010 10:52am
    #1
    djimi
    Registered Users Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    I know this was brought up recently but I just want to clarify something.

    My lease is up soon on my current place and I will be moving out. When I moved in I remember the letting agent telling me that the previous couple got their full deposit back less €50 to have the carpets cleaned. Now I was of the impression that, for normal wear and tear style cleaning, it is the responsibility of the landlord to have the apartment cleaned after the tenant moves out, and that the tenant is not responsible for the cost of this cleaning (barring the tenant having made a complete mess or destroying the carpets etc)?

    Basically the place is in no worse of a state than when I moved in and I would not be overjoyed at the prospect of having to pay for cleaning to be done to the place after I leave. Am I within my rights to feel this way?


Comments

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    #2
    Da GOAT
    Registered Users Posts: 453 ✭✭Da GOAT


    they cant do that


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    #3
    silja
    Registered Users Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭silja


    Yes you are.


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    #4
    ceadaoin.
    Registered Users Posts: 8,261 ✭✭✭ceadaoin.


    I've rented 2 places in the UK now and both of them stipulated in the rental agreement that we must pay for the apartment to be professionally cleaned at the end of the rental period. This was never the case in any place I rented in Ireland.

    If you didn't have any prior notice that they would do this then I think you have a right to be annoyed. Just give the place a good clean and make sure you are there when they do the final inspection. Maybe the previous tenants stained the carpets badly so they were an exception?


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    #5
    Paulyh
    Registered Users Posts: 567 ✭✭✭Paulyh


    This happen to me last month, landlord withheld €100. Now the apartment was spotless when we (myself and OH) left. There are no carpets just tiles.
    I wmet the landlord in the apartment after he accused use of leaving the place in a 'squaller'!! we argued for about half an hour, as he was pointing to some dust on the top of a piece of skirting board, dust on top of one of the storage heaters, and some dust on the bottom of the wardrobes!!! we sent him a registered letter, have got no reply. I have got advise from the PRTB and Thresold, and we are now going to open a dispute with the PRTB. The landlord is not registered with them and when i told him had recieved advise from them he said: 'from who??? who are they???'


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    #6
    djimi
    Registered Users Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    Cheers for the replies guys; its as I thought so.

    Im hoping it doesnt come to that Pauly. In the time Ive been there Ive had a very good relationship with the letting agent and havent really had anything to do with the landlord (apart from pay my rent which was always on time) so Im hoping that the previous tenants were an exception. I dont particularly want to leave on bad terms but I also dont want to get screwed out of money I dont have to pay out.


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    #7
    Paulyh
    Registered Users Posts: 567 ✭✭✭Paulyh


    djimi wrote: »
    Cheers for the replies guys; its as I thought so.

    Im hoping it doesnt come to that Pauly. In the time Ive been there Ive had a very good relationship with the letting agent and havent really had anything to do with the landlord (apart from pay my rent which was always on time) so Im hoping that the previous tenants were an exception. I dont particularly want to leave on bad terms but I also dont want to get screwed out of money I dont have to pay out.

    we had a good relationship with the landlord all along, we were there for a year and a half, gave 6 weeks notice when moving out, alway paid rent on time and never asked for anything while living there...........then he just turned into a complete ignorant pigheaded bastard!! he just wants us to cover his standard cleaning. I'm also a landlord myself so i know whats involved, and you have to accept that you will have to freshen up the place after a tenant moves out, and quick clean, maybe a coat of paint, but thats not something i would ever try and charge the tenant for. the only time i withheld money was when a tenant really destroyed the carpets, and that was only the price to get them cleaned. They left the walls manky, but i just painted the whole house anyway myself.
    Its stated in the Tenancies Act that a deposit can only be withheld if there is rent owed on the property or if there is damage to the property above normal wear and tear.


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    #8
    djimi
    Registered Users Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    My only worry is that I havent met the landlord, and while he seems like a sound enough fellow, he might just expect that the cleaning fee come out of the deposit, and given that the previous couple didnt put up much of a fight that I know of, he might not take too kindly to me doing so. I suppose Ill just have to see what happens I guess!


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