Tenants threw hundreds of butts in garden?

[elainem]

I had to get some maintenance done on house I was renting out. With the tenants permission I went to the house with builder.

However, when I went to the house, it was filthy. In the garden,which has a lovely patio, was strew with hundres of cigarette buts. They butts were also thrown into the plants on the raised border. There was bits of food on the floor and dishes with half eaten food left on the table, though they were all away for the weekend. Upstairs, the doors of the bedrooms were black with dirt and fingermarks - they have only lived there since August - the stairs to the attic room was also black and thick with dirt.

There are four women, all 'professionals' in the house. There is a letting agent. What to do? They're away for weekend, so texted them that I was unhappy, but got no reply!

Any ideas/thoughts how to handle situation would be welcome.

I actually have never had anything of this kind with tenants before, not dirtiness anywya.

 

[Setanta12]

No damages? Breakages ?

What does the lease say ? If nothing about general tidiness, then leave alone. Don't forget there must be normal wear-and-tear; and this sounds like it.

 

[Harry31]

I always tell tenants that we expect the inside & outside of the house to be kept in a reasonable state. I don't think that is unreasonable. I would tell those 'professionals' to get their act together or take notice. It may seem harsh, but imagine the state the place will be in when they do leave & who will be paying the price!

 

[elainem]

Tenants threw cigarette butts in garden.

Hi! Thanks to both you for replies. Kildavin, I don't think this is normal wear and tear. The last tentans who had this house left it sportless - they were there for two years! For me, cigarette buts strew all over a garden is dirty and completely disrespectful. It is me who will have to go around and pick up each one of these!

Harry31 - if they don't clean up the mess, can I give them notice for this? I tried to contact them over the weekend but no success - there are four of them. I left a message on each of their phones and sent a global test yesterday afternoon, saying how upset we were at the state ofthe place, especially the garden - but as yet got no replies!

I can't understand why anyone would think it acceptable to stump out hundreds of cigarettes in anyone's garden, even if they are renting, when all they need to do is get a small covered bin/couple of ashtrays to put them iinto.

 

[Bronte]

I don't think you can evict them for anything you've posted. Maybe you should buy them a bin for the patio and tell them to dispose of the butts there. When they leave you should pay someone to clean up the butts and you can deduct this from the deposit, I don't think this is normal wear and tear. The dirty dishes are irrelevant. Not sure about the doors. If it's beyond normal wear and tear then you can deduct from the deposit the cost of painting but to me repainting is more a landlords responsibility, generally has to be done every time a tenant leaves. If these are the worst tenant's you've encountered then you've been very lucky.

 

[Harry31]

Keep trying to contact them, if you live nearby make an appointment to meet with them. If you took photos of the mess in the garden, show them. I would try talking to them in a friendly fashion first (even if you feel mad!). And try to get them to agree that the house & garden should be kept in a reasonable order. I am not suggesting anything in a legal sense, just dealing with tenants over the last few years. At the end of the day, it is your property & they are only renting it for a period of time - you are the one who will end up doing the clean up (I spent 2 whole days cleaning an oven & a washing machine of stomach churning gunk, so I became much tougher). See how talking to them goes & I hope it goes well - keep us updated!

 

[serotoninsid]

I can't understand why anyone would think it acceptable to stump out hundreds of cigarettes in anyone's garden, even if they are renting, when all they need to do is get a small covered bin/couple of ashtrays to put them iinto.

Understand it! - there are plenty that will do it. It's disgusting - especially when you have to pick each and every one of them up. However, I'd imagine if this is the worst experience you have, you'll be getting off lightly.

 

[seantheman]

There is a letting agent.

So why are you getting involved? Is this not within the agents remit?

 

[elainem]

Tenants threw hundreds of butts on the ground

Hi! Seantheman, letting agent doesn't see what the problem is. Says that even though I entered the house with tenants permission to let gardener do the garden, that I can actually be sued by the tenant because I looked upstairs after seeing the mess in the garden and downstairs. It appears the world has gone mad. Really, it is not just the garden - the dirt of the house was stomach churning. There was rotten and Hal eaten food on plates with cigarettes stubbed out in them. There were coffee cups around with coffee in them that we're pure solid from mould. Bits of food all over the floors. The bathroom was also filthy with excrement - dried in faeces and blood. The toilet bowl was covered with brown staining - I am of the age where I have seen better outside toilets - obviously a bottle if bleach was too costly. There were also dirty coffee cups on the bathroom floor! Are my letting agents right in what they have said, or are they trying to scare me?

 

[delgirl]

According to the lease I use, it's the standard topfloor one, under the tenant's obligations:

3.7 To keep the interior of the property and the contents in good and clean condition, damage by accidental fire and reasonable wear and tear excepted, and to keep the property at all times well and sufficiently aired and warmed during the tenancy.

I think you're quite correct to point out the state of the property, including the stairs and the bathroom. If I were you, I would put it in writing to them making reference to their obligations as tenants under their lease, paragraph XX to maintain the property in good and clean condition and advising them specifically what needs to be rectified.

If they query why you went to the bathroom, just say you had to use the toilet.

You might want to also include in the letter that you intend to inspect the property 4 weeks from now at their convenience.

Would also point out that it is in their interest to keep the property in good and clean order as, when the time comes for them to vacate, if the property is returned in poor order where excessive cleaning is required, hefty deductions will be made from the deposit to cover these costs.

 

[commonsense]

I had to get some maintenance done on house I was renting out. With the tenants permission I went to the house with builder.

However, when I went to the house, it was filthy. In the garden,which has a lovely patio, was strew with hundres of cigarette buts. They butts were also thrown into the plants on the raised border. There was bits of food on the floor and dishes with half eaten food left on the table, though they were all away for the weekend. Upstairs, the doors of the bedrooms were black with dirt and fingermarks - they have only lived there since August - the stairs to the attic room was also black and thick with dirt.

There are four women, all 'professionals' in the house. There is a letting agent. What to do? They're away for weekend, so texted them that I was unhappy, but got no reply!

Any ideas/thoughts how to handle situation would be welcome.

I actually have never had anything of this kind with tenants before, not dirtiness anywya.

You entered the house to do maintenance, not to "check" on the property.

As you say these are four professional women, they rented a property in a certain condition, they are expected to leave the property as they found it.

I am sure they paid you a deposit?

IMO, you had no right to text them as the purpose of your visit was to gain access for maintenance.

You have no right to comment on how they choose to live - dirty dishes and butts can be cleaned up.

You rented your property in a certain condition, you have a right to expect it back near to that condition, but to be honest commenting oon bits of food and unwashed dishes is pretty unacceptable.
You are renting your property - not your lifestyle.

Paintwork and dishes can be washed - butts can be picked up.

 

[elainem]

Tenants threw butts all over the garden

Hi! Delgirl and Commonsense, thanks for your comments. Commonsense, the letting agent took your view, and I can see where they are coming from to a large extent. I never intended it to be an inspection of the property, but I was just so shocked at the state of the back garden, and also the downstairs of the house.

 

[serotoninsid]

the letting agent took your view, and I can see where they are coming from to a large extent. I never intended it to be an inspection of the property, but I was just so shocked at the state of the back garden, and also the downstairs of the house.

I would imagine they have seen it all before and that what you describe is the thin end of the wedge. Rented out rooms in my house over the past 7 years to both irish and non-nationals. The messy ones were irish.

 

[Bronte]

. The bathroom was also filthy with excrement - dried in faeces and blood. The toilet bowl was covered with brown staining - ?

I must say your tenant's sound absolutely disgusting. How do grown adults behave and live like this.

 

[delgirl]

You entered the house to do maintenance, not to "check" on the property.

If it's so obvious that the property is filthy, then the landlord has every right to point this out to the tenants as they are obliged under the terms of their lease to keep the property in good and clean order. It's better to nip the situation in the bud before the filth becomes so ingrained that it becomes very difficult to clean.

As you say these are four professional women, they rented a property in a certain condition, they are expected to leave the property as they found it.

I am sure they paid you a deposit?

They are also required to keep the property in 'good and clean order' during the tenancy.

You've obviously never had to clean up after dirty tenants have vacated a property. The vast majority of tenants will use their deposit as the last month's rent and if they leave the place dirty, the LL has to either clean the place themselves or fork out for a cleaning company to do it.

IMO, you had no right to text them as the purpose of your visit was to gain access for maintenance.

You have no right to comment on how they choose to live - dirty dishes and butts can be cleaned up.

The LL has every right to point out that the tenants are in breach of their tenancy agreement.

The last tenants I had to clean up after filled the bins in the rear garden with a mixture of ash from the fire and dirty nappies. We couldn't move the bins as they were too heavy, so they had to be emptied with a shovel.

They had also burnt all/most of their rubbish in the open fire with the result that we had to get a chimney sweep in who removed loads of plastic from the chimney. They left a skip full of rubbish in the cupboards, garden shed and in the attic and the house, blinds, walls, ceilings, carpets, wooden floors and tiles and all the applicances were absolutely filthy.

It took 2 weeks to clean the house and remove all the rubbish and cost a lot of money which, as they were in rent arrears when they left, was not covered by the deposit.

 

[delgirl]

Hi! Delgirl and Commonsense, thanks for your comments. Commonsense, the letting agent took your view, and I can see where they are coming from to a large extent. I never intended it to be an inspection of the property, but I was just so shocked at the state of the back garden, and also the downstairs of the house.

The Letting Agent doesn't care about your property, all the are interested in in getting their fee every month and they don't want the hassle of dealing with tenants or finding new ones.

I say this out of experience with letting agents and would personally never use one again.

 

[shesells]

I would imagine they have seen it all before and that what you describe is the thin end of the wedge. Rented out rooms in my house over the past 7 years to both irish and non-nationals. The messy ones were irish.

To add to this. The messiest tenants in our house and who did the most damage (in ten years of renting) were four professional Irish women. Hope they are not the OP's tenants!

 

[facetious]

You are entitled to an inspection of the property from time to time - it looks as if you have not done this.

I recall a case with the PRTB where the adjudicator said that if the landlord had used his power as given him in the RTA 2004 to inspect the property from time to time, then there would not have been so much damage to it. Accordingly he reduced the landlord's claim for damages.

However, how a tenant lives in the property is basically up to him/her.

By doing an inspection, and afterwards write to the tenants pointing out things like the butts in the garden, that this may affect the return of their deposit should it area not be left in a condition free thereof. Equally as regards the dirtiness of the attic stairs. Dirt is damage, not wear and tear.

 

[commonsense]

If it's so obvious that the property is filthy, then the landlord has every right to point this out to the tenants as they are obliged under the terms of their lease to keep the property in good and clean order. It's better to nip the situation in the bud before the filth becomes so ingrained that it becomes very difficult to clean..

Obvious to who? Not to me, not to the agent and not to others here.

They are also required to keep the property in 'good and clean order' during the tenancy..

Never seen that on a lease before. Maintaining the property, yes. But "clean", eh???

You've obviously never had to clean up after dirty tenants have vacated a property. The vast majority of tenants will use their deposit as the last month's rent and if they leave the place dirty, the LL has to either clean the place themselves or fork out for a cleaning company to do it. .

Wow, sweeping generalisation there.

The LL has every right to point out that the tenants are in breach of their tenancy agreement..

Where are they in breach? I don't recall the OP saying there was damage done or the rent not being paid?

The last tenants I had to clean up after filled the bins in the rear garden with a mixture of ash from the fire and dirty nappies. We couldn't move the bins as they were too heavy, so they had to be emptied with a shovel..

So? What has that got to do with this?

They had also burnt all/most of their rubbish in the open fire with the result that we had to get a chimney sweep in who removed loads of plastic from the chimney. They left a skip full of rubbish in the cupboards, garden shed and in the attic and the house, blinds, walls, ceilings, carpets, wooden floors and tiles and all the applicances were absolutely filthy.

So?

It took 2 weeks to clean the house and remove all the rubbish and cost a lot of money which, as they were in rent arrears when they left, was not covered by the deposit.

??

So now every tenant story you hear has some relation to your experience?


The OP has a deposit, he left the property in a certain condition and would like it back that way - who are you to say that he won't get it back in the same condiiton?

 

[Bronte]

I recall a case with the PRTB where the adjudicator said that if the landlord had used his power as given him in the RTA 2004 to inspect the property from time to time, then there would not have been so much damage to it. Accordingly he reduced the landlord's claim for damages.

.

That's a shocking decision. You are allowed to inspect and you ought to but it's not a legal obligation. And if a tenant has done damage the tenant should pay for it.

Do you have a link to that case?