Barneyballbags
Old School Grand Master
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Thanks for the advice guys 
We'll just see how it goes this afternoon, fingers crossed!
We'll just see how it goes this afternoon, fingers crossed!
Advice - Landlord Inspection Today!
- Thread starter Barneyballbags
- Start date
i've covered up marks on wood flooring with felt tip pens before....:?
waxing sounds like a good idea though - also, he's consented to you having a dog in the property. i'd imagine this leaves him with little room to complain about the scratches on the floor (unless he's prepared to provide you with some booties for the dog to wear inside)
i assume a good inventory was taken before your tenancy began?
marks on the wall? sugar soap and a good roller for the paint will sort it out (no paint brush streaks).
as for picky landlords, the last place i rented (years ago) had us come back to wipe off marks on the light switches (basically a small amount of fingerprints left on them as they were brass switches!) had to leave the property and turn them off with my bike gloves on! f**king pedant!
you seem like a genuine chap, with the best intentions.
if you leave the place in good condition (or as close to as it was when you moved in) the landlord has little ground to stand on.
some landlords take the piss, some tenants take the piss. luck of the draw really for both sides.
our tenant had a sky dish installed. i hate it, but i hate it more that we were not notified of it - it involves work done to the property that could lead to damage - and to add to that, we have a share of freehold, so would imagine any exterior work/alterations would need to be consulted with freeholder as well. (given the shoddyness of some installations i've seen in the past), so its a good idea to get the landlords 'permission'. not sure on the legals of them being able to 'deny' it though. but thats another discussion i guess.
good luck with the visit!
waxing sounds like a good idea though - also, he's consented to you having a dog in the property. i'd imagine this leaves him with little room to complain about the scratches on the floor (unless he's prepared to provide you with some booties for the dog to wear inside)
i assume a good inventory was taken before your tenancy began?
marks on the wall? sugar soap and a good roller for the paint will sort it out (no paint brush streaks).
as for picky landlords, the last place i rented (years ago) had us come back to wipe off marks on the light switches (basically a small amount of fingerprints left on them as they were brass switches!) had to leave the property and turn them off with my bike gloves on! f**king pedant!
you seem like a genuine chap, with the best intentions.
if you leave the place in good condition (or as close to as it was when you moved in) the landlord has little ground to stand on.
some landlords take the piss, some tenants take the piss. luck of the draw really for both sides.
our tenant had a sky dish installed. i hate it, but i hate it more that we were not notified of it - it involves work done to the property that could lead to damage - and to add to that, we have a share of freehold, so would imagine any exterior work/alterations would need to be consulted with freeholder as well. (given the shoddyness of some installations i've seen in the past), so its a good idea to get the landlords 'permission'. not sure on the legals of them being able to 'deny' it though. but thats another discussion i guess.
good luck with the visit!
Barneyballbags
Old School Grand Master
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UPDATE 13.11.2012
Well, our landlord inspected our flat a couple of weeks ago, and has since emailed me.
Overall, he's very happy with the condition of the property and has thanked us for keep it in good order throughout.
He has, as expected, raised 3 points as follows:
- Mould on the grout and sealant in the bathroom
- Marks on the walls
- Marks on the kitchen floor
Regarding the mould in the bathroom - we have had a friend of ours (a landlord with 8 properties) come to give us his opinion, and he has stated that the bathroom is very poorly ventilated. We clean the whole apartment on a weekly basis, and we leave doors and windows open whenever possible to aid ventilation. However the mould still develops.
Regarding the marks on the walls - We said at the time of the inspection that we would use a mild sugar soap solution to remove any marks. The landlord was happy with this as he plans to have the apartment redecorated anyway before new tenants move in.
Regarding the kitchen floor (the main issue!) - The landlord noticed the marks at the time of the inspection, but was absolutely fine with them as they are barely visible and have not detracted from the overall look of the floor, nor have they gone through the protective laminate coating. However he has since sent me an email to state that he wishes to get a contractor in to carry out remedial works, and that he wants us to pay for it as "the marks were caused by the dog".
When the initial inspection was carried out by the letting agent (before we moved in), there was no mention whatsoever of any marks on the kitchen floor, although there were significant marks from where the landlord's wife had worn heels or stilettos on the kitchen floor. We are going to argue that, because these marks (or any others) were not even mentioned in the initial inspection, then it is impossible for the landlord to quantify which marks, if any were caused by our dog specifically (yes, I know our dog has made marks on the floor but unless it can be proved 100% we will dispute it).
I will then go on to state that any marks which may or may not have been caused by our dog as a result of simply walking along the kitchen floor would constitute general wear and tear, as the kitchen is a high-traffic area and as such, marks will appear due to day-to-day usage. I have stated that our dog has caused no damage to the property whatsoever, over and above what can be classed as reasonable wear and tear.
I'm also going to copy in the deposit protection scheme and the letting agent, and I'll include lots and lots of photos of the kitchen floor (including those of the stiletto marks which were present when we moved in, but never mentioned!)
Luckily we're in the position where we can (just about) afford to move without needing the money back from the bond straight away, so we are in a position to dispute his claim and to take it to arbitration through the DPS if needed.
Phew!
Well, our landlord inspected our flat a couple of weeks ago, and has since emailed me.
Overall, he's very happy with the condition of the property and has thanked us for keep it in good order throughout.
He has, as expected, raised 3 points as follows:
- Mould on the grout and sealant in the bathroom
- Marks on the walls
- Marks on the kitchen floor
Regarding the mould in the bathroom - we have had a friend of ours (a landlord with 8 properties) come to give us his opinion, and he has stated that the bathroom is very poorly ventilated. We clean the whole apartment on a weekly basis, and we leave doors and windows open whenever possible to aid ventilation. However the mould still develops.
Regarding the marks on the walls - We said at the time of the inspection that we would use a mild sugar soap solution to remove any marks. The landlord was happy with this as he plans to have the apartment redecorated anyway before new tenants move in.
Regarding the kitchen floor (the main issue!) - The landlord noticed the marks at the time of the inspection, but was absolutely fine with them as they are barely visible and have not detracted from the overall look of the floor, nor have they gone through the protective laminate coating. However he has since sent me an email to state that he wishes to get a contractor in to carry out remedial works, and that he wants us to pay for it as "the marks were caused by the dog".
When the initial inspection was carried out by the letting agent (before we moved in), there was no mention whatsoever of any marks on the kitchen floor, although there were significant marks from where the landlord's wife had worn heels or stilettos on the kitchen floor. We are going to argue that, because these marks (or any others) were not even mentioned in the initial inspection, then it is impossible for the landlord to quantify which marks, if any were caused by our dog specifically (yes, I know our dog has made marks on the floor but unless it can be proved 100% we will dispute it).
I will then go on to state that any marks which may or may not have been caused by our dog as a result of simply walking along the kitchen floor would constitute general wear and tear, as the kitchen is a high-traffic area and as such, marks will appear due to day-to-day usage. I have stated that our dog has caused no damage to the property whatsoever, over and above what can be classed as reasonable wear and tear.
I'm also going to copy in the deposit protection scheme and the letting agent, and I'll include lots and lots of photos of the kitchen floor (including those of the stiletto marks which were present when we moved in, but never mentioned!)
Luckily we're in the position where we can (just about) afford to move without needing the money back from the bond straight away, so we are in a position to dispute his claim and to take it to arbitration through the DPS if needed.
Phew!
he is a picky mickey isnt he!
mould in the bathroom - incredibly common problem. almost impossible to stop it and especially in a poorly ventilated bathroom. ours is situated in a room with extrior walls and is constantly damp/condensated to the point where the wall is like a mirror. toilet is always dripping with condensation. we have an extractor fan, but it does feckall really. i hate having to wipe it down all the god damn time and its too fooking cold to keep the window open! and dont get me started on the mould GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
kitchen floor - you were prepared for this. fight it as much as you can. you cant give someone permission to have an anmial in the house, then start charging you for things like that without even stipulating it as part of the condition of having the animal there. as for marks on the floor prior to your move in which havent been mentioned - if its not on the inventory, i would hazard a guess that the landlord would state they weren't there - even if that is a bare faced lie. did you mention it at all when you moved in? there is a weeks period in which you can usually state anything missing or wrong on the inventory once you have moved in...??
mould in the bathroom - incredibly common problem. almost impossible to stop it and especially in a poorly ventilated bathroom. ours is situated in a room with extrior walls and is constantly damp/condensated to the point where the wall is like a mirror. toilet is always dripping with condensation. we have an extractor fan, but it does feckall really. i hate having to wipe it down all the god damn time and its too fooking cold to keep the window open! and dont get me started on the mould GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
kitchen floor - you were prepared for this. fight it as much as you can. you cant give someone permission to have an anmial in the house, then start charging you for things like that without even stipulating it as part of the condition of having the animal there. as for marks on the floor prior to your move in which havent been mentioned - if its not on the inventory, i would hazard a guess that the landlord would state they weren't there - even if that is a bare faced lie. did you mention it at all when you moved in? there is a weeks period in which you can usually state anything missing or wrong on the inventory once you have moved in...??
Barneyballbags
Old School Grand Master
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There was no mention of any marks on the kitchen floor in the initial inspection report which was carried out before we moved in. However the landlord acknowledged during his inspection a couple of weeks ago (albeit in words rather than in writing) that there were some marks on the floor from his wife's high heels and that these marks were present before we moved in.
So, if he goes down the route of denying all knowledge of these marks, then we'll go down the route of denying that Barney (our dog) has made any of the marks which he refers to in his inspection report!
If I'm honest, I just think (actually I'm fairly certain) that our landlord is just trying to get some money out of us for something that we're not liable for, and he's hoping that we're going to roll over and accept it. How can I put this, our landlord is a pompous arse who uses big words and official language in all his emails in an attempt to make himself sound important and sound as if he knows what he's going on about.
The truth is, it's the first property he's rented out and he isn't clear on what constitutes wear and tear (such as our dog walking on the kitchen floor and causing a few marks), and what constitutes damage. He's trying to maintain that the marks on the floor are over and above what constitutes wear and tear, but the only way that the marks could have been prevented was if our dog was either never allowed in the kitchen (impossible, as its the only way to gain access to the back garden), or if we put slippers on him whenever he was in there!
I think we've got a strong case for disputing his claim for damage, and we're going to fight it!
So, if he goes down the route of denying all knowledge of these marks, then we'll go down the route of denying that Barney (our dog) has made any of the marks which he refers to in his inspection report!
If I'm honest, I just think (actually I'm fairly certain) that our landlord is just trying to get some money out of us for something that we're not liable for, and he's hoping that we're going to roll over and accept it. How can I put this, our landlord is a pompous arse who uses big words and official language in all his emails in an attempt to make himself sound important and sound as if he knows what he's going on about.
The truth is, it's the first property he's rented out and he isn't clear on what constitutes wear and tear (such as our dog walking on the kitchen floor and causing a few marks), and what constitutes damage. He's trying to maintain that the marks on the floor are over and above what constitutes wear and tear, but the only way that the marks could have been prevented was if our dog was either never allowed in the kitchen (impossible, as its the only way to gain access to the back garden), or if we put slippers on him whenever he was in there!
I think we've got a strong case for disputing his claim for damage, and we're going to fight it!
suburbanreuben
Old School Grand Master
ALL wooden floors get scratched to some extent from everyday use; it's unavoidable! It's called Patina.
The Royal Festival Hall used to have a fantastic Maple floor. 50 years of spilt drinks, fag burns and stiletto dents. In the morning when it had just been polished.... aaaah... Wood!
The Royal Festival Hall used to have a fantastic Maple floor. 50 years of spilt drinks, fag burns and stiletto dents. In the morning when it had just been polished.... aaaah... Wood!
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