Students Be Aware of High Landlord Cleaning Costs

The Sunday Times published an interesting article about how landlords of residential properties let to students are charging excessive fees at the end of tenancies and deducting them from deposits because of the condition of the properties left by students.

So to give a flavour of these high costs, they provide examples like:

• £35 to change a light bulb
• £60 to clear cobwebs
• £20 for a new key ring fob
• £45 replacement pin board
• £20 for a “broken vacuum cleaner pipe”, and with one example where the cost was added for the vacuum cleaner of the actual tenant, not the landlord.
• £20 for a missing letter box
• £80 for fixing holes in walls
• £345 cleaning bill justified by four cleaners for 4 hours each, which was then negotiated down to 4 cleaners on 1 hour each, so only £86.50.
• £250 if the kitchen needs cleaning (York University, but only £30 at Nottingham University)

Of course, this appears unfair and an example of landlords and letting agents taking advantage of students who may not be aware of these terms and conditions and being forced to agree to them because of something they may have signed initially.

The Association of Residential Letting Agents clearly says that landlords should not profit by charging more than the market value for replacement items, and quite rightly so.

It’s also about the right balance. Yes, it will, of course, cost a landlord to arrange certain cleaning or repair work at a property ready for the next tenant, and that rate must be reasonable, but it can’t be inflated.

An Example of Landord Costs

A good example above is the cleaning-bill one, where it appears that the actual hourly rate was not an issue; it was just the number of cleaners and hours involved. That’s where clear and honest communication is essential, so everyone’s clear on the proper time and cost involved.

So anyway, as the new student year now begins and students and parents are involved in arranging student lets, here are a few pieces of advice to try and make sure they don’t get hit with such enormous costs at the end:

1. Remember Rent Deposits for Residential Short-Term Lets

These must, by law, be protected and kept separate from the landlord, with both parties then required to agree on any deductions from them.

2. Take a Really Good Inventory at the Start

Include lots of photos that you can store online or even send via email as written evidence of the condition at a particular time and date.

3. Keep onTops of Things

Both general cleaning and letting the landlord know about any repairs straight away.

4. At the Very End of the Tenancy Have a Go Yourself

Or use a good local Birmingham cleaner to get spik and span.