We would appreciate your guidance on a question regarding the amount that can be charged at the end of a tenancy for repairs to a wall, where a Tenant has made holes to hang pictures. We have had a decorator fill the holes and repaint the wall. The decorator advised that it would not be practical to paint only the refilled areas, as this would appear patchy. We took his advice and had the whole wall repainted.
We are therefore claiming for the cost to repaint the wall under dilapidations. However, the agent (on behalf of the Tenant) is disputing this, stating that “industry guidelines” state that we can charge only £10 per hole. We find this inadequate and believe we should be reimbursed for the entire wall to be repainted.
Would you please comment on the correctness of the industry guidelines quoted and whether we are obliged to accept this small amount.
Thanks, David
1 Comment
From what’s described, it’s only a guideline, not a binding authority. You could ask to see a copy of the guidelines.
The agent is only there to follow your instructions (as long as the instruction is lawful).
If they disagree with your opinion, it might be in their rights not to assist further with any dispute resolution with the deposit scheme, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t submit the evidence yourself along with the explanation.
All you can do is see how the dispute resolution resolves the case, which will be safer than going to court over any disputed amount.