Tenant not keeping house clean

Malari

I've just checked my lease, and there is a cleaning clause in there! Or at least to keep the interior in a "good and clean condition". I think that's a fairly standard lease.

Macha

DrPhilG wrote: »

I get what you're saying but isn't that a bit of an overreaction?

I dropped him a text saying that he might want to give the bog a scrub as it could end up causing him bother in the long run.

No demands, no ultimatum. If he doesn't bother his arse doing it then fair enough and I won't ask again. But if the place is rancid when he leaves, he has been politely warned.

Hardly what I would call "interfering in his life" in fairness.

I guess I'm coming from the point of view of renting in Belgium where there are no regular inspections, no arranging for the landlord to drop by. Like I said, I could paint every single wall in my apartment with the only requirement being I put it back the way it was before I leave.

As long as you know you're financially covered for any undue wear and tear, I'd try to forget about it.

DrPhilG

Malari wrote: »

I've just checked my lease, and there is a cleaning clause in there! Or at least to keep the interior in a "good and clean condition". I think that's a fairly standard lease.

I'd say it's the same lease a lot of people use, myself included.

Malari

DrPhilG wrote: »

I'd say it's the same lease a lot of people use, myself included.

It also says the windows should be cleaned 4 times a year, but I'm not going to get too strict on that :pac:

sbsquarepants

inforfun wrote: »

Nonsense
I rent cars a lot.
When i return it with a couple of empty bottles and empty bags, no one ever has charged me for getting rid of them.

They've charged you alright, The price of a normal clean is just rolled into the normal price.
Next time take a dump on the back seat and report back as to what was the extra charge!

inforfun wrote: »

If i bring it back as dirty as if i have been doing some off roading, i am not charged to have the car washed.
If i bring it back driving on 3 wheels... yeah... then i will have a problem

Again, the cars will likely just be washed between uses anyway, nothing extra happens, so nothing extra to charge for. Maybe the OP should price in the cost of a thorough cleaning every year into the rent.

But what really has me intrigued is - you go off roading in hire cars?

inforfun

sbsquarepants wrote: »

They've charged you alright, The price of a normal clean is just rolled into the normal price.
Next time take a dump on the back seat and report back as to what was the extra charge!



Again, the cars will likely just be washed between uses anyway, nothing extra happens, so nothing extra to charge for. Maybe the OP should price in the cost of a thorough cleaning every year into the rent.

But what really has me intrigued is - you go off roading in hire cars?

Now, the bolded part is not what you first said, is it?

If you don't they WILL charge you for putting it back in that condition

Taking a dump on the back seat is not really the same as what was described as the "damage" in the house now, is it?

As for the off roading, read my post again. "AS IF" i have been off roading.
That said... i did get a few X-Trails during those rentals so... i could have.

The thing that a lot of landlords dont seem to understand is that not everybody lives to the high standards they undoubtedly have themselves as it comes to cleaning the house.

You want to be a landlord, deal with it. Otherwise just sell the place and be done with it.

I have been renting from the same LL for years now and not 1 inspection. 2x the LL has been in the place to let some people in when some work needed to be done.
Rents are high enough as they are, dont need the bonus of some LL telling me how to live.

Lux23

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

How's it for his own good?

I could see it if there was a health issue. But a few stains on the toilet - get out of here, that's not a health issue.

If you were single and went over to a lad's house and there were poo stains in the toilet, would you be all that impressed?

Gravelly

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Jaysus what is this country coming to - This whole culture of entitlement is getting out of control but demanding the right to live like a fúcking pig in someone elses house, are you actually serious!

If you hired out a car, or a suit or anything else for that matter - you are FULLY expected to take care of it and give it back in the same condition you got it in. If you don't they WILL charge you for putting it back in that condition - and rightly so.

You are missing the point though - the tenant hasn't handed back the house, he's still renting it. I frequently rent cars abroad for work - after 3 or 4 days the car is usually full of files, discarded notes, food wrappers and much else, but is clean and tidy when being handed back. This tenant is hardly living like a pig, he's a single guy - back in the distant past when I was a single guy, cleaning the toilet and making sure there weren't any cobwebs in the corners weren't exactly my highest priorities in life either. If the tenant keeps the property maintained and cleans it to "single guy living alone" standard now and again, with a proper clean before handing it back, I think he's perfectly fine.

The person is renting the house, it's not theirs so I see no reason why the LL (the actual owner) cannot have rules about the place being kept clean, isn't the point of inspecting to check the place is being kept to a suitable standard?

Gravelly

Albert Damp Coliseum wrote: »

The person is renting the house, it's not theirs so I see no reason why the LL (the actual owner) cannot have rules about the place being kept clean, isn't the point of inspecting to check the place is being kept to a suitable standard?

As long as the tenant knows the rules when he starts renting. If "keeping the property clean to the point where the toilet and cobwebs are cleaned to the landlords standards" isn't included in the rental agreement, I'm not sure the LL has any power to enforce it other than by asking nicely.

the_syco

DrPhilG wrote: »

Dead God, did you even read the rest of the thread beyond the first post?

Oh hell no. But since you compel me to do so...

DrPhilG wrote: »

I haven't raised the rent in 3 years. I have often accommodated late rent by 2 or 3 weeks without any fuss. I recently took a trailer load of rubbish to the dump for the tenant because he had let it build up and the neighbours complained. In short, I am a fecking dream landlord!

Holy gawd, you sir, are being used as a doormat. If the place isn't in an RPZ, raise the rent to market level, and if he doesn't like it, tough. Also, do a yearly inspections.

Gatling wrote: »

But if the rent is been paid and he's not causing a major issue ie hording or similar with waste he should be left in peace

Well, seems the tenant has done just that;

DrPhilG wrote: »

I recently took a trailer load of rubbish to the dump for the tenant because he had let it build up and the neighbours complained

Guy Sajer

I wouldn't rely on the professional clean at the end of tenancy for it to be clean. I think cleaners will just clean immediate surface areas and won't move stuff to clean behind.

Our place had old batteries under bed, dirt on floor under wardrobe doors and fingernail clippings in bedside drawers. Despite having been professionally cleaned.

sbsquarepants

inforfun wrote: »

Now, the bolded part is not what you first said, is it?.

No. But it is what I meant, anything you hire will be subject to normal wear and tear, normal dirt that comes with use and it will all be priced in. Anything out of the ordinary you'll have to pay extra.

Bring your tux back with a couple of splashes of Guinness or gravy on it, no harm done. Change that to paint or oil and that will be extra.

inforfun wrote: »

Taking a dump on the back seat is not really the same as what was described as the "damage" in the house now, is it?.

No. To be fair I think he restricted his crapping to the crapper, well done him.

inforfun wrote: »

As for the off roading, read my post again. "AS IF" i have been off roading.
That said... i did get a few X-Trails during those rentals so... i could have.?.

Ooh, I do like those x-trails!
I missed the "if" first time round!

Gravelly wrote: »

You are missing the point though - the tenant hasn't handed back the house, he's still renting it. .

I know that and I fully agree - once you give it back the way you got it, there's no problem.

dennyk

Guy Sajer wrote: »

I wouldn't rely on the professional clean at the end of tenancy for it to be clean. I think cleaners will just clean immediate surface areas and won't move stuff to clean behind.

Our place had old batteries under bed, dirt on floor under wardrobe doors and fingernail clippings in bedside drawers. Despite having been professionally cleaned.

Aside from the clippings (professional cleaners aren't going to go rummaging through your drawers, unless they're dishonest ones who are looking to steal from you), that just sound like a ****ty cleaning company, or else they were just paid for a basic clean and not a really thorough job.

Either way, to my mind, the tenant ought to be responsible for returning the property in the condition it was in when he took possession of it (absent normal wear and tear, of course), whether that means cleaning it themselves, hiring someone out of their own pocket to do it. As long as they do that, I don't see that there's an issue.

flaneur

If you're talking about the house just needing a bit of a hoover and the bathroom cleaned, maybe being untidy. I don't really think you should be involved at all. Some people are just not very tidy.

Where a landlord might interject is where you've got a risk to the property - i.e. someone perhaps storing domestic waste inside the house, damaging the property like throwing food on the walls or something like that.

You're his landlord, not his mammy. So, basically if it's just a messy house, I would leave well enough alone. You'll only get someone's back up and end up in a big conflict over nothing.

It's quite possible that it will be given a thorough cleaning before he leaves and you won't even know he was there.

Neon_Lights

Sorry for hijacking the thread, but i have a similar problem with a lodger who currently is doing this after i've given notice.

He renders shared space unusable, meaning I can't watch TV, I can't cook dinner in the interviening period. I feel its an act in some ways of defiance.

He has no contract (oral agreement), and have spoken to him orally about this before. I'm not his parent and shouldnt have to scold him consistently.

Am I:

a) Liable to deduct his deposit for this
b) Remove him more immediately or reduce his notice period, for fear that negligable actions can damage the property.

Any advice i've recieved so far tends to sway towards softly softly approaches, but to be honest I just want the filthy animal out of my house.

TheChizler

Neon_Lights wrote: »

Am I:

a) Liable to deduct his deposit for this
b) Remove him more immediately or reduce his notice period, for fear that negligable actions can damage the property.

Any advice i've recieved so far tends to sway towards softly softly approaches, but to be honest I just want the filthy animal out of my house.

Not a anyway as you haven't suffered any financial loss. How muh notice did you give? I'd be veering towards strongly telling him to cop on or he'll be out by Saturday morning, and follow through if he doesn't.

Neon_Lights

TheChizler wrote: »

Not a anyway as you haven't suffered any financial loss. How muh notice did you give? I'd be veering towards strongly telling him to cop on or he'll be out by Saturday morning, and follow through if he doesn't.

I gave the standard months notice (reasonable enough), he seemed to get very petty and ill tempered by this. I appreciate it's a difficult market, but I need the house back for my own use (and mental health, some people are animals)

I did a full clean on the kitchen yesterday now its a state again.

TheChizler

Might be worth reminding him that the amount of notice is essentially subject to your mood. Has he paid up for the month ahead?

Neon_Lights

TheChizler wrote: »

Might be worth reminding him that the amount of notice is essentially subject to your mood. Has he paid up for the month ahead?

he's paid until the end of the month, and has bills accrued.

pilly

Neon_Lights wrote: »

I gave the standard months notice (reasonable enough), he seemed to get very petty and ill tempered by this. I appreciate it's a difficult market, but I need the house back for my own use (and mental health, some people are animals)

I did a full clean on the kitchen yesterday now its a state again.

It's your house so he has no rights. Tell him to pack up and go.

You really don't need that crap from someone.

Edit: Just read that he's paid up to the end of the month. I'd give him the money back. Couldn't care less.

It's a totally different situation to the LL's to be honest, it's your house and you have to live it as well. So much worse.