tenant guide: end of tenancy guidance

Transcription

1 tenant guide: end of tenancy guidance Page 1 of 9

2 end of tenancy checklist ITEM COMPLETE? (Y/N) 1. Inventory: Ensure all items listed on the inventory are present and in the correct room / position. 2. Missing / Damaged items: Replace any missing or damaged items and place in their correct position (as per inventory). Please tell us about any damage to the property that you are unable to remedy (or if you want our advice). 3. Cleaning: Thoroughly clean the property (including windows), paying particular attention to the cleaning checklist contained later in this document to ensure there are no deductions from your deposit for additional cleaning. 4. Rubbish & Personal Belongings: Ensure all rubbish and personal belongings have been removed. 5. TV Licence: Cancel your TV licence from the final date of tenancy. 6. Light Bulbs: Replace any broken light bulbs. 7. Redirection of Mail: Arrange redirection of mail with Royal Mail (NOTE: we are unable to forward any mail to you after you have moved out). 8. Forwarding Address: Provide Lawson & Thompson with your new postal and addresses. 9. Gas / Electricity: Provide final meter readings to your gas / electricity supplier (NOTE: these MUST be taken on the date the tenancy agreement expires). If you are leaving St. Andrews early, we can take photographs of the meters on this date and them to you. Ensure you provide the supplier with a forwarding address for the final bill to be sent (NOTE: we cannot release your deposit until we see proof the final bill has been paid up to and including the last day of tenancy). Please do NOT arrange disconnection of the supply state you are moving out and wish to pay the account up to the date the lease ends based on the readings taken by us or you that day. Request future bills are sent to Lawson & Thompson, 20 Crawford Gardens, St. Andrews, KY16 8XG. 10. Telephone & Broadband: Contact your telephone / broadband / TV supplier to close your account, providing a forwarding address for the final bill. NOTE: we cannot release your deposit until we see proof the final account has been paid and closed. 11. Keys: Place keys through the letter box when you depart. Page 2 of 9

3 useful advice and information We do everything we can to ensure our tenants get 100% of their deposits back. Below is a list of some of the common items students default upon at the end of a tenancy resulting in deductions from deposits: keys Ensure you leave every set of keys in the property, placing the final set through the letterbox when you depart. If we are not in possession of all keys (i.e. one set per tenant) we may have to change the locks for the security of the next tenants. inventory The inventory is the master document we use when conducting final inspections. During the final inspection, we use the exact same inventory we provided to you in week 1. Go through EVERY item on the list to ensure it is in the correct room / position. If there is anything missing or damaged since the you moved in mark it on the inventory and replace it! IF we need to replace any broken or missing items, or need to call a contractor to remedy any damage to the property that can t be deemed fair wear and tear, then you will be charged not only the cost of the item but also an administration fee to cover the labour costs involved in replacing these items. **Please speak to use before attempting to repair any damage to the building fabric**. rubbish Dispose of any rubbish, including from the garden. IF the rubbish does not fit in your wheelie bin or if the lid does not close, Fife Council will refuse to take it. In this case take the rubbish to the recycling cycle (behind Morrisons). Any rubbish you leave will require a contractor to remove. light bulbs Replace any blown bulbs. council tax If you graduate before the end of your lease, you will be liable to pay council tax for any remaining period. You are responsible for informing Fife council of this. utility bills You are liable for the property up to the last day of tenancy as stated on the tenancy agreement regardless of when you move out! Your telephone / broadband / tv account needs to be closed (note: this can be done at any time). For electricity and gas, you need to provide your utility provider with the meter readings on the last day of tenancy (note: we can send you these if you have left) and request a final bill up to that date, remembering to give them details of your forwarding address if you are not signed up to e- billing. We are unable to repay your deposit until we have proof the telephone / broadband / tv account has been closed (and paid) and the electricity / gas account final invoice has been paid up the last day of Page 3 of 9

4 tenancy (using the final meter readings taken that day). deposit At the end of the tenancy a final inspection will be made of the property, checking items against the inventory as per the points above and in the end of tenancy checklist. Where there are NO deductions from the deposit: we will initiate the refund procedure with Safe Deposits Scotland (note: the lead tenant can also initiate this refund). Safe Deposits Scotland will then contact the lead tenant by or post, requesting the repayment details. Where we propose a deduction IS made from the deposit: we will contact you to explain the reasons for this and explain under what terms we are making the deductions (the terms of which are clearly explained in the lease). We will then submit a proposal to Safe Deposits Scotland stating what the deductions are. Safe Deposits Scotland will then / write to you asking you to confirm whether you agree OR wish to dispute the amount. Where you agree to the deduction, confirm this to Safe Deposit Scotland who will then transfer the funds directly to your bank account within 5 working days. Where the amount is disputed, the process takes longer as both sides make their case. Any dispute will be dealt with in accordance with these scheme rules unless Safe Deposits is notified otherwise in writing. cleaning Your property will have been handed to you in an immaculate condition and needs to be handed back in the same condition, ready for the arrival of the new tenants. In our experience tenants often leave cleaning until the last night and then discover there is far more to do than initially imagined. We recommend that you begin a thorough clean of the property a couple of weeks before you are due to leave the property and then give a light but satisfactory clean as close to the time you leave as possible. Unfortunately, once the property has been vacated we cannot allow you to return to do more cleaning if the level of cleanliness has not been deemed sufficient. At this stage we wish to intimate that it is in our interests as much as your own for the property to be adequately cleaned. We use an external company for cleaning and do not make any financial gain when cleaners have to be used. To ensure impartiality we do not charge an administration fee for our time in sorting out cleaning related incidents - this can be a considerable cost to our own business as we record the cleaning required, intimate to yourself the situation, arrange for the cleaners, provide the cleaner with access to the property, conduct an inspection of the cleaner's work and then have to deal with the invoices, payments and deposit deduction. Cleaners are not particularly cheap and it can be surprising how long it takes to properly clean a property. Please turn over for a comprehensive cleaning checklist to ensure nothing is forgotten. Page 4 of 9

5 cleaning checklist entrance / hallway / stairs Vacuum carpets (shampoo where necessary) or mop floor as appropriate Clean radiator Wash doors Clean mirror Dust lighting fixtures Dust wall pictures Dust surfaces Clean skirting boards and other soft window hangings. Clean power sockets and light switches with a dry cloth ensuring mains power is off if required. lounge / dining room Vacuum carpeting/rugs (shampoo if necessary) Wash floor Clean skirting boards Clean radiator Dust lighting fixtures Page 5 of 9

6 Dust wall pictures Dust surfaces Clean table including legs Clean chairs including legs Clean inside of drawers and cupboards and other soft window hangings Clean power sockets and light switches with a dry cloth ensuring mains power is off if required Clean under soft furnishings and vacuum under cushions (shampoo clean if necessary) kitchen Remove all food and personal belongings from cupboards, fridge and freezer. Remove crumbs from toaster Dishes all washed, dried and stored correctly Clean sink Wipe countertops Wipe outside of refrigerator Clean inside of refrigerator (replace light bulb if required) Wipe outside of washer/dryer Clean the washing machine detergent tray Select the hottest wash your machine will run at and run it for a single cycle. You may wish to add a few capfuls of vinegar to the detergent drawer before running the hot cycle Page 6 of 9

7 Wipe outside of freezer Wipe inside of defrosted freezer (replace light bulb if required) Leave fridges and freezers unplugged and open with no danger of water flooding from melted ice Wipe outside of microwave Clean inside of microwave Wipe down and clean the toaster, kettle and other small appliances. Clean out traps of dishwasher you may wish to run a rinse cycle on the dishwasher Clean stovetop (remove burners to clean around them where necessary) Clean oven (HINT: we recommend Ovenpride ). Clean extractor hood (replace light bulb if required) Clean radiators Wash floor Clean inside cabinets Clean inside all drawers including wiping clean any cutlery holders Clean on top of kitchen cupboards this quickly obtains significant grime from cooking Wipe the inlet of any extraction fans while it is switched off and other soft window hangings Clean power sockets and light switches with a dry cloth ensuring mains power is off if required bedrooms Page 7 of 9

8 Clean any mattress stains Wash and dry mattress protectors and place back on beds Vacuum carpeting/rugs (shampoo if necessary) Wash floor Clean skirting boards Clean radiator Dust lighting fixtures Dust wall pictures Dust surfaces Clean mirror Dust the top of the wardrobe Dust shelves Clean inside of drawers and other soft window hangings Clean power sockets and light switches with a dry cloth ensuring mains power is off if required bedrooms / en suites Clean bathtub Clean shower Wash shower screen Clean basin Wash down all wall tiles and screens Clean grouting between tiles (HINT: For tough to remove grime, Page 8 of 9

9 try spraying a part-bleach, partwater mix before wiping down) Clean silicone sealant Clean toilet (inside, outside and around base) Clean mirror Wash floor Clean radiator Clean skirting boards Wipe the inlet of any extraction fans while it is switched off and other soft window hangings. garden Area tidy Grass cut (if tenant s responsibility) Beds weeded (if tenant's responsibility) Bushes and hedges trimmed (if tenant s responsibility) PLEASE ENSURE VACUUM CLEANER IS EMPTIED / INTERNAL BAG REPLACED WITH FRESH ONE Page 9 of 9