End Of Tenancy Oven Cleaning Disaster

After 10 years in the end of tenancy cleaning business, it's not often that you arrive at a property, take a look at the oven and say "OH MY GOODNESS, THROW THAT OVEN AWAY!" Seriously, the oven and hob were absolutely terrible with no doubt several species of dangerous bacteria happily breeding in "bacteria heaven". I never saw the tenants who lived there which is lucky because I would have given them a piece of my mind. Who knows, they may have even died from severe food poisoning.

How dare they leave me with such a terrible end of tenancy oven cleaning nightmare. Right now I know you are probably thinking: "Mark, stop over exaggerating. It cannot be that bad".

Welcome To My End Of Tenancy Oven Cleaning Nightmare!

Below are some of the end of tenancy oven cleaning "before" pictures. I think you may even say that this has been staged and that nobody will live in that dirt and grime. Believe me, even if I wanted to "stage" this to make up a story, not even the top Hollywood special affects demon could re-create this scene.

If you get nauseous looking at disgusting scenes, please look away now and read on further down.

Picture #1 – End Of Tenancy Oven Cleaning – Hob(Before Cleaning)

I'll give you a few seconds to recover because that is not the worst picture in this end of tenancy oven cleaning fiasco. I haven't shown you any pictures of the actual oven yet. Once again, I feel it necessary to warn you again that if you suffer from violent urges to be sick when presented with images of disgusting scenes, please look away now and continue reading the rest of this article.

Picture #2 – End Of Tenancy Oven Cleaning – Oven(before Cleaning)

Picture #3 – End Of Tenancy Oven Cleaning – Oven(before cleaning)

I think that you all owe me an apology for thinking that I was over exaggerating about this oven and hob. No way, I appreciate my customers and always maintain my transparency in all situations. That's the way I do business and why  most of my clients do repeat business with me.

The next question that may be on your tongue is: "Mark, cut the BS! Did you clean the oven and hob or did it end up at the cemetery for deceased ovens?"

Oven And Hob Gets New Life With End Of Tenancy Oven Cleaning Miracle

My clients know that I am a very determined person and my teams of cleaners have undergone extensive training in dealing with the worst cleaning situations. We cannot wave a magic wand and expect everything to clean up to almost new condition but sometimes miracles happen. Which is the case in this oven cleaning situation.

Ok, here are the cold hard facts. It did take us almost 3 hours to clean this oven and hob  and this was done purely to prove a point to a new client that we are professional cleaners who work hard to get the results we do. Good news is that this Estate Agent now uses us for all their end of tenancy cleaning jobs.

All that's left is for me to show you the results. So as they say: " a picture says a thousand words:"

Picture #4 – End Of Tenancy Oven Cleaning – Hob(after cleaning)

Picture #5 – End Of Tenancy Oven Cleaning – Oven(after cleaning)

Picture #6 – End Of Tenancy Oven Cleaning – Oven(after cleaning)

There you go, an oven and hob brought back literally from the appliance scrapheap. Not all results turn out this well and please understand that when presented with an end of tenancy oven cleaning job like this, expect the price to rise astronomically.

To experience MORE than just End Of Tenancy Oven Cleaning, please call us to see more of what we offer our clients everyday.

Thank you for sharing this end of tenancy oven cleaning experience.

Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts, and possible if you have seen an oven and hob worse than in this case study.

Until Next Time….Keep It Clean

Mark

Allow me to clarify further by using an example I recently experienced when doing some end of tenancy cleaning at a property. The property was cleaned to our usual high standards and then inspected by an inventory clerk. The inventory clerk as you may know or not is the person that represents both the landlord and estate agent to give them an unbiased report on how the property has been maintained during your tenancy. Their job is twofold:

1. Make sure that all the contents of the property are in good order and accountable eg. crockery, cutlery, furniture, ornaments, lamps etc etc.

2. Make sure that the end of tenancy cleaning has been done to the required standard.

Now you may ask what this has to do with fair wear and tear and end of tenancy cleaning. Well, in this particular example the tenant was pulled aside about scratches and scuffs on walls, skirting boards, doors as well as residual marking on sofa covers and carpets.

Is This An End Of Tenancy Cleaning Or Fair Wear And Tear Issue?

The tenant remarked that these marks, scuffs and stains were present at the check-in and therefore not down to any fault of their own. They stated further that they had been renting the property for 3 years and a lot of these issues should be classified as fair wear and tear and not an end of tenancy cleaning problem which is correct….

Or is it? This is where the confusion sets in as the question really is: "What is classified as fair wear and tear and just plain negligence on how the tenant has looked after the property?"

Fair Wear And Tear Has Nothing To Do With End Of Tenancy Cleaning!

It seems that the inventory clerk has a lot of input on this particular aspect of the check out but please understand that they are professionally qualified and independent contractors so will make decisions based on seeing the condition of things for themselves, experience and cross reference to an original check-in report. Based on these credentials they will then advise the estate agent as to whether there is going to be any deductions from your tenancy deposit for reimbursement to the landlord for replacement of defective items or making good decoratively at the property.

Great End Of Tenancy Cleaning Can Help With Fair Wear And Issues

I have to agree that if end of tenancy cleaning is done to a very high standard then things like badly stained carpets and sofa covers can be cleaned within reason. More to the point is that if things do not clean up well and compensation is requested that you know what this "Fair Wear And Tear Rule" is all about.

A.R.L.A(Association Of Regulated Lettings Agents) which is the ruling ombudsman for most estate agents, has this to say about fair wear and tear and means making an allowance for: -

1. The original age, quality and condition of any item at commencement of the tenancy
2. The average useful lifespan to value ratio (depreciation) of the item
3. The reasonable expected usage of such an item
4. The number and type of occupants in the property
5. The length of the tenants occupancy

It follows therefore (and is an established legal tenet) that a landlord is not entitled to charge his tenants the full cost for having any part of his property, or any fixture or fitting, "…..put back to the condition it was at the start of the tenancy."

What A.R.L.A further states is: " The landlord/agent has a duty to adopt the most reasonable and practical and appropriate approach to assessing remedy, and should keep in mind that the tenants' deposit is not to be used like an Insurance policy where you might get "full replacement value" or "new for old"

I hope that this has gone some way to explaining the difference between end of tenancy cleaning and fair wear and tear.

Until next time…Keep Cleaning!

Mark

DustBusters Professional End Of Tenancy Cleaning

How An Inventory Clerk Makes Or Breaks An End Of Tenancy Cleaning Job

This subject has so got under my skin that you must read this completely to appreciate how serious things have become when you end your tenancy and employ an end of tenancy cleaning company to do the professional cleaning of your property.

After nearly 9 years of doing end of tenancy cleaning it is clear that I still have a lot to learn about making sure that all parties involved in an end of tenancy transaction communicate with each other before , during and after an end of tenancy period. Sure, everything is cushy at the beginning of your tenancy but bad experiences start more than often at the end of a tenancy

             Your Check-out Report Relays If You Have Been         A Good Or A Bad Tenant In Looking After The Property And Invested In End Of Tenancy Cleaning

….or does it??? What do I mean? Let me explain with the following key points you should consider:

1. An inventory clerk performs an inventory make and pre-inspection report which you as a new tenant must witness and sign prior to taking possession of the keys to your rental property.
2. In this check-in report everything is recorded in black and white regarding any maintenance, decorative or previous end of tenancy cleaning issues and a copy of this report is sent to you the tenant, estate agent and the landlord of the property.
3. No more thought is given to the check-in report and you go on with your tenancy for whatever period of time.
4. You then decide that you want to move and scramble to find your new property, movers, book an end of tenancy cleaning company and….rummage around in drawers for that elusive check-in report so that you can check what is required to get back as much of your rental deposit  as possible.

Your Inventory Check-out Report Is a Legally Binding Document In Reference To Your Property Including Fair Wear And Tear, Damages And End Of Tenancy Cleaning Issues

So you might say I am stating the obvious and you may be right. Then why are there so many disputes happening at the end of a tenancy when all seems so clear cut?

Here are some questions put simply, yet clearly for you to ponder over:

1. What happens if an inventory clerk misses something important and does not get noted on the check-in report? e.g. end of tenancy cleaning has not been done to the right standard and you only notice it a few weeks later. Sure you report it but by that time it is too late for any amendments to be made to the report.
2. What happens if the check-out is done by a different inventory clerk who notices that more things are wrong with the property than the inventory clerk in the beginning of the tenancy? He/she will put that on the report and you will have a problem convincing your landlord or estate agent that the problem was there before. Why…because your estate agent and landlord refer to the previous check-in report as a legally binding document and therefore gospel.
3. What does that new inventory clerk have to refer to, to get an idea of what the property looked like at the beginning of the tenancy? You guessed it….the original inventory and check-in report done by a different inventory clerk.
4. What happens if for example you moved in and all the appliances in the kitchen were new? Your tenancy may be 5 years in length and you may have cleaned very little. We do our end of tenancy cleaning and despite trying our best to clean that once new oven, we cannot remove all the burnt on grease. This will be noted on the check-out report and inevitably result in your deposit return being delayed while end of tenancy cleaning issues are resolved. Cleaners normally have good results based on how well a property has been maintained during the tenancy. Is it our fault that that damn oven was cleaned for 4 hours and still looked dirty. We are after all not magicians.

You probably know by now that we live in a world where suing even your best friend has become common practice. A tenant I know even lost £1400 of his deposit. Seriously, 2 years ago inventory clerks were not taking photos and videos of a property or the end of tenancy cleaning quality to add weight to making that check-out report as "meaty" as possible.

The moral of this story can be summed up by saying that no-one is perfect whether it be a tenant, landlord, estate agent or end of tenancy cleaning company. The cold hard fact is you have to understand how important that check-out report is when used as a reference point.

It is used and scrutinized in the following ways:

1. By an estate agent to assess if you have taken care of the property. If there is negative comments on the check-out report your deposit will be delayed until all things are rectified.
2. By a landlord to assess whether the estate agent has indeed managed their property in the right way with their best interests in mind.
3. By you the outgoing tenant that has just moved out to assess whether what has been deducted from your deposit in way of fixing certain damages is fair. If not then the matter may go to a dispute tribunal.
4. By a tribunal hearing committee to assess whether all parties involved have acted correctly to resolve the dispute. Their decision is made off the back of what is written on the check-out report prepared by the inventory clerk.

An Eye Opening Exercise That Shows How Much Weight is placed on a Check-out report. From now on, keep your eyes open and report anything and everything you think is wrong with the property when you move in. DON'T WAIT UNTIL CHECK-OUT DAY AS THAT IS TOO LATE….GAME OVER!

Please also make sure you use the right end of tenancy cleaning service.

I would love to hear your end of tenancy cleaning nightmare stories of how your check-out has gone wrong and how you got it resolved…or not. Please add your comments in the comments box below this article.

Until Next Time……Keep It Clean!

Mark

DustBusters Professional End Of Tenancy Cleaning

I disagree strongly and to prove it I have a short video as proof. The link is below for you all to watch.

Click here to See the Winning Pot and me bragging long before judging started

The "Cooking Cowboys" as we called ourselves entered a cooking competition which involves cooking a meal in cast iron 3 legged pot called a "Potjie" which is a way of life in South Africa alongside Barbecues and Rugby.

This is not as simple as it sounds as the process is rigorous with meticulous care taken in preparation, seasoning and ultimately taste, taste and then taste again. A process that lasts up to 5 hours before any food id ready for tasting. No problem, because that gave us time to enjoy a few cold beers while cooking continued on a sweltering day with temperature reaching 32 degrees.

All was worth it a we spun our magic against 10 other feisty competitors and after some strict judging walked away with the coveted "Pot In The Park" trophy.

Now it's time to get my mind focused on end of tenancy cleaning again as Monday morning rapidly approaches.

Until next time……Keep It Clean!

Mark

DustBusters Professional End Of Tenancy Cleaning

As the summer months kick into full swing tenants are now moving out by the hundreds which leaves landlords requiring end of tenancy cleaning along with carpet cleaning a lot of the time.

Some landlords have their properties rented by university/college students who have come to the end of writing exams and are now moving out to go off on their summer vacations. The nightmare is that a lot of house sharers and especially students(sorry but experience tells me this is true), do not take any responsibility in maintaining the cleanliness of the property and over the last 9 years I have seen this gross negligence before my very eyes over and over again.

The questions I have are:

1. Do the renters just not care about how they live?

2. Do they think that the property can be left in this diabolical state because "that's just how it is"?

3. Why should they clean, they are students and only study and party?

4. Mom and Dad will pay for the cleaning when we leave. Isn't that their job?

5. Why should I take responsibility for the cleaning when they have 4 other house mates that should do their bit too?

The mind baffles as to why these very same tenants moan, groan and grumble over having to pay a professional end of tenancy cleaning team hundreds of pounds to get rid of the evidence of a neglected property and cover up their irresponsibility.

Then there is the serious matter of a deposit return being delayed and risk of being lost altogether because the landlord has to give the property a completed makeover and decoration because of the carnage that has been left behind.

I know that this article may be slightly on the controversial side but having been in this business for a long time I am yet to be convinced that multi-tenanted properties are ever looked after by the younger student generation. If I have generalised, I apologise and welcome your comments for those that have left at the end of their tenancy and left the property sparkling clean.

Take this advice, as obvious as it may be, implement it at the beginning of your tenancy and there will be a lot less tears and more tenants deposit fees returned at the end of that tenancy.

1. Start a weekly cleaning roster and make sure that each house mate signs it. Sort of a mini cleaning contract.

2. Do a 3 monthly deep clean of all appliances such as oven, washing machine, dishwasher etc.

3. If you have a weekly budget then hire a domestic cleaner to come in once, twice or even monthly

This is sounds so obvious but I can tell you there are so many house sharers that don't practice this simple principle of living clean.

I can promise you that if you are a student or house sharer you will not only get a better rate when you book an end of tenancy clean(provided you've taken my advice above), but you will  live better by being cleaner and eradicating all that harmful bacteria that accumulates on surfaces, cooker tops and in fridges.

I hope this is a wake up call to all students and house sharers. Live clean, live long!

Until next time…..Keep It Clean!

Mark

DustBusters Professional End Of Tenancy Cleaning

Phew, what a relief as a nation watched intensely to see whether their football team would make it to the next round after a streaky start. Finally a win against Slovenia and doing so keeping a nations hopes alive.

You may ask what this has to do with end of tenancy cleaning? Well the truth is that I am feeling absolutely elated and feel the need to express my happiness by offering all my customers a great chance of qualifying for a free carpet clean.

I can just see the skeptics saying, "OK, what's the catch". I promise there is no catch but you do have to do something really easy to qualify.

1. You have to write a story of your best or worst experience you have had when using a company for an end of tenancy clean of your property.

2. Write your story in the comment box below this post along with your name and email address. Please know that your contact details are very private and will never ever be shared with anyone else.

On the last day of the World Cup 2010 I will pick the story I like best and contact the winner to arrange a suitable day to do the carpet cleaning. I will also post the winners name on this blog.

Sorry, but there are a few restrictions:

1. The property must fall into the catchment area that we clean in eg. Southwest London, Surrey County and postcodes from SW6-SW20.

2. The winner must agree to submit a photo of themselves to us and agree to have it published on this blog.

3. The carpet cleaning offer is restricted to 1, 2 and 3 bedroom properties(flats and houses)

4. If there is a charge for parking or congestion zone fees these will be payable by the winner.

5. This competition ends on the 11th July 2010 without further notice.

Now that I have those pesky rules out of the way all you have to do is get writing and submit all stories via the comment box below this post.

Until The winner is crowned…..keep it clean!

Mark

DustBusters Professional End Of Tenancy Cleaning

Let me explain how simple this is:

1. You refer one of your friends, family members or colleagues to DustBusters for an end of tenancy cleaning quotation.

2. Your referral then books our end of tenancy cleaning service.

3. Bingo, You then become automatically entitled to a FREE clean of your oven, hob and extractor.

4. To secure your FREE oven clean you will need to get your referral prospect to visit my website: www.dustbustersprocleaning.co.uk and fill in the form on the “Contact Us” page. Note, it is very, very important that they fill in your name and the code “DustBlog” in the comments box of the quotation form. That way I can track who referred who and make sure you get your FREE oven clean.

This is an amazing offer and all you have to do is  just talk to your friends, family or people you work with….. a no brainer really because you probably do this everyday anyway.

If you were to book an oven clean with an independent oven cleaning company this would set you back around £60, so you can see the immense value placed in this offer.

This offer is time sensitive and will expire without any further notice on the 31st August 2010.

Don’t waste any further time…get those tongues wagging.

Until next time….keep cleaning!

Mark

DustBusters Professional Cleaning

What I’m referring to is the amount of jobs that I have lost over the last couple of months because of my prospects finding cheaper prices with other cleaning companies. I know that competition is good for keeping people in business honest but it seems that prices being charged these days are becoming more and more unrealistic. I’m all for a deal to be done between myself and a new prospect but having to drop my price often in the hundreds is something I have not  experienced since I started end of tenancy cleaning 8 years ago.

My question to you as one of my readers is “Has the world Gone Crazy or are you going to choose the cheapest price quoted for your end of tenancy every time?”

Am I the only one left in this world that still believes you get what you pay for?

Please let me know what your expectations are when booking a cleaning business and your mindset as far as quality, level of expectation and resistance to cleaning at all goes. Or Is it Price alone?

If you could solve this mystery for me, then I too can become more compliant.

Thanks and Keep Cleaning

Mark

DustBusters Professional End Of Tenancy Cleaning

Enough about the weather. While we were out at a friends house on Saturday, we got chatting about property investment and how the market is a bit doom and gloom at the moment, with the world economy shifting, with what seems like every second, and sending the value of investment properties crashing into negative equity.

There was a general consensus that most of us that have the luxury of owning an investment property are now renting it out, hoping that the market recovers in a few years in order to sell it on and make a few extra pounds to put towards retirement funding.

What was truly eye opening to me is how many of my friends have had a bad experience with end of tenancy cleaning companies that have either offered poor service or let them down with price/cost ratio and quality delivered.

So, I want to give you all a chance to get all that stress and aggravation off your shoulders and list your worst experiences when using the services of a professional end of tenancy cleaning business. Whether you are a landlord renting a property out at the moment, a new tenant renting for the first time or a professional renter who has been a tenant in several different properties, I want to hear from you.

It’s an opportunity of a life time to get back at all the bad end of tenancy cleaning experiences you’ve ever had.

All you have to do is leave your comments about your experiences in the comment box. Click the “new comment” icon at the top right of  this post. All rants welcome.

In return for the great comments,  I will be picking the best “ranter” and offer the winner a  FREE CARPET CLEAN for their living room on a date of their choice. This prize will expire in exactly 14 days from today without exception, so get ranting.

In the meantime…..keep cleaning!

Mark

DustBusters Professional End Of Tenancy Cleaning

I want to set the scene first: “you have just handed in your notice as a tenant and as a farewell to all you are having a leaving home party knowing that your end of tenancy will go smoothly… suddenly their is a loud shreek from the living room.You run in to investigate and find a great big red wine stain splashed right in the middle of the living room carpet.”

This guy has the solution…..not. I repeat do not try this at home!!!

Now watch the carpet cleaning video LOL

What a hoot. Rather call in the end of tenancy cleaning professionals to sort out that carpet stain.

Until next time….keep cleaning

Mark
DustBusters Professional End Of Tenancy Cleaning