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College Renting; List of Damage/Repair Costs

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    #32
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,295 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    MauraTheThird wrote: »
    Things on this list were never included in the house first day eg. an ironing board so we are wondering whether we will be charged for something that was never here.
    If you have not received the list with your lease, get onto the Estate Agent who sent you the list, and let them know that you never received the list upon moving in.

    Go through the list, noting the quality of each item. Note which items are missing.

    Also tell them what items are missing, and the general state of the other items.

    I'm guessing the list is a "standard items" list that they have probably sent to all properties that they own.

    =-=

    I think the repainting of the rooms refers to smoke damage. Although the places I've lived in have mainly been non-smoking properties, the one or two that allowed smoking would have yellow ceilings in the sitting room.

    IMO, one property has gotten destroyed, and this is damage control.


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    #33
    Lemming
    Registered Users Posts: 14,148 ✭✭✭✭Lemming


    tuisginideach wrote: »
    Lemming - do you use OverPride on roasting trays/ grill pan etc - I'd love to but fear I might damage them (sadly I'm not one for having shiny silver ones)?

    Depends, but yes I have. It doesn't lift the surfacing off; just whatever grease/oil/crap is on there. Making ones oven trays shiny is down to you scrubbing too hard with a harsh surface.

    Not wanting to state the obvious, but I will so nobody can accuse me of destroying their cooking utensils; Oven Pride is expensive enough stuff (£4/€5) a pop to use every other day so it's not a general day to day cleaning solution and as a result not best applied on your day to day cooking pots & pans; you should be keeping those clean anyway to avoid all manner of food poisoning.


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    #34
    Clearlier
    Registered Users Posts: 4,454 ✭✭✭Clearlier


    Lemming wrote: »
    Depends, but yes I have. It doesn't lift the surfacing off; just whatever grease/oil/crap is on there. Making ones oven trays shiny is down to you scrubbing too hard with a harsh surface.

    Not wanting to state the obvious, but I will so nobody can accuse me of destroying their cooking utensils; Oven Pride is expensive enough stuff (£4/€5) a pop to use every other day so it's not a general day to day cleaning solution and as a result not best applied on your day to day cooking pots & pans; you should be keeping those clean anyway to avoid all manner of food poisoning.

    The oven cleaners do a pretty good job but check the details of whatever product you use before you stick your cooking utensils in. I made the mistake of sticking a tray that had some kind of finish on it in. It made a complete mess of it and had to be chucked. OTOH it did a fantastic job on the stainless steel shelves. Also IME there is usually still some requirement for a bit of elbow grease to get an awkward patch or two.


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    #35
    Michael D Not Higgins
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 7,223 Mod ✭✭✭✭Michael D Not Higgins


    €10 to clean a drain? All they'll do is pull any hair out and stick some drain cleaner down. If any of these charges are applied, I'd like to see a full invoice from a professional cleaners, painters, etc. otherwise it's unenforceable.

    Missing cutlery, €10, is that per spoon or if the entire drawer is empty? They'd want to be Newbridge silverware for a per item price.


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    #36
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,676 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Michael D Not Higgins wrote: »
    €10 to clean a drain? All they'll do is pull any hair out and stick some drain cleaner down.


    E10 is cheap, and assumes that other things need to be done at the same time. Drain cleaner isn't free. The time taken to buy it, transport it to the house and apply isn't long - but isn't trivial either. Most maintenance people would charge a minimum call-out of at least E20 for a job like that.


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    #37
    Michael D Not Higgins
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 7,223 Mod ✭✭✭✭Michael D Not Higgins


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    E10 is cheap, and assumes that other things need to be done at the same time. Drain cleaner isn't free. The time taken to buy it, transport it to the house and apply isn't long - but isn't trivial either. Most maintenance people would charge a minimum call-out of at least E20 for a job like that.

    No, what it looks like is a shakedown. I've seen a professional company that do a clean for a two bed flat for €190. Adding up the list for 'full clean' of each room adds to €370.

    Edit:
    4 bed here: €460 at least,
    professional: €250


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    #38
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Casati wrote: »
    Maybe dont pay the last months rent and leave them the deposit - thats what most tenants do
    Rabo Karabekian wrote: »
    No, you're right, they don't. You give your deposit over to the landlord/estate agent (so they can bank it while you stay in their property) and then you can expect to wait a month or two after you have left before you get it back. Perfect system.

    Everyone knows its not perfect.

    But you're advising people to break their lease. Putting the tenant in the wrong, not the LL, if it subsequently goes to the PRTB. if the LL chases the tenant for damages etc.
    A deposit cannot be used in lieu of rent and you are liable for paying the rent up to the end unless otherwise agreed

    You can hardly take the moral high ground about LL not following the rules if you are advising tenants not to follow rules pre-emptively. You leave the LL with no deposit to cover damage. So in effect leaving the LL to cover the cost of any damage. Which he can chase you for in the PRTB.


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    #39
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Michael D Not Higgins wrote: »
    €10 to clean a drain? All they'll do is pull any hair out and stick some drain cleaner down. If any of these charges are applied, I'd like to see a full invoice from a professional cleaners, painters, etc. otherwise it's unenforceable....

    You'd prefer these charges to be contracted out to a third party, and pay the much increase cost that causes. Its likely to be charged per the hour if contracted out done.


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    #40
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,278 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    E10 is cheap, and assumes that other things need to be done at the same time. Drain cleaner isn't free. The time taken to buy it, transport it to the house and apply isn't long - but isn't trivial either. Most maintenance people would charge a minimum call-out of at least E20 for a job like that.

    I cleaned a drain last weekend. I used more than 10 Euro of chemicals in the process. 10 Euro for cleaning a drain *is* cheap.


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    #41
    Michael D Not Higgins
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 7,223 Mod ✭✭✭✭Michael D Not Higgins


    The_Conductor wrote: »
    I cleaned a drain last weekend. I used more than 10 Euro of chemicals in the process. 10 Euro for cleaning a drain *is* cheap.

    Perhaps a badly blocked drain would require this but my point is in the ability to pull some hair out, squirt some bleach in and charge €10. Or worse, don't do it and charge.

    The PRTB only allow invoiced cleaning to be charged not the landlord's time, and as I posted above you can get the whole place cleaned by a professional outfit for cheaper than the listed rates.


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    #42
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,676 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Michael D Not Higgins wrote: »
    Perhaps a badly blocked drain would require this but my point is in the ability to pull some hair out, squirt some bleach in and charge €10. Or worse, don't do it and charge.


    Spoken by someone who's never cleared a blocked drain! Seriously, I doubt that a professional cleaner would even clear blocked drains. They clean sinks - including removing surface gunk. But unblocking drains they'd leave that to the maintenance contractor, who'd come carrying plunger, DrainBoss and possibly rods.

    The OP is in this case is dealing with an agency that is clearly used to renting to students. It is highly unlikely that the LL will come around and do maintenance him/herself. The work will be contracted out, the agency will have receipts for it.

    But really all of this is moot, all the OP has to do is hand the property back in the same state they got it.


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    #43
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    ...But really all of this is moot, all the OP has to do is hand the property back in the same state they got it.

    This. I doubt they'll have any problems.


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    #44
    Rabo Karabekian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 275 ✭✭Rabo Karabekian


    beauf wrote: »
    Everyone knows its not perfect.

    But you're advising people to break their lease. Putting the tenant in the wrong, not the LL, if it subsequently goes to the PRTB. if the LL chases the tenant for damages etc.



    You can hardly take the moral high ground about LL not following the rules if you are advising tenants not to follow rules pre-emptively. You leave the LL with no deposit to cover damage. So in effect leaving the LL to cover the cost of any damage. Which he can chase you for in the PRTB.

    I presume you're not referring to me advocating breaking your lease. I have never done this, and never would, it's just frustrating waiting for your deposit to come back but yes, it's not a perfect system. Even if the constructive poster(s) who suggested alternatives had their system put in place, I can't see the delay ever stopping (in fact, it would probably increase if an independent body were involved).

    There is a practice in a friend's house where they just don't pay the last month's rent, primarily because the EA made a huge fuss about giving back a deposit when someone left a few years back (and the fuss was just laziness, he never even bothered checking the room or house). Again, I would say that in my experience (and amongst others I know) the problems with renting tends to come from EAs managing properties rather than landlord/ladies.


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    #45
    Lingua Franca
    Registered Users Posts: 2,800 ✭✭✭Lingua Franca


    Lemming wrote: »
    'Oven Pride' does the job rather nicely; best left overnight followed by a soak with warm soapy water. Racks & trays placed in rather large sealable bag with approx. 2/3 of the liquid solution, other 1/3 can then be applied over the internal surfaces of the oven (obviously NOT on the element ... ). Beats the hell out of giving it serious elbow grease!

    I think that's the brand I have, I live abroad but brought some of those back with me last year and they are amazing.

    A couple of years ago we bought a house and moved out of our rental house because we were being absolutely slammed for rent, the house had been finished as cheaply as possible and it was starting to show, and we were bored stiff in the area.

    I cleaned and packed and cleaned and packed for a week, scrubbed dining room chair upholstery and let them dry in the dry in the sun, stuff like that and the landlord still kept 400 euro of our deposit for A. cleaning the oven B. removing water spots from the shower door (already there when we moved in) and C. cleaning two of the dining room chairs. We offered to go back up and clean it all ourselves but he wouldn't have it and although we knew we being conned we didn't have the time or will (and I don't have the competency in Dutch) to fight it.

    A 5 euro Oven Pride bag and a 2.50 bottle of WD40 and some elbow grease on the shower would have left him with only the two dining room chairs, which he was lying about, to try to scab as much of our deposit as possible.

    Don't give them the opportunity, OP.


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    #46
    MauraTheThird
    Registered Users Posts: 818 ✭✭✭MauraTheThird


    Update; we all got our entire deposits back so happy days! Thanks for all the advice!


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