How can landlords deal with filthy tenants?

Balanadan · 17-08-2018 08:14PM #1

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 · 17-08-2018 08:23PM

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

Balanadan · 17-08-2018 08:25PM

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 · 17-08-2018 08:33PM

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 · 17-08-2018 08:48PM

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 · 17-08-2018 08:51PM

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 · 17-08-2018 08:56PM

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 · 17-08-2018 08:59PM

Balanadan wrote: »

Most tenants never clean the property.

Well that a, sweeping, statement.

RandomName2 · 17-08-2018 09:00PM

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 · 17-08-2018 09:03PM

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 · 17-08-2018 09:18PM

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 · 17-08-2018 09:22PM

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 · 17-08-2018 09:28PM

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 · 17-08-2018 09:29PM

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 · 17-08-2018 09:29PM

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 · 17-08-2018 09:57PM

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 · 17-08-2018 10:10PM

TheChizler wrote: »

Well that a, sweeping, statement.

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

noodler · 17-08-2018 10:42PM

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 · 17-08-2018 10:54PM

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

dotsman · 17-08-2018 10:59PM

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 · 17-08-2018 11:03PM

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 · 17-08-2018 11:06PM

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 · 17-08-2018 11:09PM

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

Balanadan · 17-08-2018 11:12PM

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 · 18-08-2018 12:26AM

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 · 18-08-2018 12:32AM

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 · 18-08-2018 12:48AM

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 · 18-08-2018 02:24AM

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 · 18-08-2018 06:11AM

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 · 18-08-2018 06:14AM

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 · 18-08-2018 06:22AM

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

How can landlords deal with filthy tenants?

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