andy653cc Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Having been told by the letting agent the property would be cleaned prior to me moving in, I've found it's in a far from acceptable standard, the kitchen has grimy cupboards with dusty/dirty shelves and the skirting throughout is dirty and dusty. It's just like the owner has emptied the house of it's contents, run around with a broom and locked the door behind them. Has anyone had issues with their landlord over cleanliness? Who decides what is a "reasonable state of cleanliness"? I've expressed my dissatisfaction to the letting agent and the landlord is refusing to clean the place, so is this grounds to break the lease? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Not really ground to break your leasem no. You do have an entry inspection when you get the keys, this is when you write down and take pics of anything your not happy with and speak with your agents(always in writing for proof) anything that isnt really sorted or reported at this stage will end up your problem, as in your expected to make sure its mint when you vacate regardless of how you found it. Hope this helps a little and i hope you can sort the issues Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tickled Pink Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Take pictures, and if you can, a video (we did both). Make sure in either options you get that days newspaper and include it in the pictures, or start and end the video with you stood in the (continuous) footage with the paper in an easily identifiable part of the house - and also do a zoom in so you can clearly see the date. Take pictures/footage of it all. You should have an 'entry report', which you must sign and return to the agent within the first 3 days. Clearly state on here the issue, and that you have pictures and/or video footage - date and sign. You could also drop the rental agency an email to 'make them aware' of the condition on entry. I strongly suggest you make this friendly and polite - you don't want to start your tenancy relationship on ricky ground, and, for whatever reason, they may have not been aware of the issue themselves. We had a similar (although not as bad by the sounds of it) issue when we moved in, we did all of the above. The agency actually contacted some cleaners to come out to the property to do a complete clean - at no cost to us, however, we had taken care of it ourselves by that point. Staying friendly and polite with the agent is the way to go, they were very appologetic, but prob wouldn't have been if we'd gone in all guns blazing, and were very happy to ammed the situation. Remember, start off nice and you have somewhere to 'go' if you need to... start off 'iggy' and you are already there. I always find that people are more ammenable to those that are nice to them, after all, its so much harder to be unreasonable to a nice person! Hop this helps, good luck, let us know how you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 When we bought a house which we were going to rent out we spent a week cleaning it thoroughly, but overlooked some crumbs in the oven. I got a bill from the agent for $56 for a professional cleaner to come a do the oven. If you have issues get the agent to sort them out, it's what they're paid to do. I don't remember there was any discussion asking me whether I consented to it first, it was just done, so the landlord should be out of the equation until it comes time to pay to bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I spent 3 days cleaning a property until it was spotless. Still got professional cleaning deducted from deposit. Experience of renting here in Oz is they try every trick in the book to shaft you. Although the poster who said to stay friends with managing agent was spot on. Our agents for this house (had 2 prior) are really quick to act and the landlord has no problem fixing stuff. It's a complete dump mind you, and we're probably paying far too much rent for it but they're the best yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Take pictures, and if you can, a video (we did both). Make sure in either options you get that days newspaper and include it in the pictures, or start and end the video with you stood in the (continuous) footage with the paper in an easily identifiable part of the house - and also do a zoom in so you can clearly see the date. Take pictures/footage of it all. You should have an 'entry report', which you must sign and return to the agent within the first 3 days. Clearly state on here the issue, and that you have pictures and/or video footage - date and sign. What does the newspaper thing prove? You could move into a nice clean place and buy the newspaper for that day. Spend a couple of days making the place grubby - then make the film using the old newspaper as a prop. The newspaper only proves that the event didn't occur BEFORE the date in question. It doesn't prove anything about events that could have occurred after.:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tickled Pink Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Well, at the end of the day, we did as much as we could to try and safe guard ourselves - my husband reminded me that he actually used an online site which is never displayed the same way other than on the actual date it is relevant for, so a bit more fool proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Yes, the common feeling is that the agents are out to shaft people. Our rental was filthy. Also they didn't document a lot of the minor damage that was there when we moved in. They did, however, spend a long time going around finding every raw plug (most were painted over) so they could check if we added anything without permission! They missed off broken tiles, missing blinds, broken blinds, damage to work surface etc. The place had been given a surface clean but the blinds were black, the windows hadn't been cleaned, the shower was black with mould on the grouting, the garden was very overgrown etc. We took a lot of photos and sent lots of emails. That way it's all documented if there is any queries at the end. We did a video too but not sure how useful it will be for the reasons listed above. I also heard, here in QLD, that you can apply to have the bond given directly to you rather than the agent. Then it's up to them to prove you did the damage etc and makes it less likely that you will be shafted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindaatno9 Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 1. Dont like my furnished rental. House is nice enough,no, it's really nice, we were very lucky to get it, but using someone else's cookware isn't the best (and bad stains in the toilet pan makes me want to heave. Remind myself not to go out on a heavy session so I have to stare at that pan all night!). I have no idea whose 'dirt' I am cleaning, ours or theirs! Just had a second inspection notice and they suck! The rigmarole/degrading of the cattle herd when there is a home open, fight for the highest bidder,potentially get stuck with somewhere in desperation which would make a Blackpool 1* B&B look 5* in the Seychells because 'they can' stinks. They then inspect to make sure you are actually cleaning and maintaining a property to the highest standards, sucks! I have a list. Sweep, mop, vacuum floors -Yeah I'm going to do that cos I don't like wallowing in my or your filth. Oh and providing a hoover that actually works would be a great help. Preferably not one that has the wire wrapped with tape. This worries me and I fear for my life! Wipe down bench tops, basins, sinks and troughs - Someone enlighten me on a trough. Yeah, I know some rentals are a pig sty, but really? Clean exhaust fans/range hoods. - Sparkling clean? Did YOU do that before I moved in? Clean windows including tracks. - Come on!!! I do that once/twice a year at my own home. You want me to do that again in a matter of months? The curtains are falling down in places (already done prior to arriving) Do YOU clean tracks? By the looks of it, I think not so what you are actually saying is you'd like someone else to do those jobs you didn't do yourself. Wash curtains/ wipe venetians/ verticles. Again, come on!! I have swags and tails on 2 levels, tripple pleat curtains in 3 area's. This is specialist cleaning jobs here. Remove cobwebs, wipe doors over, clean light fittings, wipe walls including skirting boards. - Ok, so the fact your toilet bowls are stained brown, your shower cubicles have water marks that would need a chisel to remove, your pantry is minging as is the cooker. Would you like me to pull out the fridge and clean behind that too? Further to the above, pay attention to. Kitchen. Clean stove including oven shelves, griller and recess, hot plates and drip trays, chrome surrounds, exterior enamel and control panels. Do not use scourers. - (refer to my above comment re shower cubicle and chisel!) Bathroom. Shower recess tiles, grouting, screen and removal of any hair residual hair from plug holes. Toilet including seat set and pedestal to be cleaned. - Refer to my comments regarding chisel and toilet pan above. Caustic soda and some explosives may do the trick! There are other instructions regarding the garden and should the inspection not be up to standard they will re inspect at our expense! This was my experience of our furnished rental. It was a damn sight cleaner when we moved out than when we moved in I can tell you. I posted this in Perth Poms forum shortly after we moved in. It was a short term let as owners were abroad for 6 months. Agent was a right sour puss, but you have to be nice to their faces dont you? We then had an incident which made me very upset where on return to the country, the owners son calls the house between 10-20 times between 7pm and 7.30 looking for his father (who'd had the mobile redirected to the house.) That night the owner arrives at 8pm to collect his mail. I raised the question in Perth poms and was directed to the lease agreement of peaceful enjoyment and that the owners needed to give notice to visit the property. So, I made a complaint highlighting this point. WRONG thing to do! On vacation, the house was spotless, I mean spotless!! So, what are the owners saying to seek compensation for my little outbust? I scratched a frying pan and the grey stripe bedding they left us with is...grey and they want compensation to the value of $300. Seriously, put up and shut up or you will be shafted! Oh and moving in to the unfurnished rental now? Photos of everything and really nice pleasant way of saying you paid how much for a cleaner to come in? You were robbed as I spent 2 days washing walls down with sugar soap solution, bleaching floors and toilets and shake and vac the carpets to get rid of the dog odour in the bedrooms. Best piece of advice. Put up and shut up. They have YOUR money x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 My daughter used to rent this weird little place off Lygon Street. When she moved in it was absolutely foul and had obviously never been cleaned for years- apparently a lot of overseas students had used it last but the dirt and grime went back a lot longer than a few years. She got a pussy cat who had an absolute ball catching rodents and she gradually cleaned it up only to be evicted because the owner wanted to 'develop'- put the rent up more like it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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