problem with lodgers

mille100piedi

We have been renting for several years our guest room and we had amazing guests. Unfortunately this time we were not so lucky.
We traveled abroad and we left the couple at our place, we practically charged them for a room, but they were living alone in the apartment for nearly 4 months and at that price was a very good deal for them. They asked permission to host their friends on holiday several times and we said no problem.
When we came back we realized they they have been snooping around, I don't think there is drawers that has not been opened. My boyfriend insisted to install a lock in our bedroom door before to leave, I didn't think it was necessary, but it was a good choice. They even climb with the ladder to the roof (where is not safe to walk) to open a tool box to take an utility knife..
They have been broken several items, some of them they told me, but some I just found out myself. They broken even a lamp hanged on the ceiling, no idea how they did it, they have broken the kitchen top, stained the towels we provided them because they were using to clean stuff that were spilled on the floor instead to use the floor mop. They behaved like they were owning all our belongings, using all our laundry soap, oil, all our spices, ...they replaced them when they finished our supplies, but not with the same products brand and I am sure now that they are moving in their apartment they are going to take them away
We were wrong not locking away our items and this will not happening again in the future with other guests.
In a few days they are leaving and I told them I am going to keep 100 euro for all the damage done, but they started to complaining that it was too much, that they should know how much worth every single item.
They asked me the give them their the deposit in cash the day they are living, but since they never paid the full rent on time (usually I have to wait 2 weeks for the full rent to be paid) I definitely not going to pay their deposit on time.
I just would like an advise about the deposit, should I keep the money or let them to replace the items broken?Some of them I guess will be difficult to find because I bought them years ago.

Cheshire Cat

They are lodgers, they have no rights. I would have chucked them out straight away. Keep their deposit and make sure to change the licks once they are gone. They don't deserve any better for the stunt they pulled.
They can't lodge a complaint at the RTB because they are just licensees. Make sure you kepp a close eye on what they are taking when they move out.

the_syco

Do a walk around, and ensure that everything that should work, works.

Get into the attic when it rains, to ensure that no tiles were broken when they walked along it.

pilly

When you say they broke the kitchen top do you mean the counter? That will cost a lot to fix.

jimmycrackcorm

mille100piedi wrote:

I am going to keep 100 euro for all the damage done, but they started to complaining that it was too much, that they should know how much worth every single item.

I don't think it is right to arbitrarily keep 100 and both parties would be better if you charged them for what exactly needs to be replaced. Accidents happen so no point dwelling more than that.

As for whatever spices you mentioned they replaced, you could tell then you take their replacements with them and charge them to replace the ones you had though I'd personally let that go.

newacc2015

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I don't think it is right to arbitrarily keep 100 and both parties would be better if you charged them for what exactly needs to be replaced. Accidents happen so no point dwelling more than that.

So if someone rear-ended you and dented your bumper, your attitude would be sure accident happen? I find tenants dont respect things if it is not out of their own pocket. If tenants arent paying their own bills, heating is on pretty 24/7 and every light is on. Yet if they pay for it, they conserve energy

IMO OP should bill them for everything beyond wear and tear. A formica worktop should last decades, if their lodgers destroyed it in a brief period, they should pay for its replacement taking into account the age of the worktop. They should pay for towels, they destroyed and items they broke. They might have no respect for property in their new place, but if they owned it, I imagine they would

mille100piedi

pilly wrote: »

When you say they broke the kitchen top do you mean the counter? That will cost a lot to fix.

The counter is made by tiles, it didn't cost us nothing to fix it because my boyfriend built it and he could fix it. We really don't know how she could break the counter, she of course denied to damage it

mille100piedi

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I don't think it is right to arbitrarily keep 100 and both parties would be better if you charged them for what exactly needs to be replaced. Accidents happen so no point dwelling more than that.

As for whatever spices you mentioned they replaced, you could tell then you take their replacements with them and charge them to replace the ones you had though I'd personally let that go.

At the end of the day I think they were right it is not fair to charge 100 euro, I made the list with the items broken/damage, we could find the price online.... and it is nearly 300 Euro.
They started to argue again and so I lost my patient. I told them that at this point I had to take legal action against them. Strangely they agreed to pay.
Accident happen of course, but from my post you can clearly see it has not been an isolated, innocent accident....

mille100piedi

newacc2015 wrote: »

So if someone rear-ended you and dented your bumper, your attitude would be sure accident happen? I find tenants dont respect things if it is not out of their own pocket. If tenants arent paying their own bills, heating is on pretty 24/7 and every light is on. Yet if they pay for it, they conserve energy

IMO OP should bill them for everything beyond wear and tear. A formica worktop should last decades, if their lodgers destroyed it in a brief period, they should pay for its replacement taking into account the age of the worktop. They should pay for towels, they destroyed and items they broke. They might have no respect for property in their new place, but if they owned it, I imagine they would

They will have to pay for all the items they damage, we just rent a room to them at a very good price and they act like we rented them all our belongings. They left the bathroom and bedroom filthy, I guess they didn't clean it for 4 months, it was disgusting I asked to clean the toilet or call a professional cleaner and pay her because no way I will clean a toilet that has not been cleaned for 4 months. I feel sorry for the next landlord... They never apologize and they tried in anyway to minimize the consequences of their actions