12 month old fridge freezer recently acquired three visible dents on front and side. 2cm by 1.5cm. Paint undamaged. Clearly visible. Not repairable. In the context of a kitchen where nothing else has damage. Can a charge be made to the tenants and if so how to present it and how much to charge? Cost of fridge freezer approx £500. Still 6 months of the tenancy to go and if this damage goes unchallenged and without consequences there will be numerous other relatively minor but visible signs of damage not of natural wear and tear. Student tenants exceptionally immature.
Question
During the Tenancy (Wales) | Nuisance and Anti-social Behaviour (Wales) | Wales
Charge for cosmetic damage
Answer
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1 Comment
In the first instance we would write to them pointing out the damage and explaining this will need to be in the same condition as when moved in (less wear and tear which you don’t regard the current damage as). You can inform them that anything above fair wear and tear will be chargeable at the end of the tenancy.
This way, they have time to do something about it and if they don’t by the end of the tenancy, they’ve had plenty of time.
As to value, that’s incredibly difficult. The general rule is you can charge for any actual works done to repair but charging simply for wear and tear without an invoice/receipt is very difficult indeed.
Please see this article for more information about fair wear and tear.