It's cheaper to sort it yourself!
As your tenancy comes to an end, we want to shed some light on the typical costs that landlords often claim back from vacating contract-holders.
We understand no one wants to face unwanted charges (and we really don’t enjoy having to make them). With labour costs on the rise and demand being so high for contractors in student areas during summer months, it’s always going to work out cheaper for you to handle these tasks yourself prior to your checkout.
We’ve put together some advice on leaving your property in tip-top shape, along with details on the most common costs at the end of your tenancy, so you can be fully prepared and know what to expect. Please make sure that you read this guidance and ensure none of the issues below are a problem by the time it gets to handing back the keys.
Whilst we don't want to pursue you for costs, we do have a duty of care to the owner of the property. We'll be inspecting your property in the first two weeks of July to assess the condition its been left in.
Please note, if there’s any damage or unpaid rent that goes beyond your deposit, landlords can still pursue tenants (and guarantors) for the extra costs.
| Contractor | Average Costs |
| Rubbish removal | Up to 4 Bags: £55 5-7 Bags: £85 8-11 Bags: £110 12-15 Bags: £140 16+ Bags: At least £165 |
| Handyman | The first hour and minimum call-out charge for our handymen is £50, plus any materials needed to complete work. Any additional time is charged at £17.50 to £20 per half hour. If they are instructed to repair any deliberate damages, such as holes in walls, furniture damages or replace bulbs, then you may be liable for the bill. |
| Cleaners Carpet clean / upholstery Replacement mattresses | Cleaning is the most common cost incurred at the end of a tenancy and we find that contract holders are often surprised to see how much professional cleaning companies charge. While our cleaners charge according to the standard rates below, a very deep clean may incur an additional £100+ VAT (£120).Call-out charge for very minor cleaning (up to 90 minutes) - £80+ VAT (£96) Studio - £130+ VAT (£156) 1 bedroom flat - £140+ VAT (£168) 2 bedroom flat - £170+ VAT (£204) 3 bedroom house - £220+ VAT (£264) 4 bedroom house - £250+ VAT (£300) 5 bedroom house - £280+ VAT (£336) 6 bedroom house - £310+ VAT (£372) 7 bedroom house - £340+ VAT (£408) 8 bedroom house - £370+ VAT (£444) Extra rooms - £40+ VAT (£48) each (Any 'spare' or extra rooms that aren’t used as bedrooms) Extra kitchen - £110+ VAT (£132) £55+ VAT (£66) per room. Any further rooms will be charged at £40+ VAT (£48) per room. A minimum of £220. |
| Painting/decorating | If you have badly marked your walls (through Blu Tack use, stickers, strip lights or otherwise) then you may be liable for some or all of the bill. White/magnolia: First wall including call out: £110 + VAT (£132) Additional wall: £75 + VAT (£90) Standard sized room: £240 + VAT (£288) Any other paint mix: First wall including call out: £150 + VAT (£180) (More expensive than white/magnolia due to need to attend initially, colour match, then purchase the same) Additional wall: £75 + VAT (£90) Standard sized room: £275 + VAT (£330) (More expensive than white/magnolia due to mixed paints being more expensive to purchase) Please note large rooms and hallway / landings would be charged as 1.5 room cost. Likewise, a very small room such as a W/C would be charged at a lower rate, depending on size. Woodwork is quoted on a 'per job' basis. |
| Key cutting | If we don’t receive a full set of keys back from you, then a standard call-out change of £30 will apply, plus an additional charge for each key to be cut (usually £4-£6). Security keys cost a little more as they are a special order, usually around £30 per key. If multiple keys are missing from your key set, then we may change the locks to the property. The cost to do so will be £60-£120, plus the cost of cutting new keys for the property, landlord and management sets. If you are missing any keys, contact us to see if you can arrange cutting from our office sets before you vacate. |
| Electrician / Plumber/ Gas Engineer / Builder/ Carpenter / Appliance Technician etc Pest control | Call out charge: £45 + VAT (£54) minimum. Rate: £45 + VAT (£54) per half hour thereafter. £65 + VAT (£78) (rats 3 visits, mice 2 visits) |
*Whilst these are standard charges, they are always circumstantial and subject to change.
To put this into perspective, typical bond claims can range from new lightbulbs being needed to repairing holes in walls. The table below shows how, if you sort the problem yourself before the checkout, you could make significant savings!
| Issue | Contractor charge | Charge for sorting yourself |
| Dirty oven | £80 + VAT (£96) | £5 for cleaning products |
| Removing 2 bags of rubbish | £55 | £0 if taken to your local tip |
| Missing spotlight | £50 + VAT (£60) | £5 for a lightbulb |
| Carpet stain | £55 + VAT (£66) | £5 for carpet shampoo |
| Missing 1 bedroom key | £43 | £3 at a locksmith |
*Whilst these are standard charges, they are always circumstantial and subject to change.
Naturally, accidents do happen sometimes which can be hard to resolve. If you've dropped your cup of tea on your mattress for example, it could prove very difficult to get that stain out. Whilst we won’t charge you for a complete replacement, the lifespan of that mattress has been shortened by this happening. In these cases, contract-holders would be expected to pay a percentage to the eventual cost of a replacement, as a form of 'compensation' to the landlord.
If you have any queries regarding any maintenance issues it's best to let us know as soon as possible by reporting it to us via cpshomes.co.uk/report. We don't want to claim from any contract-holders deposit and we do not profit from any claims that are made. If you get ahead of us and sort these issues prior to your checkout, you're likely to receive most, if not all, of your deposit back this summer!