First IP, tenant expects the bedroom/study carpets to be steam cleaned

Hi everyone!

My first tenant has signed the lease and picked up the keys today for our first IP(1 bed apartment).She’s inspected the place and it’s only two years old. She renegotiated $10 off her weekly rent which we agreed to. We the owners were living on it for 2years and have looked after well the property. Now upon picking up the keys the PM messaged me that the tenants assumed the bedroom and study should be steam cleaned? Majority is floorboards.

Now, both our set of keys are with the tenants already (as the PM said by law they’re required to have 2sets). We couldn’t access the property anymore, and they should’ve said something in the first place?

They’ve seen the place already cleaned and said yes to it’s current condition(end of lease cleaning done, except steam clean). Isn’t carpets a fair wear and tear. I’ve been a tenant for 5 years myself and was NEVER asked for carpets to be steam cleaned, nor I was required during end of lease cleaning.
what should be my next step from here?

thank you all!

 

If you don't want to do it just say no.

 

Its not a requirement in NSW to have carpets professionally cleaned (unless there were pets). Its a slightly different situation with you moving out, but still up to you.

Your PM should remind them that they also don't have a requirement to have it professionally cleaned when they move out.

 

It just needs to be reasonably clean at the start of the tenancy.

 

Either do it now and then the tenant does it when they move out. Or don’t and then they don’t.

 

There is an understanding that carpets are to be steam cleaned at the end of each tenancy. That's actually not a requirement, but the majority of tenants think it is. I think it's important because it's really the only way to tell if carpets are clean or not (unless they're white).

The tenant probably just assumed that they'd be done before she moved in because she's probably been expected to get them done in her previous rentals.

If you don't want to do it, and you don't have to, your Property Manager can explain to the tenant that it's not actually a requirement if the carpets are visibly clean, and when she leaves she wont be expected to get them professionally cleaned either- as long as they're visibly clean.

 

Your PM sounds like they are inexperienced or still feeling out the relationship between you and them - setting the boundaries. They should have said no outright but as it's a new relationship have checked with you for your expectations.

A competent agent would have got a set of keys cut for their office. Ask the agent for a set.

 

This is the second thread on this issue. When a tenant signs a lease, they are agreeing to take the property 'as is'. Therefore in the condition in which they saw it. If they wanted the carpet to be steam cleaned, they could have tried to negotiate this at the same time that they negotiated the reduced rent.

Just remember that this is your property, and you don't have to do something just because a tenant wants you to. I maybe reading too much into this, but it sounds like a tenant that is trying it on, to see what they can/can't get out of their 'rich' landlord. Be prepared for the next request "Oh, could we please get ducted air conditioning'?

 

Yes, this. I missed that part.

 

I’m surprised that your friend agreed to the Dr’s request!

 

This isn't technically true. The landlord has to provide the premises in a reasonably clean condition, and this obligation can't be contracted out of.

I'm not necessarily convinced the tenant is just trying it on. A lot of PMs (and even some landlords) out there love spreading the misinformation that carpets need to be steam cleaned at the end of a tenancy, so it might just be that coming back around, so to speak.

 

I understand this, however the OP has said that the carpets were clean. Different if they were a pigsty, but in that instance I'd presume the PM would be telling prospective tenants that it would be cleaned before they move in.

 

I would tell them they are free to find somewhere else, I wouldn't reduce the rent.

 

Hi everyone!, thank you for your advise, I have informed the PM that the tenants can steam clean the property at their own expense. Now, the tenant is so upset, they felt “betrayed” by the PM. They said the property isn’t clean at all, when in fact 2 property managers had been into the unit and it wasn’t picked up- I wasn’t informed that the unit “isn’t up to their standards”. Two weeks has passed and only now, the PM is saying that when they went there the last time, they said it wasn’t cleaned at all. The PM said this “Please bear in mind the purpose and importance of a thorough clean prior to a tenant moving into the property is to allow a high standard of roll of the same property condition between tenancies. In this instance perse the tenants will be returning the property without a carpet steam clean or detailed clean and will perhaps not be so cooperative throughout the lease to the end.
I suggest for a small amount of inconvenience and beneficial advantages to you for future tenancies you should reconsider your answer.”

The PM has forwarded the tenant’s email asking to message me personally, and I want to highlight this the most (email from tenant to the
PM) “You’ve told us verbally over the phone that we won’t be obliged to do detailed cleaning up when we leave. If that’s the case will appreciate if u send it in a written form as well.”


okay so I understand that we have to make the “tenants happy”, but how come we, the landlord isn’t. I understand if I have to just “do it(steam clean) for the sake of a peaceful relationship”. It maybe a few dollars but i feel like we’re just saying yes and compromising for everything they request.

I feel like the PMs are working more for the tenants. they actually informed the tenant- a $10 /weekly discount off the rent BEFORE they even asked permission from me. I let it go, because the unit is in a hotspot so I’ll just have to compromise, and what was advised from here. Then the PM only informed me, 1business day in advance that they need our set of keys since the strata couldn’t give them a quick copy of keys(which is understandable since they only gave them 2 days notice for the keys to be cut). We had to drive all the way to the hotspot LGA(coming from a non hotspot) just to drop off the keys inside the unit and lock it up.

It’s our first IP so we really don’t know what to do from this point on. Please validate that this is expected from a PM and how a tenant should “behave”. The tenants has signed the lease and paid the deposit, I know there’s no way to back out from this that wouldn’t cost too much money and headaches.

Note: The tenant doesn’t have a rental history as it’s their first time, they just sold their home. So she requested for a 6month lease, which we agreed to. She is an essential worker so the job is stable.


Thank you everyone!

 

I think you need a new PM. One that works for you, not the tenant.

 

For what it is worth, my lease agreements state that the carpets were cleaned prior to the lease commencing. It also states that the tenants are responsible for "professional carpet cleaning" prior to vacating ( with receipt needing to be sighted).

Personally, I think it fair for carpets to be clean on incoming. The only question is whether tenant pays on the way in or the way out.

 

Have you got a copy of the condition report ? Was there any mention of any areas needing cleaning from either the PM or tenant ?