How can landlords deal with filthy tenants?

Balanadan

Most tenants never clean the property. Some tenants would swear blind that the property is clean even if the walls are black. It's like they can't see the filth that they have created and are living in. At the end of it all, the poor landlords have to clean up this mess and make it right, only for the next lot of tenants to repeat the process.

In other countries, landlords can rightly deduct significant portions of tenants' deposits to cover cleaning costs, whereas in Ireland the landlords will be threatened with a PRTB dispute.

pleas advice

stick an extra tenner on the next tenants rent to cover it

Balanadan

pleas advice wrote: »

stick an extra tenner on the next tenants rent to cover it

That won't go far after you pay tax on it.

AlmightyCushion

Balanadan wrote: »

Most tenants never clean the property. Some tenants would swear blind that the property is clean even if the walls are black. It's like they can't see the filth that they have created and are living in. At the end of it all, the poor landlords have to clean up this mess and make it right, only for the next lot of tenants to repeat the process.

In other countries, landlords can rightly deduct significant portions of tenants' deposits to cover cleaning costs, whereas in Ireland the landlords will be threatened with a PRTB dispute.

Landlords can deduct cleaning costs from deposit here.

Titzon Toast

Most tenants? Can you back this up OP?
I've just moved house and spent two solid days scrubbing my last house and have pictures to back it up.
As was pointed out above, landlord's can deduct money from deposits if needs be.

RandomName2

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Landlords can deduct cleaning costs from deposit here.

That's about it. Landlords don't have much rights beyond this. Trying to increase rent by €10 would be far too much of a headache to ever make it worth while.

Yer Da sells Avon

What we really need is for the state to build tens of thousands of houses and charge people an affordable percentage of their monthly income to live in them, thus putting the poor, beleaguered private landlord out of their misery forever. That way, everybody will be happy.

TheChizler

Balanadan wrote: »

Most tenants never clean the property.

Well that a, sweeping, statement.

RandomName2

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

What we really need is for the state to build tens of thousands of houses and charge people an affordable percentage of their monthly income to live in them, thus putting the poor, beleaguered private landlord out of their misery forever. That way, everybody will be happy.

Well the government outlawed bedsits a few years back, that got rid of a few landlords. Drove up the price of rents, mind.

noodler

I cleaned an apt I left once and in leaving day the agent came in, literally running her finger along surfaces looking for dust.

She wanted to deduct a 100 from the deposit. It was a massive row.

I don't think it is reasonable to expect a tenant to necessarily clean a property to a professional level.

Some LLs and agents really want to charge the tenant for a professional clean.

Yer Da sells Avon

RandomName2 wrote: »

Well the government outlawed bedsits a few years back, that got rid of a few landlords. Drove up the price of rents, mind.

They introduced rent pressure zones too, and average rental prices are continuing to increase. Building a large number of homes to rent at an affordable price would drive prices down. I've yet to hear a decent argument against it.

Doylers

In Toronto they aren't allowed take deposits and the LL is to use the last months rent to cover costs of cleaning and getting the place ready to go again. But in saying that, places are half as crappy so it takes less time and money to turn them around.

Balanadan

Titzon Toast wrote: »

Most tenants? Can you back this up OP?
I've just moved house and spent two solid days scrubbing my last house and have pictures to back it up.
As was pointed out above, landlord's can deduct money from deposits if needs be.

How dirty was it that you needed to spend two solid days cleaning the place?

Balanadan

TheChizler wrote: »

Well that a, sweeping, statement.

I wish tenants would do a bit more sweeping and I wouldn't have to make any statement.

RandomName2

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

They introduced rent pressure zones too, and average rental prices are continuing to increase. Building a large number of homes to rent at an affordable price would drive prices down. I've yet to hear a decent argument against it.

You are 100% right. Only thing to consider is infrastructure (particularly transport). High density nearer the city would help a lot.

dotsman

noodler wrote: »

I don't think it is reasonable to expect a tenant to necessarily clean a property to a professional level.

I think it's very reasonable. In many countries, this is built in to the lease - that upon leaving, it will be professionally cleaned (organised by the agent) and deducted from the deposit. The upside also means that when you rent a place, you are moving in to a perfectly clean apartment/house.

The issue here is that (and you'll spot this if you ever share a house/apartment) is that different people have a different opinion as to the definition of "clean". simply having it professionally cleaned means a consistent definition (i.e very clean).

Losty Dublin

TheChizler wrote: »

Well that a, sweeping, statement.

But his point is that tenants don't actually sweet up.

noodler

dotsman wrote: »

I think it's very reasonable. In many countries, this is built in to the lease - that upon leaving, it will be professionally cleaned (organised by the agent) and deducted from the deposit. The upside also means that when you rent a place, you are moving in to a perfectly clean apartment/house.

The issue here is that (and you'll spot this if you ever share a house/apartment) is that different people have a different opinion as to the definition of "clean". simply having it professionally cleaned means a consistent definition (i.e very clean).

It isn't the tenant's responsibility to get a property back to some brand new state.

Trigger Happy

Could murder a can of tenants now.
Or a harp.

dotsman

noodler wrote: »

It isn't the tenant's responsibility to get a property back to some brand new state.

But should it not be "to the state they received it". If it is always professionally cleaned between tenants, then it will consistently be of the same high standard.

Balanadan

noodler wrote: »

It isn't the tenant's responsibility to get a property back to some brand new state.

Where did they say "brand new state"?


It should be the tenant's responsibility to keep the property clean.

Trigger Happy

Balanadan wrote: »

Where did they say "brand new state"?


It should be the tenant's responsibility to keep the property clean.

Exactly. The tenant can never be responsible for reasonable wear and tear.
But they should leave the property clean as they found it.

SEPT 23 1989

Putting in ****ty charity shop furniture and five euro a square metre garbage flooring doesn't help the situation either

Balanadan

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Putting in ****ty charity shop furniture and five euro a square metre garbage flooring doesn't help the situation either

Plenty of rental properties are finished to a high standard and are still treated like **** by tenants.

noodler

Balanadan wrote: »

Where did they say "brand new state"?


It should be the tenant's responsibility to keep the property clean.

Follow the chain of posts from my first one.

Dont take one out of context.

KevinCavan

Any landlord complaining in the current market can fcuk off, the rents are so high that even after tax they are making good money!

leonffrench

Yer Da sells Avon wrote:

What we really need is for the state to build tens of thousands of houses and charge people an affordable percentage of their monthly income to live in them, thus putting the poor, beleaguered private landlord out of their misery forever. That way, everybody will be happy.

That's called communism

end of the road

leonffrench wrote: »

That's called communism

that's fine, bring it on anyway. at least it will be a smart move as the current system of leaving the housing issue to the market and private landlords only isn't working.

Graces7

Titzon Toast wrote: »

Most tenants? Can you back this up OP?
I've just moved house and spent two solid days scrubbing my last house and have pictures to back it up.
As was pointed out above, landlord's can deduct money from deposits if needs be.

Thank you!

Graces7

noodler wrote: »

I cleaned an apt I left once and in leaving day the agent came in, literally running her finger along surfaces looking for dust.

She wanted to deduct a 100 from the deposit. It was a massive row.

I don't think it is reasonable to expect a tenant to necessarily clean a property to a professional level.

Some LLs and agents really want to charge the tenant for a professional clean.

and they omit the state of the place when you moved in :eek:

Graces7

lls always claim tenants left the place dirty.

I once had to evacuate a property when it flooded. I scrubbed and bleached all the cupboards and surfaces in my wellies, but the floor was 3 inches deep in mucky water..ll told the agent I had left the place "very dirty".

Large pinch of salt needed

Mongfinder General

end of the road wrote: »

that's fine, bring it on anyway. at least it will be a smart move as the current system of leaving the housing issue to the market and private landlords only isn't working.

Loads of room to build in places like Leitrim, Roscommon and Donegal. Lash the houses up there.

Gillo

Mongfinder General wrote: »

Loads of room to build in places like Leitrim, Roscommon and Donegal. Lash the houses up there.

That's where you get the chicken and egg situation, there's very little to attract people to those area's. Look at employment opportunities alone, no on will want to move. The easy answer is get companies to invest in those areas but why should they invest if there is no readily available workforce?

check_six

KevinCavan wrote: »

Any landlord complaining in the current market can fcuk off, the rents are so high that even after tax they are making good money!

I've been led to believe that landlords are the only people in society that have to pay tax on their income. Would they not be better off giving up the auld landlording and getting a job with no tax on the income, like working in a shop, an office, or a bank? The hours would be less too.

MissShihTzu

Speak for yourself, OP!! I am a tenant who chooses not to live like a pig. You're welcome to inspect my gaff at any time. I guarantee it'll be cleaner than yours...

Keep your sweeping statements to yourself :mad:

Achasanai

Balanadan wrote: »

Where did they say "brand new state"?


It should be the tenant's responsibility to keep the property clean.

Only with the reverse being true. Most places I've moved in to have required a full-cleaning job.

Balanadan

I can't understand how people who are seemingly intelligent, who manage to hold down good jobs, don't clean what is their home.

RunRoryRun

noodler wrote:

I don't think it is reasonable to expect a tenant to necessarily clean a property to a professional level.

I think it is reasonable to expect the property to be left in he same state as when it was first rented. If it had been professionally cleaned prior to moving in, it should be the same on departure. This should include ovens / fridge / freezer etc....

whisky_galore

Balanadan wrote: »

Plenty of rental properties are finished to a high standard and are still treated like **** by tenants.

LOL.
Some of them you wouldn't put a dog let alone a human into.

andala

Gillo wrote: »

That's where you get the chicken and egg situation, there's very little to attract people to those area's. Look at employment opportunities alone, no on will want to move. The easy answer is get companies to invest in those areas but why should they invest if there is no readily available workforce?

Move the long term unemployed there. There's absolutely no need for them to get 3 bed houses in Dublin. Housing lists in sought after locations should prioritise working people or people with disabilities. Those with no intention of working should be at the bottom of the list and have no choice in either the location or type of accommodation provided (ie house vs apartment).

Besides, there are many investments opportunities outside Dublin, a lot of people from my north-west county commute long hours to the capital, not because of their love for the Big Smoke but because they have no choice.

While I see how warehouses away from port cities may not be cost efficient, it may be an idea to move universities here and build big, American style campus to provide accommodation for students. That would significantly lower the cost of renting a flat for students and would provide employment for a lot of people in towns like Cavan.

Graces7

Balanadan wrote: »

I can't understand how people who are seemingly intelligent, who manage to hold down good jobs, don't clean what is their home.

actually how they choose to live is their concern. How they leave the property is a different matter altogether.

Graces7

These tenant/v landlord threads as on A and P always have me singing, "The farmer and the cowman" from Oklahoma.......seemingly irreconcilable differences..

fryup

any of you ever watch TV shows like can't pay we'll take it away or slum landlords nightmare tenants

the way some people live is beyond galling, its just beggars belief that anyone could live in such a state of such disrepair

listermint

Balanadan wrote: »

How dirty was it that you needed to spend two solid days cleaning the place?

The place I moved into a number of years back . Very dirty the landlord a self obsessed yummy mummy let the place out with dirty oven. Dirty microwave. Dishwasher and washing machine tablets melded into the appliance drawers filthy stairs carpet and dirty windows. And the bathrooms didn't smell pleasant especially the en suite one.

Then when we moved out she had the audacity of deducting 300 euro from the deposit for cleaning when we moved out.

Im a very clean person I can't live in other people's filth let alone my own so the place was beyond immaculate when I handed the keys back . Why because that's how I was raised and I would hate for people to move in thinking the last tenant was a filthy person.

I didn't bother fighting with her because knowing her type she'd ignore the order from the prtb the attractive wench that she was.


But that's it you get people like that not all landlords and not all tenants


No one should be stupid enough to paint every person with a brush. Because if you do, well your stupid . You can't legislate for stupid people

Yer Da sells Avon

leonffrench wrote: »

That's called communism

And it's a bad idea because...?

McGrath5

Balanadan wrote: »

I can't understand how people who are seemingly intelligent, who manage to hold down good jobs, don't clean what is their home.

A lot of tenants feel they are getting one over on the landlord.

I've heard it all before, a few guys I worked with boasting how they do not own a hoover, "sure why would I clean the landlords house, that's his job", they couldn't understand it when I pointed out to them they are the ones actually living there in their own filth.

El_Duderino 09

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

RandomName2 wrote: »

Well the government outlawed bedsits a few years back, that got rid of a few landlords. Drove up the price of rents, mind.

They introduced rent pressure zones too, and average rental prices are continuing to increase. Building a large number of homes to rent at an affordable price would drive prices down. I've yet to hear a decent argument against it.

Any current landlord who doesn’t want additional competition would be able to think of one reason.

leonffrench

Yer Da sells Avon wrote:

And it's a bad idea because...?

Sound good.... doesn't work

KevinCavan

check_six wrote: »

I've been led to believe that landlords are the only people in society that have to pay tax on their income. Would they not be better off giving up the auld landlording and getting a job with no tax on the income, like working in a shop, an office, or a bank? The hours would be less too.

Landlords have plenty of income besides the income on their property/properties.

Yer Da sells Avon

leonffrench wrote: »

Sound good.... doesn't work

In what way would the state building houses not work?

suicide_circus

my rule of thumb was that my care and maintenance of a place I was renting was directly proportional to the soundness of the landlord.