Updating post from Reddit.
I'm coming to the end of my tenancy in a rented flat (UK), and there's some scuffing to my bed frame that came with the property. The scuffing came from my desk chair which tightly fits at the end of the bed (desk and chair both mine).
The marks are only cosmetic but they're obviously quite visible. I've been in the property for a year and everything else is fine. I believe the chip to the bed post was present when I moved in but that half of the frame is not in any inventory photos so can not be proven for/against.
My landlord has been quite overreaching in the past, often trying to pass upkeep costs onto us that weren’t our responsibility, so I’m expecting there may be some dispute over this when it comes to the deposit.
Do you think this level of scuffing would fall under fair wear and tear, or is it reasonable grounds for a deduction? If a deduction is likely, what kind of cost would be considered fair and proportionate?
I appreciate any insight!
Wear and tear
The badly painted pine bed with approximate value of £100 may need £250 of repairs to renew it's bad paint job
Try a magic eraser sponge, they work great on white woodwork
This is the best answer by far, those things are incredible. I use the Flash branded ones from Amazon, I'm a letting agent and recommend them to all of my tenants.
Schweet Cheezus! No wonder people hate us landlords. Normal wear and tear.
Get some tipex and colour it in.
This is the only way. We used blutac and tipex to fill holes in student halls…
It's clearly damaged but easily fixed, so don't stress.
If you leave it, the landlord will claim damages because that's what it is, you admitted it's your chair doing it, so not fair wear and tear.
Grab a sponge and see if it wipes off. might need some alcohol to get it all off, or some of those workmen wipes with the slightly abrasive side, should come right off.
Failing that, grab some white paint and paint over it, but you'd need to do the whole bed so it matches. An hour of your time and its sorted.
You have scuffed it by using your desk chair in a place not really big enough for it.
Give it a clean to see what comes off.
I would say that unless you can make it look better then a charge is justified.
The charge should however be pretty small and should in no way cover the replacement of a bed frame.
Right? Wear and tear would mean damage caused from using a bad as a bed. This is damage, but the good news is that it should be easy to remedy
Not necessarily. If you walked past the bed and the little metal popper thing on your jeans scratched the paint on the bed it would still be wear and tear. Wear and tear just covers damage that occurs by normal every day living in a property.
If that's just surface scuffs as opposed to deep scratches, itll come off eith some hand sanitiser and a cloth
This is what I was thinking. My bed has scuff marks on the sides from my partners shoes, but it always wipes off..
Are we really going to pretend they didn't just say their partner wears their shoes in bed 😐
Haha. Not in the bed. They have really bad smelly feet (and I tell them that keeping them in shoes all day won't be helping but alas), so they just keep their shoes on and hang their feet over the edge because 100% I don't want any grubby old shoes contaminating my nice clean bedding.
This isn't normal wear and tear for a bed frame. Normal wear and tear would for example be the side that's against the wall having marks from the bed slightly moving with normal use.
You even admit it's your desk chair causing damage to the frame, which you probably use most days, which is why the damage is excessive. Most bedrooms don't have black office chairs rubbing on the bed frame daily.
Good news is most of it can probably be removed by cleaning, optionally followed by a coat of paint if needed. If you don't treat it, expect a deduction reasonable to those repair steps. If LL claims they need a new frame, I'd challenge that.
Deposit protection would never side with the landlord on this being anything other than wear and tear. If you want to avoid that situation, it looks to be basic matt white paint, you could always pick up a cheap can and repaint it yourself before you leave.
Not sure tbh. The landlord will probably argue that scuffs wouldn’t generally appear on a bed and it was caused by your chair (which is all true) and that it’s not the expected level of wear and tear.
You may have to talk to the TDS about it
Just repair it ? Either paint and a clean so they can’t see the damage . Will be £20 well spent
I don't think that's fair wear and tear at all. It wasn't like that when you moved in (or you would sure as hell have noticed it) and the landlord IS going to have to do something with the damage you've caused before they can rent it again.
Not acceptable.
It being wear and tear has nothing to do with whether it was like that when they’ve muddled things moved in or whether the landlord has to fix it. The definition of wear and tear is something that happens over the course of living in a place and using things as they’re intended to be used. The rest of what you’ve said is redundant.
It’s not wear and tear. A bed frames not expected to be scuffed by a chair. However it’s minor. It may wipe off like others have said. If not a quick paint touch up would do it. I’d do the touch up yourself, as nothing to stop LL charging for a professional. £30-40 for some primer and furniture paint? May not even need primer
since it's additinal damage caused by a chair and desk that you purchased, I'd say it probably fits into the damage rather than wear and tear.
If you'd just been using the property as provided, it wouldn't of happened.
That said, the fair repair value of that damage isn't a new bed frame so it would really come down to how much they charged you for if you should contest or not.
some of that might clean off though, and if the landlord ismt already aware of it you could hit it with some white paint yourself if you feel up to that.
Okay I figured it could come into this but it seems it could be either way. I'm definitely going to clean it as best I can, what would be the best way?
Probably just soapy water and elbow grease tbh.. I wouldn't use anything too strong on it in case it lifts the white.
Awesome thanks, I'll give that a go
Why not get a small tin of paint and paint over the marks you admit you're responsible for causing?
It looks like a crap DIY white paint over to start with! Maybe the pics don't do it justice.
Get a tin of paint and just fill it in
How old is this bed?
It's scuffed paint, just touch it up.
Not like it was a new paint job?
Pink stuff multi purpose cleaner works well to get rid of scuff marks
Wear and Tear? Have you lost your mind?
You've damaged someone else's possession in a rented property by not paying enough attention to what your chair is banging into.
Offer to paint the frame yourself or expect a charge, which will be entirely justified. Wear and tear does not extend to you being absent minded.
Ridiculous
Imagine as a landlord giving the slightest shit about this, fucks sake
Honestly you can buy a can of paint and brush for less than £20 and rectify that in less than an hour. No wonder people hate landlords, how much were yo/they??? planning to deduct?
If it was immaculate and or new to start with and you’re on a short tenancy then as a landlord I’d be frustrated to find it like this.
If it was generally a bit worn already or you’ve been there 2 years, then set la vie. I’d suggest you give it a go at cleaning off the big black scuffs… sugar soap? Or even took paste and a cloth may bring those off.
Beds broken, would need to replace. £500 gone atleast
When was the bed bought? What was the new value? How old is the bed? Beds are not designed to last forever, after a few year it depreciates to zero value.
Obviously not saying intentionally destroy beds, but usage happens.
Stop putting it up your butt hole