[Linda - Payatrader]

Hi,

Can anyone provide advice on the best way to remove a tea stain please? My daughter is having problems with a landlord in swindon asking for a full carpet replacement because of the stain.

The carpet has already been professionally cleaned but it did not come out.

Thanks

Linda

[Neil Williams]

Alan is in Swindon and knows his stuff so I'm sure he'll be along shortly

[Linda - Payatrader]

Thanks, this is quite stressful.

The guy has a track record of trying to get his tenants to fork out for new carpets. The previous tenants paid for a new carpet that he did not buy and where he asked my daughter's flatmate to get a re-clean on the same carpet!  He also tried to scam them over a stain in the hallway - fortunately, the carpet cleaner they hired before leaving confirmed the hall stain was there the last time he cleaned the house (!!!), proving the landlord to be a liar.

Regards my daughters room, the guy claims that he can charge for a new one, even though it was 2.5 yrs old before they moved in. When I mentioned the old carpet would become our property, he argued that there was no requirement to change it immediately & told me he wasn't going to change the carpets until he moved back in!  In other words his past and future tenants will be buying him new carpets!
By the way new tenants moved in straightaway- so the stain has not impacted him financially.

I am in the process of finding out who the "guardian angel" carpet cleaner was [re the hall] as I'm hoping he will recall the tea stain too as there is a strong suspicion the landlord has entered the property and made the stain worse himself.

Guess it's going to end in a formal dispute.

Not nice for  young people in their first jobs, still paying down uni debt.

[Carpet Dawg]

Asian landlord by any chance?

[Simon Gerrard]

Linda,
Take plenty of pictures, keep a log of what he says to you and when and stand your corner and tell him you'll see him in court. Also ask him if his taxes are up to date as your husband works at the tax office, that usually gets them thinking that this might be more trouble than it's worth. My son is a lawyer

[Linda - Payatrader]

Thanks I will keep a record.

Any miracle tips for removing tea stains? I'm thinking of driving down there at weekend to see if I can remove it.

Linda

[Simon Gerrard]

Linda,
If it is a university let, tell them about it and they may take him off their list.

Simon

[Jim_77]

Linda, I'd advise against "having a go" because if it was a simple DIY job your daughter or her housemates probably would have been able to sort it.  The likelihood of making it worse is much greater!

As it's a rental property I'm quite surprised that a carpet cleaner hasn't been able to remove it, because normally they are polypropylene carpets in rented houses which shouldn't be a major problem.

But it may be the carpet is mostly wool... in which case a knowledgeable professional with the right approach should be able to at least get a massive improvement on it, if not remove it.


http://www.tacca.co.uk/able-steam/

http://www.tacca.co.uk/heritage-cleaning/

http://www.ncca.co.uk/member.php?memid=1399

http://www.ncca.co.uk/member.php?memid=1896

http://www.ncca.co.uk/member.php?memid=1108

http://www.ncca.co.uk/member.php?memid=2261

It could be that the carpet cleaner who had a go wasn't up to much - maybe chosen because he was cheap?  Cheapo cleaners normally don't have the skills and definitely don't have the time or inclination to spend on advanced stain removal - they need to get in, get the money and get on to the next job.

[davep]

Plus he can't take deposit directly if there is a dispute?

[Mike Halliday]

was the carpet new when she moved in? even if it was then they still should allow for normal wear & tear, They cannot demand a new carpet.

call his bluff and say you are going to CAB/ the ombudsman and any trade organization he belongs to...... if he thinks you are not going to let it go and are willing to cause a lot of hassle then he might be more reasonable

[Linda - Payatrader]

Hi,

It was Mark from Able Steam in Swindon who cleaned the carpets - unfortunately its 80-20 wool & the tea has stained it & won't all come out.  It hasn't helped that the tenants tried to clean it themselves with Vanish.

Mark has been very helpful and already has stopped the landlord trying to charge for a stain on a hall carpet caused by previous tenants. Mark is not very happy with the landlord himself.

The latest scam is to suggest the carpet (which we believe was a builders fit that came with the house) is to be replaced with one costing £32 per sq metre!

We're in the midst of an interesting exchange at the minute re: the true quality of the carpet and deduction for normal wear & tear. The carpet is only 8 square metres, probably cost £15 and is 2.5 years old.

We've assumed a 5 year lifespan in a tenanted property, which would mean £150 might be payable. He's asking for nearly £400 including a steam clean in another room on a carpet that his last tenants paid to be replaced  that he didn't replace.

We think its a plan to get a new carpet each time, so if he moves back he can have all new.

I'll keep you all posted. Thanks for your suggestions.

[Jim_77]

OK I'll get off the fence.  Someone who knows how to use sodium metabisulphite or hydrogen peroxide should be capable of sorting it.

The only fly in the ointment is the previous possible chemical reaction from the vanish

[Craigp]

I was told by a letting agent that the body that deals with disputes is it CAB ?

Well anyway they told me they find in favor of the tenant 95% of the time as it seems they are tenant baised. So you might have nothing to worry about.

[Linda - Payatrader]

When I spoke to Mark at Able Steam this morning he was worried that stronger chemicals might whiten the area compared the the rest of the carpet  - which could make matters worse. That said, if the landlord is looking for new it cannot be worse.

I'll call him again in the morning.


Thanks

[Craigp]

Tea stains cannot always be removed.

Tea stains can be permeant.

Sounds like this is one, you may have to give up.

[Mark@Able Stonecare]

When I spoke to Mark at Able Steam this morning he was worried that stronger chemicals might whiten the area compared the the rest of the carpet  - which could make matters worse. That said, if the landlord is looking for new it cannot be worse.

I'll call him again in the morning.


Thanks

Hi Linda, there is already bleaching created by the vanish what i was trying to explain is although it might be possible to remove this stain it will never be completely invisible which is what your daughters landlord is looking for. I have offered him this option to try and remove the stain but it is entirely up to him as the owner to take this option which i dont think he will as we both know.
I have had a look at the pics you sent me give me a call tomorrow and i will go through it with you before you contact the landlord.

Mark

[Ian Gourlay]

Deposits should be held by an independent body . Also Landlord cannot demand new Carpet at best as you say depending on age etc etc

Time tenants took on Landlords

[from edge2edge]

Mark i dont suppose you know this landlords name do you as i certainly would like to be pre warned about him so i dont do any work for him.Sounds like a wrong un on the make intimidating young people into handing over cash(seen too many and try to avoid).I saw you the other week at the petrol station but i am not sure you recognised me with my silly tash on(gone now).Regards Alan(swindon)

[Steve Rothwell]

Deposits should be held by an independent body . Also Landlord cannot demand new Carpet at best as you say depending on age etc etc

Time tenants took on Landlords

I help them do that in my spare time Ian, we usually win, in the fact that the Landlord does not get to keep the whole deposit, or get betterment. by law since 2007 all deposits are meant to be held independantly in 1 of 3 schemes, however only 1 of the schemes actually involves the landlord giving the money to a 3rd party, the other 2 are insurance schemes. At the end of the day if the landlord refuses to give back the deposit or authorise the release of the deposit in the case of the DPS (deposit protection service), then it involves court action. If the landlord has not got an inventory from when the tenant moves in (a lot of the times they have not) then the Judge always grants the whole deposit to the tenant. It can get complicated, but if a landlord is trying it on, or scamming, then the letter before action for the return of the whole deposit, or deductions of provable damage not including wear and tear, usually does the trick.
There is no recompense at the moment for  claiming against a landlord who does not protect the deposit in one of the 3 schemes, as the landlord can put it in the day before a hearing if so inclined and the judge has to throw the case out.
The landlord although able to claim large amounts for repair if damage is proved, does not in fact have to have the repairs done, however it is a bit naughty for him to try to charge the next tenant for the same damage. Hence the need for a full inventory, BUT if there is not an inventory it is in the tenants best interest NOT to insist on one, as the landlord will be unable to prove any damage at the end of the tenancy.

[Craigp]

That's very informative Hector,

So their best hope is a letter before action, because I bet it's a lot of hassle if it does need to go to court.